A new immigrant, asking for employment advice

wildturkeycanoe said :

Accommodation can be found on “Allhomes” website. I just did a quick search for 1 bedroom studios and the cheapest was $150, in Mawson. The rest started at $200/week and quickly went up from there. I haven’t had to rent for many years now, but when I did I found that good references and having an income will definitely assist you in getting a place. Look at it from the point of view of the landlord I suppose, someone with a job is a much better tenant than someone who isn’t employed. It was very difficult to “win” somewhere to live due to the number of applicants and we found ourselves applying for many places before getting accepted. There used to be bidding wars between prospective tenants where they would offer more rent than was being asked, just to get the property. I don’t know if the market is still that tough. Has anyone recently been involved in looking for rentals to confirm or deny this?
I hope you do find a place quickly as it can be very frustrating to spend time and money whilst not succeeding in your objective.
It might not be a great idea to find accommodation before you get work. Consider this. If you were to live near Civic for instance and you ended up getting a job in south Canberra, perhaps Tuggeranong town center, your travel time to and from work would be much more. Renting closer to work may then have saved you a lot of money. I have regularly had jobs in Queanbeyan but lived in west Belconnen and the hours spent traveling, in retrospect were a waste of my time. Public transport may also not be direct, as you usually have to go to a town center first, to connect with another bus to take you to the next major area and so on.
I think getting a job first would be a priority, but in saying so, of course you need somewhere to live in the meantime, so a short term lease would be most practical in case you do have a long way to travel.
Good luck, especially with the current climate of redundancies and a slow down in our economy.

@wildturkeycanoe

Thanks for all the detailed advice and good wishes. I totally understand the point of view of landlords. I’ve lived in a city for most of my life that you have to pay deposits the amount of one year rent, pay all your monthly rent in 12 cheques in advance, and give another cheque for about the price of the house (e.g. ~300,000 USD) as a guarantee for not refusing to leave. In my country landlord has all the powers and the one seeking rent is treated like a serf.

One thing that I can do to assure the landlord is to pay a major portion of rent in advance. Does it make them feel safe? Can it be helpful in case of bidding wars?

As you can see, the work/accommodation issue is a chicken and egg paradox for an immigrant. Obviously I can’t stay at hotel while I’m waiting for my occupation condition resolve. So, as you mentioned, the short term lease can be a good solution, if found.

Living in one of the most polluted, chaotic and congested cities in the world, I’m a big fan of finding jobs based on closeness to home and vice versa. In my city a 10 km drive can take 3 hours of sitting in traffic. At least from google street view, CBR doesn’t remotely like this and perhaps I can listen to a podcast or do something while in bus.

Thanks again, perhaps with such friendly and kind citizens, the life is a lot easier than what it seems!

I don’t want to sound naive, but I’m falling in love with CBR already, if I only could secure a decent job.

Warm Regards,
-E

No, hustle and bustle you’re not really going to find here. But lots of nature, yes. It’s only a relatively short bus ride to Sydney if you want to get your crowd fix though.

I came from a town with a similar population as Canberra, but in an area about 10 times smaller.

I rented a granny flat in Braddon for a while and that was great. Walking distance to Civic where you can get fast buses to any other town centre during the week. There are lots of units to rent there too.

If you’re not going to live walking distance from a town centre, you really need to get a car asap. I remember I found it extremely depressing to live in the suburbs at first. Only the local shops to walk to and nothing else really. Push bike is better, but again it depends on where you live how useful that would be. I used to ride 18kms one way to work for a year. Never again! I’m too slow. Beautiful ride though… Plenty of nature and photo opportunities.

What is raisin vodka? It is the only part of your party kit that doesn’t sound disgusting. In fact it sounds delightful! Is it a very pure brandy? Is it a vodka made from grains and subsequently infused with raisins?

Also, in the interests of appearing to remain at least partially on topic, Charnwood and Kambah might have their nice streets but it’s just not worth it!!!

Accommodation can be found on “Allhomes” website. I just did a quick search for 1 bedroom studios and the cheapest was $150, in Mawson. The rest started at $200/week and quickly went up from there. I haven’t had to rent for many years now, but when I did I found that good references and having an income will definitely assist you in getting a place. Look at it from the point of view of the landlord I suppose, someone with a job is a much better tenant than someone who isn’t employed. It was very difficult to “win” somewhere to live due to the number of applicants and we found ourselves applying for many places before getting accepted. There used to be bidding wars between prospective tenants where they would offer more rent than was being asked, just to get the property. I don’t know if the market is still that tough. Has anyone recently been involved in looking for rentals to confirm or deny this?
I hope you do find a place quickly as it can be very frustrating to spend time and money whilst not succeeding in your objective.
It might not be a great idea to find accommodation before you get work. Consider this. If you were to live near Civic for instance and you ended up getting a job in south Canberra, perhaps Tuggeranong town center, your travel time to and from work would be much more. Renting closer to work may then have saved you a lot of money. I have regularly had jobs in Queanbeyan but lived in west Belconnen and the hours spent traveling, in retrospect were a waste of my time. Public transport may also not be direct, as you usually have to go to a town center first, to connect with another bus to take you to the next major area and so on.
I think getting a job first would be a priority, but in saying so, of course you need somewhere to live in the meantime, so a short term lease would be most practical in case you do have a long way to travel.
Good luck, especially with the current climate of redundancies and a slow down in our economy.

carnardly said :

emigre – I can’t answer that or I’ll have to keeel you.

🙂

Seriously – no I’m not Persian but shared a house with a lovely Iranian lad for a few years. He was a lovely guy and he taught me a few of the basics. But i’ve forgotten some of it now.

He’s now an architect in Geelong Victoria. There is a huuuuge Iranian community down that way.

@carnardly

Oh interesting! In the past 3 decades so many Iranians left their country that whenever another guy leaves, instead of having a good-bye party in Tehran, they have a hello-party in Toronto, Melbourne, Stockholm, etc! I personally threw away my local phone book 3 times, because there wasn’t a single soul that I could call 😉

kumadude said :

Howdy emigre,
why not look for a granny flat ( a dwelling detached from a house), they should be cheaper than the average unit.

@kumadude

Thanks for the good advice! I love them because you have total privacy while having a very close neighbour.But, what do they call these type of houses in Australia? Secondary suite? I haven’t seen an option like that in real estate sites.

Many Thanks,
-E

BimboGeek said :

Sounds like you have a good sense of humour. You’re welcome at my tv parties any time!

Yes it’s hard to find a true city hustle and bustle in Canberra and CBD apartments are among the most expensive unlike most cities. Some people find Woden or Belconnen centres are a bit more authentic but I find them too commercial and trashy so I’ve been hanging around Manuka the last few years, which is as busy as everywhere else but when the dust clears and the weekend warriors go home all the locals maintain a friendly village environment.

The apartments actually within the precinct are expensive (although not completely unattainable) but there are options within a few blocks that are a bit more affordable, try Kingston, Griffith or Forrest and check the map to see what you are near.

@BimboGeek

Thanks for the invitation! I’ll bring 65% raisin vodka, chips, cold cuts, pickles and yogurt (Our national heavy drinking kit) and we will party like Soviet revolution! (and perhaps I will lose my hard-earned visa a few days later!) 😉

Thanks for the advice on cosy neighbourhoods, the way I’m searching CBR using satellite imagery and google street view, I think if I don’t find a proper home, at least I will get a decent job in real estate 😉

Warm regards,
-E

emigre – I can’t answer that or I’ll have to keeel you. 🙂

Seriously – no I’m not Persian but shared a house with a lovely Iranian lad for a few years. He was a lovely guy and he taught me a few of the basics. But i’ve forgotten some of it now.

He’s now an architect in Geelong Victoria. There is a huuuuge Iranian community down that way.

Sounds like you have a good sense of humour. You’re welcome at my tv parties any time!

Yes it’s hard to find a true city hustle and bustle in Canberra and CBD apartments are among the most expensive unlike most cities. Some people find Woden or Belconnen centres are a bit more authentic but I find them too commercial and trashy so I’ve been hanging around Manuka the last few years, which is as busy as everywhere else but when the dust clears and the weekend warriors go home all the locals maintain a friendly village environment.

The apartments actually within the precinct are expensive (although not completely unattainable) but there are options within a few blocks that are a bit more affordable, try Kingston, Griffith or Forrest and check the map to see what you are near.

Howdy emigre,
why not look for a granny flat ( a dwelling detached from a house), they should be cheaper than the average unit.

@BimboGeek

Thanks! I will take a closer look at those areas and see if there’s anything within my limited budget. I’m an apartment guy and prefer a very small studio. I lived most of my life in a cramped city of more than 8 million, in an area smaller than Canberra! I prefer to live – at least initially- in a place which is has no lawn so it takes less of my time cleaning and maintaining and leave me more time for work and study.

It would be ideal for me if I can afford a place where I’ll be close to shops and people! I love walking in crowds and getting bumped in the crowded streets! I’m an amateur street / nature photographer and I’m very anxious to see how the locals will react to street photography and wether I can use my DSLR or I have to buy a low-profile range finder. In my standards, when I look at Canberra using google street view, it seems like it’s a city with no people living in it! But I think if the city doesn’t have that “buzz”, perhaps they natural beauty of it and it’s surroundings will compensate and I can’t wait to come there and go for photography in nature…..

Thanks for sharing your ideas 🙂

BimboGeek said :

I am a huge fan of the outer inner suburbs eg Hughes to the South or Watson to the North. They are not too trendy, not too cheap, just quiet and polite but close enough to the trendy areas that you can bike or take a short drive in, close to the cbd etc. The inner outer suburbs eg Aranda or Weston Creek area are similar but you can look around at what shops, jobs are nearby and choose what suits your personality. For example I like being closer to markets rather than shopping centres, I like the village atmosphere of local shops and having houses close enough together that you do get to know your neighbour even though you might not make friends. In my street everyone gardens on Saturday mornings and makes friends but there’s also a great cross-section of retired people, businessmen, public servants, diplomats, so you don’t get bored. If this sounds like you then look for bargain flats in the Inner South. There’s a wide range of prices. The new ones near the Griffith shops are pretty awesome.

@BimboGeek

Thanks! I will take a closer look at those areas and see if there’s anything within my limited budget. I’m an apartment guy and prefer a very small studio. I lived most of my life in a cramped city of more than 8 million, in an area smaller than Canberra! I prefer to live – at least initially- in a place which is has no lawn so it takes less of my time cleaning and maintaining and leave me more time for work and study.

It would be ideal for me if I can afford a place where I’ll be close to shops and people! I love walking in crowds and getting bumped in the crowded streets! I’m an amateur street / nature photographer and I’m very anxious to see how the locals will react to street photography and wether I can use my DSLR or I have to buy a low-profile range finder. In my standards, when I look at Canberra using google street view, it seems like it’s a city with no people living in it! But I think if the city doesn’t have that “buzz”, perhaps they natural beauty of it and it’s surroundings will compensate and I can’t wait to come there and go for photography in nature…..

Thanks for sharing your ideas 🙂

carnardly said :

salom chatori.

🙂

@carnardly

OMG! Iranians are there too? Then let’s head to south pole!
Just Kidding! are you and Iranian or someone who has an Persian speaking friend/co-worker?

sepi said :

these people used to be good at finding jobs in graphic design type work.
http://www.publicaffairs.com.au/jobseekers/js_general_info.html

@sepi

Thanks for the link, I never heard of that and it looks very interesting.

Warm Regards,
-E

ausbradr said :

emigre said :

ausbradr said :

emigre said :

ausbradr said :

Hi Émigré,

I’ve recently moved here from Sydney and had the same issue you’ll have, of finding work, so I might be able to help you out with your questions.

1. Apply Apply Apply! I like http://www.seek.com.au to apply for jobs.

2. Come here with about 40-50k in your pocket. You’ll need that to make ends meet, in case you don’t find work for a while. It took me 5 months to find work, others have taken longer. This town will send you broke in the meantime. You’ll be alright once you find work though. You may have to take up temp work or head to Sydney to work temp jobs, as I have had to.

3. Pass

@ausbradr:

Thanks for the alarming (!) advice. I’ll try to bring cash as much as I can and try to live a very modest life to sustain unemployment period. Do you know how much is the minimum /week rent for a 40sqr/m studio? Also, are there serious disturbing consequences (e.g. street noise, security, unfriendly neighbours) if I go ahead and choose a very cheap place? In other words, is there any place in Canberra that considered “Bad”? (I personally don’t think so!)

No problem, I didn’t mean to alarm you. However I did underestimate how tough it would be getting back on my feet after packing up and leaving Sydney. I’m not sure about studios, but I know 1 bedroom apartments within 20 minutes walk to the city can go for about 300-400 for a week. Though you can get them for less if you look hard enough. I recommend you use domain.com.au to look around.

As for bad areas, just try to avoid living near the Northbourne flats (big public housing block). It just seems to attract dodgy tenants.

@ausbradr

Hello again,

Thanks for the home advice! You know, from where I came from, which is a very class-based society and “money is everything” , everybody lives more or less in a predefined area of the city. Even if you move to another city, a quick look can give you enough information where is your places. There are very defined lines between upper middle class, lower middle class, conservative rich, progressive rich, poor people, etc. (I know it’s shameful, but that’s the way it is). Now, imagine my confusion while I’m looking at CBR on map: The city, from north to south, except some central district looks almost the same! In my own society, I’m the sort of middle class that lives a modest life but in safe and calm neighbourhoods. It seems in CBR, everybody is middle class or upper middle class, and there are no “unfriendly, unsafe” places to pick by mistake.

I’m willing to trade some conveniences (closeness to CBD or “sophisticated, high-street” places) for paying less. But my red-line is going somewhere unsafe and unfriendly, or with loud, aggressive neighbourhoods or tricky landlords etc.

I don’t know even if some of my concerns are the case in CBR.

Do you think if I go farther(or farthest) away from centre it makes it possible to find a small studio around 100~150/w? And what exactly I’m trading by doing so?

Many Thanks,
Emigre

Hmmmm….. Tough question, considering I’m living on the North side of Canberra and it’s a very mixed area. I reckon you could find a nice place cheaply there. I haven’t lived here that long or researched housing too far from the uni (the reason we chose where we live revolved around my partner’s easy access to uni).

Coming here will probably be a good experience for you. It seems like we’re a lot more lenient in class segregation here than where you’re from. I just don’t feel that segregation here on a social level. We’re all human, we enter/exit the world in pretty much the same way.

Where I am is a pretty quiet neighbourhood. The neighbours are alright / mind their own business, and our landlord is the best I’ve ever had. I can’t really speak highly enough of the north side, but as I mentioned before, I don’t know much about the other areas except for gossip/rumour.

One thing I do know is to avoid living close to this block, and the similar one opposite it (the Northbourne flats) https://www.google.com.au/maps/preview#!data=!1m8!1m3!1d3!2d149.130884!3d-35.267054!2m2!1f611.36!2f93.19!4f75!2m9!1e1!2m4!1siV3CkDZAxjFZ_eAe0BXUtA!2e0!9m1!6sNorthbourne+Avenue!5m2!1siV3CkDZAxjFZ_eAe0BXUtA!2e0&fid=5

@ausbradr

Thanks for advice and taking my concern seriously. I will keep your advice about avoiding that area in mind, even though I think that area- being in the centre- is perhaps out of my budget scope anyway.

Again, I’m thankful of all the positive advice and taking your valuable time!
-E

BimboGeek said :

One of my best friends came to Australia from a Central Asian country as a teenager. She highly recommends watching cartoons like The Simpsons for learning slang and cultural references. These days you can even watch along with the appropriate Wiki page open to look up anything you didn’t understand.

It’s the main difference between her English and that of friends who have been here a similar time. They are lovely, kind, wonderful company, but I only ever see them have a joke and belly laugh in their own language.

@BimboGeek

Thanks for the kind advice! Does watching (and being a huge fan of) Family Guy, John Stewart, Bill Maher, David Letterman and George Carlin will give me enough credit toward being accepted in society?

😉

I am a huge fan of the outer inner suburbs eg Hughes to the South or Watson to the North. They are not too trendy, not too cheap, just quiet and polite but close enough to the trendy areas that you can bike or take a short drive in, close to the cbd etc. The inner outer suburbs eg Aranda or Weston Creek area are similar but you can look around at what shops, jobs are nearby and choose what suits your personality. For example I like being closer to markets rather than shopping centres, I like the village atmosphere of local shops and having houses close enough together that you do get to know your neighbour even though you might not make friends. In my street everyone gardens on Saturday mornings and makes friends but there’s also a great cross-section of retired people, businessmen, public servants, diplomats, so you don’t get bored. If this sounds like you then look for bargain flats in the Inner South. There’s a wide range of prices. The new ones near the Griffith shops are pretty awesome.

emigre said :

ausbradr said :

emigre said :

ausbradr said :

Hi Émigré,

I’ve recently moved here from Sydney and had the same issue you’ll have, of finding work, so I might be able to help you out with your questions.

1. Apply Apply Apply! I like http://www.seek.com.au to apply for jobs.

2. Come here with about 40-50k in your pocket. You’ll need that to make ends meet, in case you don’t find work for a while. It took me 5 months to find work, others have taken longer. This town will send you broke in the meantime. You’ll be alright once you find work though. You may have to take up temp work or head to Sydney to work temp jobs, as I have had to.

3. Pass

@ausbradr:

Thanks for the alarming (!) advice. I’ll try to bring cash as much as I can and try to live a very modest life to sustain unemployment period. Do you know how much is the minimum /week rent for a 40sqr/m studio? Also, are there serious disturbing consequences (e.g. street noise, security, unfriendly neighbours) if I go ahead and choose a very cheap place? In other words, is there any place in Canberra that considered “Bad”? (I personally don’t think so!)

No problem, I didn’t mean to alarm you. However I did underestimate how tough it would be getting back on my feet after packing up and leaving Sydney. I’m not sure about studios, but I know 1 bedroom apartments within 20 minutes walk to the city can go for about 300-400 for a week. Though you can get them for less if you look hard enough. I recommend you use domain.com.au to look around.

As for bad areas, just try to avoid living near the Northbourne flats (big public housing block). It just seems to attract dodgy tenants.

@ausbradr

Hello again,

Thanks for the home advice! You know, from where I came from, which is a very class-based society and “money is everything” , everybody lives more or less in a predefined area of the city. Even if you move to another city, a quick look can give you enough information where is your places. There are very defined lines between upper middle class, lower middle class, conservative rich, progressive rich, poor people, etc. (I know it’s shameful, but that’s the way it is). Now, imagine my confusion while I’m looking at CBR on map: The city, from north to south, except some central district looks almost the same! In my own society, I’m the sort of middle class that lives a modest life but in safe and calm neighbourhoods. It seems in CBR, everybody is middle class or upper middle class, and there are no “unfriendly, unsafe” places to pick by mistake.

I’m willing to trade some conveniences (closeness to CBD or “sophisticated, high-street” places) for paying less. But my red-line is going somewhere unsafe and unfriendly, or with loud, aggressive neighbourhoods or tricky landlords etc.

I don’t know even if some of my concerns are the case in CBR.

Do you think if I go farther(or farthest) away from centre it makes it possible to find a small studio around 100~150/w? And what exactly I’m trading by doing so?

Many Thanks,
Emigre

Hmmmm….. Tough question, considering I’m living on the North side of Canberra and it’s a very mixed area. I reckon you could find a nice place cheaply there. I haven’t lived here that long or researched housing too far from the uni (the reason we chose where we live revolved around my partner’s easy access to uni).

Coming here will probably be a good experience for you. It seems like we’re a lot more lenient in class segregation here than where you’re from. I just don’t feel that segregation here on a social level. We’re all human, we enter/exit the world in pretty much the same way.

Where I am is a pretty quiet neighbourhood. The neighbours are alright / mind their own business, and our landlord is the best I’ve ever had. I can’t really speak highly enough of the north side, but as I mentioned before, I don’t know much about the other areas except for gossip/rumour.

One thing I do know is to avoid living close to this block, and the similar one opposite it (the Northbourne flats) https://www.google.com.au/maps/preview#!data=!1m8!1m3!1d3!2d149.130884!3d-35.267054!2m2!1f611.36!2f93.19!4f75!2m9!1e1!2m4!1siV3CkDZAxjFZ_eAe0BXUtA!2e0!9m1!6sNorthbourne+Avenue!5m2!1siV3CkDZAxjFZ_eAe0BXUtA!2e0&fid=5

ausbradr said :

emigre said :

ausbradr said :

Hi Émigré,

I’ve recently moved here from Sydney and had the same issue you’ll have, of finding work, so I might be able to help you out with your questions.

1. Apply Apply Apply! I like http://www.seek.com.au to apply for jobs.

2. Come here with about 40-50k in your pocket. You’ll need that to make ends meet, in case you don’t find work for a while. It took me 5 months to find work, others have taken longer. This town will send you broke in the meantime. You’ll be alright once you find work though. You may have to take up temp work or head to Sydney to work temp jobs, as I have had to.

3. Pass

@ausbradr:

Thanks for the alarming (!) advice. I’ll try to bring cash as much as I can and try to live a very modest life to sustain unemployment period. Do you know how much is the minimum /week rent for a 40sqr/m studio? Also, are there serious disturbing consequences (e.g. street noise, security, unfriendly neighbours) if I go ahead and choose a very cheap place? In other words, is there any place in Canberra that considered “Bad”? (I personally don’t think so!)

No problem, I didn’t mean to alarm you. However I did underestimate how tough it would be getting back on my feet after packing up and leaving Sydney. I’m not sure about studios, but I know 1 bedroom apartments within 20 minutes walk to the city can go for about 300-400 for a week. Though you can get them for less if you look hard enough. I recommend you use domain.com.au to look around.

As for bad areas, just try to avoid living near the Northbourne flats (big public housing block). It just seems to attract dodgy tenants.

@ausbradr

Hello again,

Thanks for the home advice! You know, from where I came from, which is a very class-based society and “money is everything” , everybody lives more or less in a predefined area of the city. Even if you move to another city, a quick look can give you enough information where is your places. There are very defined lines between upper middle class, lower middle class, conservative rich, progressive rich, poor people, etc. (I know it’s shameful, but that’s the way it is). Now, imagine my confusion while I’m looking at CBR on map: The city, from north to south, except some central district looks almost the same! In my own society, I’m the sort of middle class that lives a modest life but in safe and calm neighbourhoods. It seems in CBR, everybody is middle class or upper middle class, and there are no “unfriendly, unsafe” places to pick by mistake.

I’m willing to trade some conveniences (closeness to CBD or “sophisticated, high-street” places) for paying less. But my red-line is going somewhere unsafe and unfriendly, or with loud, aggressive neighbourhoods or tricky landlords etc.

I don’t know even if some of my concerns are the case in CBR.

Do you think if I go farther(or farthest) away from centre it makes it possible to find a small studio around 100~150/w? And what exactly I’m trading by doing so?

Many Thanks,
Emigre

One of my best friends came to Australia from a Central Asian country as a teenager. She highly recommends watching cartoons like The Simpsons for learning slang and cultural references. These days you can even watch along with the appropriate Wiki page open to look up anything you didn’t understand.

It’s the main difference between her English and that of friends who have been here a similar time. They are lovely, kind, wonderful company, but I only ever see them have a joke and belly laugh in their own language.

Ryoma said :

Hey Emigre

Now that I know where you are from, maybe this could help, too: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iranian-Community-Canberra-Persian-Australian-Community-Association/217498988274854?ref=stream

I’m not saying you need to only mix with people of your own background, just that it might be a relief sometimes. I lived in Japan for a while, and found it comforting to speak English occasionally through similar means…

Considering what you say you have struggled against to learn English against the odds, I’m amazed….you are very, very fluent in your writing! So don’t worry about about sounding too formal; if you are that good at languages, you will sound natural very quickly!

Let us all know when you arrive 🙂

@Ryoma

Greetings!

Let’s hope I will understand the street accents. What I’ve heard so far on ABC programs (Which all are censored here in Iran!) is easy to understand for me and very melodic and beautiful. But I’m not sure I can handle things like phone calls easily! Also once I listened to a late night radio talk show on ABC Canberra local radio and could understand some of jokes, and context, but of course many, many times I got lost in historical references and inside jokes. But thanks to kindness of people like you I hope I will muddle through!

Thanks for all the encouraging words and good advice!
Emigre.

salom chatori. 🙂

these people used to be good at finding jobs in graphic design type work.
http://www.publicaffairs.com.au/jobseekers/js_general_info.html

emigre said :

ausbradr said :

Hi Émigré,

I’ve recently moved here from Sydney and had the same issue you’ll have, of finding work, so I might be able to help you out with your questions.

1. Apply Apply Apply! I like http://www.seek.com.au to apply for jobs.

2. Come here with about 40-50k in your pocket. You’ll need that to make ends meet, in case you don’t find work for a while. It took me 5 months to find work, others have taken longer. This town will send you broke in the meantime. You’ll be alright once you find work though. You may have to take up temp work or head to Sydney to work temp jobs, as I have had to.

3. Pass

@ausbradr:

Thanks for the alarming (!) advice. I’ll try to bring cash as much as I can and try to live a very modest life to sustain unemployment period. Do you know how much is the minimum /week rent for a 40sqr/m studio? Also, are there serious disturbing consequences (e.g. street noise, security, unfriendly neighbours) if I go ahead and choose a very cheap place? In other words, is there any place in Canberra that considered “Bad”? (I personally don’t think so!)

No problem, I didn’t mean to alarm you. However I did underestimate how tough it would be getting back on my feet after packing up and leaving Sydney. I’m not sure about studios, but I know 1 bedroom apartments within 20 minutes walk to the city can go for about 300-400 for a week. Though you can get them for less if you look hard enough. I recommend you use domain.com.au to look around.

As for bad areas, just try to avoid living near the Northbourne flats (big public housing block). It just seems to attract dodgy tenants.

Hey Emigre

Now that I know where you are from, maybe this could help, too: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Iranian-Community-Canberra-Persian-Australian-Community-Association/217498988274854?ref=stream

I’m not saying you need to only mix with people of your own background, just that it might be a relief sometimes. I lived in Japan for a while, and found it comforting to speak English occasionally through similar means…

Considering what you say you have struggled against to learn English against the odds, I’m amazed….you are very, very fluent in your writing! So don’t worry about about sounding too formal; if you are that good at languages, you will sound natural very quickly!

Let us all know when you arrive 🙂

Gungahlin Al said :

Emigre, if you are on some form of government income support, and would consider making a business of it yourself, then you may be eligible for the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme:
http://employment.gov.au/neis

If so, contact details for the local providers you’d need to speak with are at:
http://www.jobsearch.gov.au/provider/NEIS.aspx#act

@Gungahlin Al:

Thanks for your advice. Very interesting. I checked and I’m eligible in theory. I’m not on any government income support. But I don’t know about the local market needs and I need to study wether me and my skills are it to contribute and really fill a gap in services provided in city.

ausbradr said :

Hi Émigré,

I’ve recently moved here from Sydney and had the same issue you’ll have, of finding work, so I might be able to help you out with your questions.

1. Apply Apply Apply! I like http://www.seek.com.au to apply for jobs.

2. Come here with about 40-50k in your pocket. You’ll need that to make ends meet, in case you don’t find work for a while. It took me 5 months to find work, others have taken longer. This town will send you broke in the meantime. You’ll be alright once you find work though. You may have to take up temp work or head to Sydney to work temp jobs, as I have had to.

3. Pass

@ausbradr:

Thanks for the alarming (!) advice. I’ll try to bring cash as much as I can and try to live a very modest life to sustain unemployment period. Do you know how much is the minimum /week rent for a 40sqr/m studio? Also, are there serious disturbing consequences (e.g. street noise, security, unfriendly neighbours) if I go ahead and choose a very cheap place? In other words, is there any place in Canberra that considered “Bad”? (I personally don’t think so!)

Sandman said :

emigre said :

So, should I be afraid or my experiences I mentioned suffices for surviving in the Australian workplace?

Not sure where you heard your rumours but in my opinion they couldn’t be further from the truth. From your small sample of posts I can’t see you having any problems. You have the right attitude to enable you to progress and be a valuable employee. Don’t be afraid to start low down, and you’ll progress quickly. So many people in this town just coast along in their jobs with minimum productivity.

I’ve always gone into new jobs with that slight fear of “can I do it”, “will I be good enough”. In the end I’ve never lasted more than 3 years at a job for the opposite reason. I get to a point where the only thing challenging me is the continued incompetence of workmates and higher ups. Eventually I started working for myself, so that the only person that can disappoint me is myself.

@Sandman:

Thanks for the encouraging words! It’s very assuring and uplifting!

Watson said :

(Sorry, I haven’t read the other replies yet.)

When I migrated here, I got started by going to employment agencies. I wasn’t fussy at all at first. I did a bit of data entry (don’t mind repetitive work), web stuff, library work, etc. Mostly short contracts, some ended up getting extended a few times. Until eventually I got a permanent job.

It’s a while ago now, but I signed up with a few agencies (including some very small ones that ended up giving me the most opportunities) and I hassled them regularly to ask if they had any work for me. I found it to be a fairly painless process, especially compared to how things worked in the European country I’d just come from, where there was and is a much higher level of unemployment and experience doesn’t count for anything unless you have 3 degrees.

@Watson:

Thanks for your advice. It was very useful for me because I’m coming from a place where temp jobs are not common and viewed very negatively. It seems I should forget about full-time permanent jobs at the beginning and try to enter the job market as soon as I find anything. Then I will learn the market and culture and perhaps I can gradually upgrade.

Holden Caulfield said :

Focus Press just opened its new factory in Hume today. With plans to expand it may need design and/or pre-press staff.

@Holden Caulfield:

Thanks for letting me know.

Ryoma said :

Hi Emigre

It’s not a problem to give advice, but everything I’ve said is merely my opinion; it doesn’t mean I’m always correct (Mrs Ryoma would definitely agree with that!).

I wouldn’t worry too much about making mistakes, as after all, if an employer is that ruthless, why would anyone wish to work for them? And if the whole Australian (or Canberran) culture was like that, well, who would wish to immigrate here? ;D

As for sticking to the first job you are offered, have a look at http://www.seek.com, and http://www.glassdoor.com to compare salaries, etc. But if you are willing to work hard at whatever you do, and to get to know people and things over time, then I wouldn’t worry about this to start with. One step at a time…

One thing you might wish to do is to get your current qualifications assessed by the ACT Government; http://www.communityservices.act.gov.au/multicultural/services/act_overseas_qualifications_unit_oqu

A lot of Australian employers feel more comfortable with local qualifications, simply because they are accustomed to them, and have a fair idea of the quality of skills connected to them. I’m not sure if they believe the ACT Government’s assessment, but it cannot hurt to bring such an assessment along to a job interview.

Emigre, I don’t need to know where you are from, but your English sounds a little bit formal, and you are very open with sharing information. That’s a great attitude to have when it comes to adapting to a new country, but I would be just a little bit more cautious with the information you share, especially over the Internet.

You could Google whether there is a migrant club or association for the culture you come from. That will, you will be able to talk to people who have been through the same experience you are starting, and they will be able to help explain how and why things work, and why some things are different or strange.

Canberra is quite multicultural, with people from many different countries, religions and beliefs living here. That doesn’t mean everyone gets along well all the time,it’s not paradise. And it can be hard to draw a line between what is rude or reasonable behaviour, because people’s perceptions of what is rude or not varies. My wife often gets annoyed at stuff that I think is fine, and vice-versa. But if you treat people with respect, that’s usually what you will get back.

Finally, you mentioned “sophisticated’ Civic. It’s not like that all the time (http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/special-series–punch-drunk-part-two-civic-police-seek-boost-in-numbers-to-patrol-trouble-spots-20131202-2ymf4.html), and in winter, you will find it can get fairly quiet. Canberra is not a dense city, so there is not often the urban “buzz” that you might expect from cities of the same population overseas. But it is changing, and the city (generally speaking) is a beautiful place.

In terms of what else you said, a lot of how you will find out the “right answer” is going to be by trial and error.

@Ryoma:

Dear Ryoma,

Thanks for the insightful comments. You brought up a very interesting matter by mentioning qualification assessment. Indeed I already have the positive TRA assessment and it’s the basis of my immigration case being accepted. Of course, as you mentioned, maybe an employer doesn’t care what TRA thinks about my skills. Also, the TRA itself states that their recommendation does not guarantee anything about securing job, and it’s just for immigration legal paperworks.

In addition to TRA, which is “trade” oriented, I’m very interested in being assessed in graphic design field. I did a quick search on google and found that Canberra Institute of Technology provides prior learning assessment programs and contacted them so they guid me how to prepare my resume and portfolio for assessment. It’s been a month or so that I’ve contacted them but unfortunately I haven’t heard from them yet.

About my English, being too formal, yes, I’m sorry, I’ve learned English mostly by myself and by reading books, listening to podcasts, business letter writings, technical readings, magazines and newspapers. Indeed-because of the very limited communication possibilities in my country of origin with the world outside-I think the number of native English speakers I’ve talked to in my entire lifetime are not more than 10! So yes, I agree I sound very businesslike and robotic. FYI, in my country of origin (Iran), there’s only state TV, satellite TV is illegal, foreign press is non existent, local press is mostly state run and heavily censored, Internet is heavily filtered and you can’t view most major web sites like YouTube, FaceBook, most major world news networks , etc. People find ways to circumvent these but generally here is very isolated and keeping yourself up to date is very difficult.

About your advice on privacy, OK, Ill tray to be more careful! Thanks for letting me know.

I really enjoyed the dialogue with you and other very friendly readers.

Warm Regard,
Emigre

If what the government is correct about regional Australia needing more people, you should have been made to go and live in Wagga or Mildura or somewhere regional for a few years before heading to the cities. I’m sure there are opportunities for your skills outside of the larger cities.

Emigre, if you are on some form of government income support, and would consider making a business of it yourself, then you may be eligible for the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme:
http://employment.gov.au/neis

If so, contact details for the local providers you’d need to speak with are at:
http://www.jobsearch.gov.au/provider/NEIS.aspx#act

Hi Émigré,

I’ve recently moved here from Sydney and had the same issue you’ll have, of finding work, so I might be able to help you out with your questions.

1. Apply Apply Apply! I like http://www.seek.com.au to apply for jobs.

2. Come here with about 40-50k in your pocket. You’ll need that to make ends meet, in case you don’t find work for a while. It took me 5 months to find work, others have taken longer. This town will send you broke in the meantime. You’ll be alright once you find work though. You may have to take up temp work or head to Sydney to work temp jobs, as I have had to.

3. Pass

emigre said :

So, should I be afraid or my experiences I mentioned suffices for surviving in the Australian workplace?

Not sure where you heard your rumours but in my opinion they couldn’t be further from the truth. From your small sample of posts I can’t see you having any problems. You have the right attitude to enable you to progress and be a valuable employee. Don’t be afraid to start low down, and you’ll progress quickly. So many people in this town just coast along in their jobs with minimum productivity.

I’ve always gone into new jobs with that slight fear of “can I do it”, “will I be good enough”. In the end I’ve never lasted more than 3 years at a job for the opposite reason. I get to a point where the only thing challenging me is the continued incompetence of workmates and higher ups. Eventually I started working for myself, so that the only person that can disappoint me is myself.

(Sorry, I haven’t read the other replies yet.)

When I migrated here, I got started by going to employment agencies. I wasn’t fussy at all at first. I did a bit of data entry (don’t mind repetitive work), web stuff, library work, etc. Mostly short contracts, some ended up getting extended a few times. Until eventually I got a permanent job.

It’s a while ago now, but I signed up with a few agencies (including some very small ones that ended up giving me the most opportunities) and I hassled them regularly to ask if they had any work for me. I found it to be a fairly painless process, especially compared to how things worked in the European country I’d just come from, where there was and is a much higher level of unemployment and experience doesn’t count for anything unless you have 3 degrees.

Focus Press just opened its new factory in Hume today. With plans to expand it may need design and/or pre-press staff.

Hi Emigre

It’s not a problem to give advice, but everything I’ve said is merely my opinion; it doesn’t mean I’m always correct (Mrs Ryoma would definitely agree with that!).

I wouldn’t worry too much about making mistakes, as after all, if an employer is that ruthless, why would anyone wish to work for them? And if the whole Australian (or Canberran) culture was like that, well, who would wish to immigrate here? ;D

As for sticking to the first job you are offered, have a look at http://www.seek.com, and http://www.glassdoor.com to compare salaries, etc. But if you are willing to work hard at whatever you do, and to get to know people and things over time, then I wouldn’t worry about this to start with. One step at a time…

One thing you might wish to do is to get your current qualifications assessed by the ACT Government; http://www.communityservices.act.gov.au/multicultural/services/act_overseas_qualifications_unit_oqu

A lot of Australian employers feel more comfortable with local qualifications, simply because they are accustomed to them, and have a fair idea of the quality of skills connected to them. I’m not sure if they believe the ACT Government’s assessment, but it cannot hurt to bring such an assessment along to a job interview.

Emigre, I don’t need to know where you are from, but your English sounds a little bit formal, and you are very open with sharing information. That’s a great attitude to have when it comes to adapting to a new country, but I would be just a little bit more cautious with the information you share, especially over the Internet.

You could Google whether there is a migrant club or association for the culture you come from. That will, you will be able to talk to people who have been through the same experience you are starting, and they will be able to help explain how and why things work, and why some things are different or strange.

Canberra is quite multicultural, with people from many different countries, religions and beliefs living here. That doesn’t mean everyone gets along well all the time,it’s not paradise. And it can be hard to draw a line between what is rude or reasonable behaviour, because people’s perceptions of what is rude or not varies. My wife often gets annoyed at stuff that I think is fine, and vice-versa. But if you treat people with respect, that’s usually what you will get back.

Finally, you mentioned “sophisticated’ Civic. It’s not like that all the time (http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/special-series–punch-drunk-part-two-civic-police-seek-boost-in-numbers-to-patrol-trouble-spots-20131202-2ymf4.html), and in winter, you will find it can get fairly quiet. Canberra is not a dense city, so there is not often the urban “buzz” that you might expect from cities of the same population overseas. But it is changing, and the city (generally speaking) is a beautiful place.

In terms of what else you said, a lot of how you will find out the “right answer” is going to be by trial and error.

Holden Caulfield said :

Give Design Emergency a call and arrange a meeting. If nothing else you’ll get a better understanding of what’s likely to be available and who you need to speak to.

http://www.design-emergency.com.au

@Holden Caulfield

Many thanks! very good advice! I will surly get in touch with them 🙂

pink little birdie said :

I’d be looking at commercial printing and copying places. It’s entry into the field and you get the additional experience of printing designs (knowing whats do-able and what isn’t).

@pink little birdie:

Thanks! Very wise advice! This way, first, I guess I won’t be under pressure to have complex and direct communications and negotiations with design clients – which is difficult even in my own native language after doing it for 15 years anyway- Also, if I have shortcoming in creativity, understanding cultural taste and local do’s and don’ts, at least I’m sure about my knowledge of software and tools and can work with more confidence. It’s a kind of two-way lower expectation between me and my employer.

Postalgeek said :

Robertson said :

Let’s hope you have better luck than my ex-housemate who spent 12 months fruitlessly applying for graphic design jobs before finally accepting a job in Fyshwick designing covers for porn videos…

That would be an awkward portfolio to present to future employers…

@Postalgeek

Agree, I have no problem with job itself but I should bury my resume in a moonless night in the middle of desert afterwards 😉

Deref said :

Can’t help you with the employment thing, but welcome to Oz and good luck.

@Deref:

Thanks for your kind comment! Very hear warming 🙂

Robertson said :

Let’s hope you have better luck than my ex-housemate who spent 12 months fruitlessly applying for graphic design jobs before finally accepting a job in Fyshwick designing covers for porn videos…

@Robertson

Thanks for the comment! Personally, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with working in porn industry if it’s done legally and ethically and with social responsibility in mind. But, I guess perhaps my resume will raise some eyebrows for future employers 🙂 Specially it feels uncomfortable to work with lady co-workers afterwards, if they knew were I came from. Worse than that, imagine -heavens forbid- your porn job win a design award! You will be famous for all the wrong reasons 😉

Ryoma said :

Hi Emigre,

Congratulations on being given a permanent work visa, and welcome to Canberra. In relation to the CBR comment below, it relates to this: http://www.brandcanberra.com.au/

I cannot speak directly about what it’s like to come to Canberra from overseas, but my wife has done so, and so on that basis, I think I can offer some (cautious) observations. I’ll try to answer your suggestions first:

1) By all means, posting upon job sites is OK, but it is not enough. If you have a look at this website more broadly, and other media sources, you’ll see that we have a new national government looking to cut spending. It is not entirely clear how much impact that will have, but as Canberra is the capital city, that means there are job losses happening, and this is having an impact upon general business confidence. This means that potential customers for your services may be hard to find for a while.

In terms of more active ways of looking for a job, I suggest you use Linked-In, and see if your existing network links through to people in the graphic design field in Australia. Making contact with people ahead of time will work better than trying it once you arrive in Canberra.

By the same token, get in contact with groups like Schmooze (Google it) and the ACT Chamber of Commerce. Both run networking events where you can meet local people from a wide range of backgrounds, and if will allow you to ask lots of questions.

2) I don’t know what the demand for graphic designers is like at present. One word of caution, though; while the ACT government has given you a visa, they are doing so upon feedback from local industry – and that feedback can of course be somewhat self-interested.

I would come to Canberra willing to work at anything – not only graphic design – and to save hard before getting here. The cost of living here is high in Australian terms because the presence of government wages tends to push the price of things higher, and because the city is not always big enough to offer much competition between businesses.

I’d plan for the possibility of it taking quite some time to establish yourself, and your reputation. Along those lines, I wonder if it may not be a good idea to look hard at the business sector in Canberra outside of government. Education is big here too, but as it is funded by government, I’m not sure how much need there is for your skill set.

Teaching people these skills by yourself could be lucrative, especially for the small businesses here, and if you are willing to work in a flexible manner as to location and timing.

Also, check out both of these websites: http://www.action.act.gov.au (public transport) and http://www.allhomes.com.au. It is helpful to have a car in Canberra, but if not, then living along one of the trunk bus routes or near Civic will help. The cost of housing is relatively high, but (thankfully) is starting to soften. One hint; don’t rent anywhere that’s too cheap; many of Canberra’s rental houses do not actually possess either heating or insulation, and in winter, you will need heating.

Finally, for a flavour of Canberra, check out some blogs, and keep reading the Riot Act website. You will soon see that the city’s people are diverse, progressive, and not shy about voicing their opinions (just read the comments!).

I wish you the best of luck!!! 😀

@Ryoma

Sir,

I’m very thankful of your detailed and useful advice. I saved it to go to each site and re-read it line by line later.

Being from an authoritarian country, and not coming to Australia for accumulating wealth, but to enjoy the political and social freedoms that I value the most, I don’t have high expectations when it comes to securing a job. So maybe -maybe- my expectation of job satisfaction differs vastly from the average RiotACT readers. i.e, what I would do, they won’t do, and it’s completely normal and fair, because it’s their country and they have history, relatives , connections and even perhaps accumulated wealth from past generations that helps them make better choices, I guess.

So, as long as a job is within my physical and mental strength and skills and of course legal, I’m ok with that. But I’m afraid being too timid and stick to the first job I’ve been offered, maybe is not a good strategy either, because maybe it will have a negative effect on my resume for future employers. This is something I need you and other kind reader’s advice on.

One thing that I, as someone who never lived in countries with western job culture (Specially US and UK) is afraid of, is the rumours of workplace being very disciplined, very difficult, even brutal, and slightest mistakes in strategy, tactic and technic will result to sever reactions from peers and supervisors and immediate layoff.

For your information, yours truly worked in business settings as a designer, prepress tradesperson for 15 years of so, working normally 9-5, many months without one day of leave, and many days working until 7-8PM. There were times that I stayed 24 hours in office non stop to meet a deadline. My coworkers mention I’m tidy, organised, polite and friendly. I’m tolerant of good jokes and tough criticism and help others when I can. I’m usually very law abiding and observe the rules of workplace carefully. While I’m kind to my coworkers and people under my supervision, I usually don’t get into cliques and cover other’s wrongdoings. In my workplace, people usually come to me when they have a problem with upper management and use me as their mediator. (our job culture perhaps is very different from us and maybe this paragraph made many readers rise their eyebrows, or maybe not?)

So, should I be afraid or my experiences I mentioned suffices for surviving in the Australian workplace?

The advice on home searching is very appreciated. Being an urban guy, my ideal home is low maintenance, ~40 sqrm studio, near city centre with access to public transport. I’m not interested in suburban, big houses. Also I don’t like cars, never owned one and prefer walking, biking and public transport. Unfortunately it seems I can’t find anything like this with an affordable rent in sophisticated civic and perhaps I’ll be forced to go to suburban borders of the city. Hope I find a good bus to workplace.

I will note your advice on home A/C and check it with my real estate agency.

Thanks again for all the kind advice and well wishes! It was really heart warming and encouraging for me.

Warm Regards,

émigré

DrKoresh said :

I reckon than most people don’t have a bloody clue when it comes to IT/web design, so as long as you can demonstrate that you do then it shouldn’t be too much of a problem to find employment. A lot of very talented IT people are self-taught.

Thanks for your kind advice!

Give Design Emergency a call and arrange a meeting. If nothing else you’ll get a better understanding of what’s likely to be available and who you need to speak to.

http://www.design-emergency.com.au

Robertson said :

Let’s hope you have better luck than my ex-housemate who spent 12 months fruitlessly applying for graphic design jobs before finally accepting a job in Fyshwick designing covers for porn videos…

You say that like it’s a bad thing.

I’d be looking at commercial printing and copying places. It’s entry into the field and you get the additional experience of printing designs (knowing whats do-able and what isn’t).

Robertson said :

Let’s hope you have better luck than my ex-housemate who spent 12 months fruitlessly applying for graphic design jobs before finally accepting a job in Fyshwick designing covers for porn videos…

That would be an awkward portfolio to present to future employers…

Can’t help you with the employment thing, but welcome to Oz and good luck.

Let’s hope you have better luck than my ex-housemate who spent 12 months fruitlessly applying for graphic design jobs before finally accepting a job in Fyshwick designing covers for porn videos…

Hi Emigre,

Congratulations on being given a permanent work visa, and welcome to Canberra. In relation to the CBR comment below, it relates to this: http://www.brandcanberra.com.au/

I cannot speak directly about what it’s like to come to Canberra from overseas, but my wife has done so, and so on that basis, I think I can offer some (cautious) observations. I’ll try to answer your suggestions first:

1) By all means, posting upon job sites is OK, but it is not enough. If you have a look at this website more broadly, and other media sources, you’ll see that we have a new national government looking to cut spending. It is not entirely clear how much impact that will have, but as Canberra is the capital city, that means there are job losses happening, and this is having an impact upon general business confidence. This means that potential customers for your services may be hard to find for a while.

In terms of more active ways of looking for a job, I suggest you use Linked-In, and see if your existing network links through to people in the graphic design field in Australia. Making contact with people ahead of time will work better than trying it once you arrive in Canberra.

By the same token, get in contact with groups like Schmooze (Google it) and the ACT Chamber of Commerce. Both run networking events where you can meet local people from a wide range of backgrounds, and if will allow you to ask lots of questions.

2) I don’t know what the demand for graphic designers is like at present. One word of caution, though; while the ACT government has given you a visa, they are doing so upon feedback from local industry – and that feedback can of course be somewhat self-interested.

I would come to Canberra willing to work at anything – not only graphic design – and to save hard before getting here. The cost of living here is high in Australian terms because the presence of government wages tends to push the price of things higher, and because the city is not always big enough to offer much competition between businesses.

I’d plan for the possibility of it taking quite some time to establish yourself, and your reputation. Along those lines, I wonder if it may not be a good idea to look hard at the business sector in Canberra outside of government. Education is big here too, but as it is funded by government, I’m not sure how much need there is for your skill set.

Teaching people these skills by yourself could be lucrative, especially for the small businesses here, and if you are willing to work in a flexible manner as to location and timing.

Also, check out both of these websites: http://www.action.act.gov.au (public transport) and http://www.allhomes.com.au. It is helpful to have a car in Canberra, but if not, then living along one of the trunk bus routes or near Civic will help. The cost of housing is relatively high, but (thankfully) is starting to soften. One hint; don’t rent anywhere that’s too cheap; many of Canberra’s rental houses do not actually possess either heating or insulation, and in winter, you will need heating.

Finally, for a flavour of Canberra, check out some blogs, and keep reading the Riot Act website. You will soon see that the city’s people are diverse, progressive, and not shy about voicing their opinions (just read the comments!).

I wish you the best of luck!!! 😀

I reckon than most people don’t have a bloody clue when it comes to IT/web design, so as long as you can demonstrate that you do then it shouldn’t be too much of a problem to find employment. A lot of very talented IT people are self-taught.

Pork Hunt said :

“I’m a self educated graphic designer, planning for my settlement in CBR in near future.”
If you are responsible for CBR, eff off we’re full.
No, only joking, good luck.

@Pork Hunt :

🙂 Indeed I should admit I like the CBR branding design, but think these things should flow from within communities over time and can’t be mandated by government from top.

BTW, two things I discovered that is interesting about the Australians so far are: 1- They can make fun of everything, and 2-Every product they sell has a waterproof version!

and I like them both 🙂

“I’m a self educated graphic designer, planning for my settlement in CBR in near future.”
If you are responsible for CBR, eff off we’re full.
No, only joking, good luck.