Jill and Paul's Story
Jill and Paul are a married couple who made the decision to move from South Africa to Australia in 1994. Paul had been working as a Technical Manager for 13 years. Jill was a mainframe specialist working as a contractor for various South African companies. They had travelled extensively to many countries with South Africa as their home base. In the early nineties, restrictions on taking money out of South Africa began to make that difficult. They decided that they wanted to be based in another country.
Jill had a sister who was living in Australia. Jill's sister and her partner were both Dialog employees working at Dialog in Brisbane. While in Australia on a visit, Jill and Paul were introduced to one of Dialog’s senior managers. It was only a casual meeting, but before they parted company, both Jill and Paul had been offered jobs at Dialog if they decided to move to Australia.
On returning to South Africa, Jill and Paul decided to take the plunge and move to Brisbane. Having some family there already, and having visited Brisbane recently made the decision easier. Paul commented that “…the hardest part of the move was the visa application process. It was a very long-winded affair and we were unsure whether or not we would be accepted. Once we were however, it was just a case of getting our stuff packed up and on a ship, and getting ourselves on a plane.”
I asked Paul if he would provide some comments on his experiences living in Australia. Here are a few of his comments:
“We thoroughly enjoy living in Brisbane. The weather is superb and we found the lifestyle to be similar to that which we had enjoyed in Cape Town. The people are very friendly and we quickly felt at home. We really enjoy the freedom to explore both the city and the bush without the safety concerns we had in South Africa. There are a wide variety of leisure activities available. There is the freedom to enjoy these without the threat to personal safety we felt in South Africa. Health services are another aspect, they are very good. We have both had excellent and affordable treatment while living in Brisbane.”Jill and Paul came to Australia to work at Dialog. When asked about his work experiences here, Paul said:
“There is a lot of opportunity for professional development due to the availability of training institutions, professional associations and the vast network of experienced professionals. There are many opportunities for career development due to the diverse nature of business in Brisbane, - Mining, IT, Banking, Petroleum, and Government. Dialog provides an excellent foundation as an employer due to their market penetration in diverse business sectors. Dialog understands that their business is only as good as the consultants who work for them. Dialog values its staff. They have excellent benefits, provide secure employment, have good management structure, are loyal to their employees and provide backup to staff on site through account managers, mentors and a network of colleagues.”When asked if he had any advice for others who may consider following his footsteps, Paul said: - “As with any major changes in one’s life, this move needs to be carefully researched to make sure you are making the right decision for your situation. Be prepared for things to be different and accept that it takes some time to settle in to a new country with different customs and environment. Be open to new experiences and decide to embrace all that Australia has to offer.”
Paul has now been working for Dialog for over thirteen years. Jill, in the meantime, has left the IT industry to concentrate on raising their family.
To share in Kill and Paul's experience and become a Dialog person please visit our Vacancies page.