Thinking of becoming a cabbie!

[semi-pro waster]

I've got a certain amount of respect for the length of time that cabbies have to put in gaining "the knowledge" but couldn't they do, say, that length of time plus maybe an extra month. I only ask because they could use that extra month learning how to indicate, how to stop correctly at junctions, when is appropriate to do a u-turn and generally how not to drive like pillocks. I do appreciate that being able to do a u-turn in rush hour while reading a paper, carrying on a diatribe at your passenger and swearing in the direction of people who happen to have the temerity to legitimately be crossing the road is an impressive skill but it doesn't exactly endear them to me.

I'm sure that most are lovely people, but the ones I see on a daily basis tend to drive like a frontal lobotomy is a prerequisite.

That said good luck if you want to be a cabbie but don't underestimate the effort that will be required, if you just want to earn a decent wage then there are easier ways to do it I'm sure. Kreeeee, good luck with your interview as well.

[Blighter]

Well it's not so mug a quick wage I'm after, but the flexibility. I just thought doug this would be good as it's soo flexible, but good pay at the same time..

In an ideal world I'd love a flexible job (don't care whether I have to do odd hours), and one where the pay is enough to live on semi comfortably.

I don't really know what to do tbh, as I don't really want to get into computing as a career, and feel I can progress far in retail - but it's crap money.


:/

[Mark]

If you want to go to Oz, you'll probably need to have suitable skills/experience to get past their points system. I doubt a cabbie job, or a retail job, would help much, but that computing career you've declined just might.

Something to bear in mind there. You can't just walk up to immigration and expect a visa, so it's worth planning what you need to get in and head in that direction.

[Fayshun]

Last I heard Oz were short of Forklift drivers.

No seriously.

[Blighter]

Originally Posted by Mark

If you want to go to Oz, you'll probably need to have suitable skills/experience to get past their points system. I doubt a cabbie job, or a retail job, would help much, but that computing career you've declined just might.

Something to bear in mind there. You can't just walk up to immigration and expect a visa, so it's worth planning what you need to get in and head in that direction.

It's not getting to oz that I'm worried about, I have family who are going to sponser me for accomadation and my uncles best mates are quite high up in a large software company, who said they will sponsor me for a job.
If that's enough to get through (apparently it is) then once I'm out there I won't need to work for them, and can get a job elsewhere

[Fayshun]

There's certainly a lot of outdoors in Australia.

[Mark]

That there is. 20m(ish) people on all that space.

Contacts eh? Care to share.

[Fayshun]

Originally Posted by Mark

That there is. 20m(ish) people on all that space.

Contacts eh? Care to share.

Apparently if you cut 5 miles off the coast of Oz, that's 95% of the population removed.

[Pumpkinstew]

Generally speaking being white and holding a British passport will get you through the Aussie points system. It's a way of curbing immigration from SE asia.

Any kind of blue collar trade is massively in demand over there. Plumbers, sparks, chippies, brickies, plasterers etc but also AC engineers, HVAC and civil engineers and surveyors.
Medical professions are also in demand - but that's pretty well universal.

[Mark]

Cutting 10-20 miles off would be closer to the mark I suspect, but the general idea is close enough anyway. Most of them on the southern and eastern coasts.

I'm just too much of a chicken (and too many ties) to up and move like that now. Though I'd certainly like to spend a few (more) months out there someday.