My Journey Studying In Adelaide And Pursuing CA ANZ

• My migration agent covered me under the Allianz insurance policy (appx $1800 for 2 years for 1 student).
• They have different insurance policies for different people i.e. tourists, working holidaymakers, and visitors.

7. Accommodation while studying 

• It is advisable to make your accommodation arrangement before arriving in Australia.
• You can have a look at the hostels on the internet or through the university’s website and can book by emailing an application form.
• Generally, the rent is payable on arrival, but you may be required to pay 1 or 2 weeks’ rent before moving to Australia.
• You can contact your university or your hostel manager for making the first-time commutation arrangements from the airport to your place of stay. If anything goes wrong, then you can take a bus or a taxi from the airport.
• In Australia, you pay rent weekly or fortnightly and receive your salary weekly or fortnightly making things easy!

8. How much money do you need on a monthly basis while studying 

The cost per subject is $3800 appx- University of South Australia (Uni SA) *subject to change every year.

Permanent residents are charged only 50% more than international students for the tuition fee.

For Adelaide:

• Hostel rent140 per week 560 phone plan10 per week40 pmCommutation13 per week appx50 pm Food60 per week 240 pm
• You can view your salary entitlements on the Fair works (gov.au) website. If you feel that you are exploited, or something is not quite right in your workplace then the fair work ombudsman can help you out.
• If you have any issues with anything and you are not sure of whom should you talk with then discuss it with your University. They should have a solution to your problem.
• There is a solution to everything in Australia, the only thing you need to do is discuss it with someone or some authority.
• If you want generic guidance while you are onshore or offshore then join as a member with Indian communities on Facebook by joining the groups named: “Indians in Adelaide”, “Indians in Sydney”, “Indians in Melbourne” and many more. You can then raise any kind of query in these groups and can expect helpful responses.

9. Things to do on your first day in Australia 

One of the first things you should do when you get to your new home in Australia is set up a bank account. You may need to secure an address first, but as soon as you do that make sure you tick this off your list! Your bank account can be opened with passport and visa documents as evidence (Commonwealth Bank of Australia, National Australia Bank, Bank SA, and many more to select from).

• After that take your bank documents to a network provider (Vodafone, Telstra, Optus, and many more) to buy a SIM card.
• Finally, on the 2^nd day of your university – enroll in the courses online for the next year with the help of customer care personnel at your university.

Rents in Adelaide 

• Rent in Adelaide can go anywhere from $100 to $250 or more, depending on the type of accommodation you choose.
• Hostels charge anywhere between $140 and $250. Sharing accommodation (if you choose to share with some people) charges anywhere between $80 and $200 per person. This is all weekly rent!

Job opportunities in Adelaide

If you have some work experience (more than 3 – 4 years) while in India or your home country + No permanent resident in Australia = You can somehow manage to get a white-collar job here based on your communication skills in English, confidence and your expertise in the area you have worked.

• If you have some work experience (more than 3/4 years) from India/home country + A permanent resident in Australia = Then Australia is waiting for you. With some effort, you can make yourself well-settled here.
• If you are a Permanent Resident in Australia + with no previous work experience = Then with some Diploma qualification you can get yourself started.

Why are people moving to Adelaide? 

• I chose Adelaide for many reasons: Growth potential as it is a regional area, permanent residency points benefit, budgeted economy, peaceful and beautiful environment, and easy life because we spend less time on commutation between university/work and home.
• Adelaide is still growing at a slow rate. People applying for the jobs outnumber the job opportunities that arise, and if you are a fresh graduate with no work experience from India or your home country and are not a permanent resident in Australia then getting a job here is a bit challenging,
• A lot of people prefer Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane as there are more job opportunities there. However, Sydney and Melbourne have higher income levels which also comes with higher expenses. They also have a lot of job opportunities in comparison to Adelaide. In fact, people from Sydney are moving to Melbourne because of the hike in the price of houses in Sydney!
• Two most popular reasons people choose to in Australia: Higher standards of living (convenience, fast processes- public or private sector, less pollution, safety, security- bank transactions; in case of fraud you are compensated, education style, law enforcement) and income equality.
• Yes, it is easy to save in Adelaide (if one wants to save). Savings might get tricky if only one partner is running the whole show with an average income.
• People, here, prefer to spend their hard-earned money on their entertainment activities and focus less on saving it. One of the reasons for not focussing on savings is mandatory superannuation/super guarantee i.e. 9.5%, which must be paid by every company for the sole purpose of providing for retirement benefits (illegal in Australia to withdraw before the preservation age i.e. 60/65) as required by the Australian Taxation Office.

Do you need a car in Adelaide?

• In July 2018, I completed my 3 years in Adelaide without a car!
• If you have a car then you can surely enjoy a more convenient lifestyle. However public transport (Bus, Tram, and Train) is convenient here with 15 minutes frequency at most bus stops and 30 minutes at others.
• I would suggest everyone who is reading this article obtain a full driving license in India or their home country before arriving in Australia. This is because the Australian licensing system takes a minimum of 3.5 years to get you a full license, and you can’t use your mobile, loudspeaker, or GPS before you get your full license. So, it’s worth getting your license from India or your home country.
• We have Uber cabs for budgeted commutations though they are a little expensive!

Salary of a fresh Accounting Graduate

• In Adelaide, the average salary of a fresh Accounting graduate is $50,000 p.a.
• The salary also depends on the company (public and private- big, mid-tier, small).
• The salary of a fresh Chartered Accountant is between $60,000 and $75,000 p.a.

Adjusting in Australia and Making New Friends

• Just go with the flow. Know what you are doing and why you are doing it, and you will be fine.
• You can get involved in many social activities (highly encouraged by the employers and valued by them when considering you to employ) and learn many practical skills, work behavior and culture, expectations from you and make friends.
• You must learn to be patient, polite, and punctual.
• Try involving in as many activities as possible, which will provide you with a platform to communicate with people from various nationalities.

Coping with Accents

• Australia doesn’t have one single accent!
• If you can clearly express yourself in English, then the accent does not matter.
• Don’t stress too much about these things, as these will build up automatically over time (appx 6 months).

Books to understand Australian Accounting Standards and Corporate Tax 

• Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand’s Financial Reporting Handbook 2017, John Wiley & Sons Australia.
• Australian Taxation Law 2018, Oxford University Press, Robin Woellner, Stephen Barkoczy, Shirley Murphy, Chris Evans, Dale Pinto.
• Core tax legislation and study guide, Oxford University Press, Stephen Barkoczy.

Interviews

• All Accounting related interviews are formal and must be attended in a suit with a blazer and a tie on.
• It is recommended to meet all your professional contacts in the same professional attire if meeting them during business hours (8.30 am – 5.30 pm) over a coffee or at a lunch at the location of their convenience.
• Always respect their time and be punctual and proactive, thereby creating a long-lasting impression for yourself.
• Big 4 Accounting Firms have the same interview process here – That is 3 rounds and a written test.
• Mid-tier firms may have 2 rounds of interviews (1st with the HR manager/Director and 2^nd with the Director/another Director).
• Small-size firms may have only 1 interview (with the manager/owner).
• Always carry your CV, unless told specifically by the recruiter as not needed in which case they will have your resume printed out for you and themselves.
• Most of the time you will be asked behavioral-based questions (use the STAR technique to answer them), and you may be asked some basic technical questions if you are a fresher (nothing too detailed).
• You can always ask the interviewers a few questions about your expectations or anything you need an answer to.
• Whether it’s an interview or a casual meetup, we address a person here by their first name (you can use “Sir” to address Indian/Asian elders).
• Most companies also require a cover letter.
• In Australia, we have a completely different format for the resume. Samples can be found online – he concluded.

Now It’s Your Turn

I’d like to hear from you:

Have you considered moving to Australia to study or to work? Or do you know anyone who has moved to Australia or any other country to study?

Or maybe you have a question about something you read.

Either way, let me know by leaving a comment below right now.

If you have a specific question for Ketan, comment below.

You can connect to him on LinkedIn at Ketan Sharma.