Rory Corbett and family lived in Shanghai for a spell.

In our latest installment of Australia and Me we catch up with engineering consultant Rory Corbett, from Cork.

Where are you from in Ireland?
I am from Blackpool on the northside of Cork City.

When did you come to Australia and what brought you here?
I relocated to Sydney in May 2011 with my wife and two young kids on a 457 sponsored business visa. This is our second time escaping the recession. We lived near Shanghai in China for a year from 2009 to 2010, came back to Ireland, realised things were as bad as ever and decided to move somewhere our kids would have a better quality of life and wouldn’t be paying in the future for the excesses of the past for which they bear no responsibility.

What do you do for a living?
I am an engineering consultant. I work in project quality, risk management, commissioning and validation within the biopharmaceutical, pharmaceutical, nutrition, medical device and engineering procurement and construction management sectors. At present, I work in IT quality systems remediation and good manufacturing practice compliance for a multinational medical device company in Sydney.

Describe (in brief) your career path.
I went to college for eight years. I hold a certificate in applied chemistry from Cork RTC, a B.Sc (Hons) in Geology and an M.Sc in environmental analytical chemistry from UCC. I have worked since 1998 mostly as a self-employed consultant.

Is Australia a good place to pursue a career in your industry?
Yes indeed. If you have any sort of aptitude to hard work you will get on well in Australia. It is a lot easier to secure a senior position in your field than in Ireland. However, it is more difficult here to sell yourself for a position that is not an exact fit for your skill set. I don’t hold an engineering degree and this was never a problem in Ireland as I have a huge amount of industry experience, but you tend to be filtered out of the application process here based on formal qualifications.

What advice would you give someone looking to work and live Down Under?
If you’re emigrating with a family, ship everything in your home, it will save you a lot of money. Don’t expect life to be easy for the first six months or so as you adjust, it’s not all sun and surf. Try to get out and meet new people through playgroups and activities.

What, if anything, do you miss about Ireland?
You don’t see kids playing on the streets here in Sydney like you do in Ireland, the kids miss that. We miss our families, playing cards at Christmas time up at the High House in Blarney Street with my mates, a decent real turf fire, the Irish sense of humour and the slagging. I also miss watching my lifelong passion, Chelsea FC playing football at a decent hour of the day and my many trips to Stamford Bridge on a short cheap hop to London from Cork!

Gerard Winston

Where are you from in Ireland? When did you come to Australia and what brought you here?
I’m from Clonskeagh in south Dublin. I arrived in Sydney in August 2010. I ran an advertising business in Dublin and my wife Sarah-Jane ran a florist in Harvey Nichols Dublin. Both businesses were hit by the downturn and we had to make hard decisions.

We closed our businesses and moved to Australia with our five kids (Josh, 11, Matty, 8, Emma-Jane, 7, Anna-Kay, 4, and Andy, 1) for a fresh start.

What do you do for a living?
I’ve set up my own traditional Irish bakery here in Sydney. After noticing there was a shortage of good homemade soda bread here, I started experimenting with my mother and grandmother’s recipes and after six months of research I came up with my freshly made and 100 per cent natural range of Paddy the Baker breads.

Since launching in November 2010, the range is stocked in 12 farmers’ markets and 25 grocers around Sydney and is still growing.

Describe (in brief) your career path.
After I left school I worked for a print company for three years as a sales rep. At 21, I opened my own print business, which I ran for 12 years and then sold to set up a marketing consultancy called Winston Marketing.

Unfortunately due to the downturn, many of my clients had their marketing budgets cut severely and this caused me to shut up shop.

Was it easy to use your Irish experience to get a start in Oz? Having an entrepreneurial background, I think that it has given me the confidence to identify a gap in the Australian market and take that chance to do something I’m truly passionate about.

Is Australia a good place to pursue a career in your industry?
There are two reasons why it’s a very exciting time for the Paddy the Baker brand. The first is the Masterchef effect. People are interested in the food they put in their mouths. They’re looking for good quality, fresh produce and there’s a genuine interest in different produce.

Secondly, like my family, many Irish people are moving out here in the mid- to long-term and they are people of all ages and backgrounds. I think now more than ever people want to see good-quality Irish food, so the need is certainly there.

What advice would you give someone looking to work and live Down Under?
The lifestyle is fantastic and everyone is friendly and encouraging, though entrepreneurs coming out to set up a business here should be aware of the very bureaucratic systems in place; you need to research your business sector and business law very well.

What, if anything, do you miss about Ireland?
Apart from the obvious — missing friends and family — I miss having a pint in a good Dublin pub and a bit of harmless banter!

Gavin Costello has become an Australian citizen since speaking to the Irish Echo.

Where are you from in Ireland and when did you come to Australia? Under what circumstances?
I’m from Cóbh in Co Cork. I came to Australia as a backpacker for 12 months in September 1998. I worked here in a number of jobs as I did a fair bit of travelling in the first year.

After my first 12-month visa expired, I got a six-month contract, and 12 years later I am still here and finally about to get citizenship.

Are you single, married? Do you have kids? What do you do for a living?
I’m married with two girls, aged five and three. Pure Aussies, the two of them. I’m a product manager for Telstra. I’m responsible for security applications in the consumer BigPond area.

Describe your career path.
Initially I wanted to be a writer or a journalist so I trained as an all rounder in media and publishing at the Cork Institute of Technology. After graduation, I spent five years in the printing industry before  joining Apple in Cork. I spent two years there as a tester before coming to Australia.

My first non-temp role in Sydney was for Canon as a software tester for six months. I then worked for a company called Quickcut in the software development team for six years, before moving to Telstra in 2008. On the side I write a blog. Perhaps one day when the kids have grown up I’ll concentrate on that.

Was it easy to use your Irish experience to get a start in Australia?
I think having worked for Apple for two years was very beneficial. I was able to get some well paying contract roles for a few months, which made my first 12 months a fabulous experience. Sydney felt like a series of never-ending opportunities.

Is Australia a good place to pursue a career in your industry?
Australia is great at one level, but in some industries — like when I was involved in publishing — it was frustrating to be on the other side of the world when all the great work with publishers was happening in the US or Europe.

I think Australian Industry must either ensure well padded travel budgets or invest in some serious video-conferencing software and allow staff to work at odd hours.

How would you advise someone coming to work or live in Australia?
Make sure you see the country. Get out to northern Australia. I did an overland trip from Broome to Cairns and down the coast to Sydney and it was two of the best months of my life.

What, if anything, do you miss about Ireland?
Family, old friends and a ‘dacent’ pint of plain. With my Australian citizenship coming up, only serious circumstances would have me move back. I’ll always be Irish.

I’ll be wearing green when we play the Wallabies in September, but this is home for now. I blame the kids!

"I loved the place so I'm still here," says O'Farrell.

Where are you from in Ireland?
Athlone, Co Westmeath.

When did you come to Australia? Under what circumstances?
I arrived in December 2008, just in time for Christmas. I was travelling for six months around South America and New Zealand. The plan was to travel around Australia too but I ran out of money so had to get a job. I loved the place so I’m still here.

Are you single or married? Do you have kids? What do you do for a living?
I’m in a relationship. I’m an accountant in the finance industry.

Describe in brief your career path.
I studied at Galway Mayo Institute of Technology (GMIT) in Galway for four years, doing a Bachelor of Business. I then worked in an accountancy firm in Athlone for four years and completed my chartered accounting apprenticeship. I currently work for JP Morgan in their custodian business. I’m not sure what my next step will be.

Was it easy to use your Irish (overseas) experience to get a start in Australia?
Initially it wasn’t. I landed in Australia in the middle of the financial crisis so nobody was really hiring. Also, looking for accountancy jobs in the first three months of the year is not a good idea as it’s very quiet. The market was very slow and I had no Australian experience so wasn’t considered and ideal candidate. However, I eventually got a direct interview through a friend, started on a contract for six months and I’ve been here since. The experience that I received in Ireland definitely stood to me – it was a new industry for me in Australia so it helped me adapt quickly.

Is Australia a good place to pursue a career in your industry?
Given the state of the markets and industry back in Europe and elsewhere, I think it’s the best place to be in terms of opportunities to progress in any career.

What recommendations would you give someone looking to work and live in Australia?
Get your visa sorted ASAP, even if you have to work on a farm for three months. Also, make a good impression with the recruitment companies, as they control who goes forward for the jobs. And sign up to as many of them as possible. Look for jobs at the right time!

What, if anything, do you miss about Ireland?
The obvious ones: a good pint of Guinness, Tayto and King crisps, family and friends. Watching Premier League and Champions League football at reasonable times.

Ryan O'Hagan :: Financial Services

Where are you from in Ireland?
Glenravel, Co Antrim.

When did you come to Australia? Under what circumstances?
I arrived in Sydney in November 2009, after a few months travelling around South East Asia. I had been working for a few years since graduating university and decided that I needed to get out there and see the world for myself.

Are you single or married? Do you have kids? What do you do for a living?
I’m engaged to Brenda. We’re returning home for a few moths to get married in August 2012. I work in financial services, for HSBC as a supervisor in the treasury department, covering the money markets.

Describe in brief your career path.
After graduating from Queen’s University, Belfast with a degree in Business IT, I did various temp roles to build up my experience. Then in early 2007, Citi decided to move their operations from London to Belfast. I applied and was selected as one of the first 20 to join the operations team. I stayed there for almost three years until I arrived in Sydney. I had a six-month role here with the asset management firm BlackRock, before moving to HSBC.

Was it easy to use your Irish (overseas) experience to get a start in Australia?
Yes, it was of real benefit to me. Having arrived here, I decided I wanted to continue in my career and build my CV and those two or three years’ experience at home were crucial in finding the right job.

Is Australia a good place to pursue a career in your industry?
It certainly is, especially in the financial industry. Although most countries are still suffering from the GFC, Australia seems to be over the worst. This means there are lots of job opportunities that are better paid and can offer more in terms of experience and work life balance in comparison to home.

What recommendations would you give someone looking to work and live in Australia?
When you first arrive, be prepared to do anything that is remotely related to your chosen career. Local experience is essential. Once you have that, you can move on and look for a role that really appeals to you.

What, if anything, do you miss about Ireland?
Apart from my family and friends I don’t really miss anything. With so many Irish living in and around (County) Bondi it’s quite hard to get homesick.

Belinda O’Dea :: IT Project Manager

Where are you from in Ireland and when did you come to Oz?
I’m from Co Sligo and I arrived in September 2007.

Under what circumstances?
Due to sibling pressure. We had a Permanent Residency (PR) Visa since 2004 and time was ticking on the take-up date. We needed to have lived here for two full years by September 2009 in order to extend it or get citizenship. (Before July 2007, PR required two years’ permanent residency to qualify for citizenship; since then it has changed to four years.) Now with the recession in Ireland we are very glad we didn’t waste our PR chance.

Are you single or married? Do you have kids?
Married, and I’ve had a baby since moving here.

What do you do for a living? Describe your career path?
I’m an IT project manager. With no career plan or guidance, I went to University College Galway to study arts and then chucked it in for a permanent job with AIB. I then discovered IT and trained to be a programmer with AIB’s in-house programme. I regretted quitting college so went to Trinity College Dublin to do a BSc in IT and then overdid it and studied for an MSc too. I moved into telco work between degrees, and after 15 years of permanent jobs, I moved into IT contracting and working abroad.

Was it easy to use your Irish experience to get a start in Oz?
Yes and no, having IT degrees and having English as a first language made things very easy, but when I first came I was a programmer/analyst and there weren’t many programming jobs for white women in their mid-30s, at a rate commensurate with experience anyway. So I had to move into business analysis which I hated but thankfully it led me to project management, which I love.

Is Oz a good place to pursue a career in your industry?
I don’t think it is especially better than anywhere else. I’ve worked in Denmark, Israel and Ireland and they are all pretty good for IT jobs.

How would you advise someone looking to work and live in Oz?
All the job agents in IT seem to be Cockney barrow boys. Where one agency won’t put you forward, another will for the same job, so play the field as they don’t always know what they are on about. Two litres of milk can vary in price from $2 to $5. Private health insurance covers dental and optical, which it doesn’t in Ireland, and Medicare is also a great facility to have at your disposal.

What, if anything, do you miss about Ireland?
The Irish sense of humour. A decent pint of Guinness. The stretch in the evening. The cost of books and decent bookshops (think Charlie Byrne’s in Galway). Work dos that end at 3am.

Alasair McLeod is an executive chef and has appeared on many television shows in both Australia and Ireland.

Alastair McLeod :: Executive Chef

Where are you from in Ireland?
I was born in Larne, Northern Ireland. I was brought up in Dublin and then moved to Belfast at age six.

When did you come to Australia? Under what circumstances?
I came here in 1997, to Brisbane. Having an Australian mother, I’ve always planned to live here at some point. My mum’s descriptions of life in Australia were evocative and aspirational. She was right.

What do you do for a living?
I cook. I operate two restaurants in Brisbane. Bretts Wharf in Hamilton, perched right on the Brisbane River, and Tank Restaurant and Bar, on North Quarter Lane in the CBD.

Describe (in brief) your career path.
I started to cook in Glasgow in 1989, spending the last year and a half of four years at the wonderful Ubiquitous Chip. I worked in London for a year, before spending a year and a half in France and Italy, immersing myself in the food and culture. I then moved back to Ireland where I worked for Paul Rankin at Roscoff, which was Ireland’s first Michelin star restaurant. I came to Australia in 1997 and worked at Baguette restaurant for three years. A move to Bretts Wharf followed, where I remain as executive chef. I’ve just opened the Donovan Hill designed Tank Restaurant and Bar with Genny Nielson in Brisbane’s CBD. I also appear in numerous television shows.

Was it easy to use your Irish (overseas) experience to get a start in Australia?
My appreciation for local produce was unlocked when I worked in Ireland. I believe my parochial upbringing emboldened my commitment to local produce. I do feel my upbringing in Ireland gave me advantages. I’ve always had a strong work ethic and think it’s helped me seek out opportunities.

Is Australia a good place to pursue a career in your industry?
Absolutely! The food scene continues to burgeon in Australia with dazzling new restaurants opening all the time. There are genuine opportunities in Australia for cooks with a zeal for their craft. Unfettered by tradition, contemporary Australian restaurants serve vibrant, fresh, simple, exciting, eclectic dishes that represent great value to a welcoming market.

What recommendations would you give someone looking to work in Australia?
Despite having an Australian mother, the fact that we speak the language and having grown up watching Neighbours on TV, it still took a while to understand a different rhythm of life. Take time to work out the lie of the land before plunging in. Forge relationships and try to see a bit of the country first. Embrace the change, in other words.

What do you miss about Ireland?
I miss the weather sometimes! I miss my parents; I miss the Crown Bar in Belfast and Davy Byrnes Bar in Dublin – they do a great coddle at Davy Byrnes. I miss the drive up the Antrim coast road and on ‘round to the Giant’s Causeway. I miss Ormo Bakery wheaten bread every day of my life!

Diarmuid Kelly from Tipperary is a chemical engineer project manager with CSL in Melbourne.

Diarmuid Kelly :: Chemical Engineer

When and why did you first come to Australia and what do you do here?

I got here in 2005 via south-east Asia and New Zealand and I’m a chemical engineer project manager with CSL in Melbourne.

What qualifications did you have and how did you find the process of having those recognised?

I did a degree in biotechnology in DCU and then a post-grad in chemical engineering in UL. I spent about three months looking for work in Sydney when I first arrived but then I moved to Melbourne and bumped into an old college mate and got work through him. I’m still with the same company, though my role has changed. I’ve had no problems in having my qualifications recognised.

Are there many jobs going in your industry? And what advice would you give to people seeking work?

There are not the same number of chemical engineers here as there are at home, so as a result there are quite a lot of Irish engineers working here at the moment. The Irish college courses relate to the pharmaceutical industry are geared to meeting the industry that exists, so you find a lot of engineers coming over here from Ireland who have experience, which is an advantage for them. Most of the people in CSL get jobs through word of mouth, so if you know some people over here who work in the area get in contact with them.

What is the biggest difference between working in chemical engineering here and in Ireland?

The pharmaceutical industry is much bigger in Ireland, which is a world leader in that area. I worked in Cork before and all the top pharmaceutical companies in the world have plants there. In Melbourne there are really only four major companies. In the industry in Ireland almost everyone you work with is Irish, but over here you have a broad, multi-cultural set up. I work with people from several different countries. It is way more multicultural.

How much should a chemical engineer expect to earn and how does that compare to Ireland?

It depends on your experience, but someone coming out from Ireland with, say, two years experience, would get anything from $60,000 – $80,000. It used to be that you got paid more in this industry in Ireland, but now there are a lot fewer jobs at home and more opportunities here. The dollar is also strong against the euro at the moment. All in all, chemical engineers from Ireland would probably do a lot better now in Oz than was the case five years ago.

What long-term opportunities are there here for engineers as regards jobs and visa prospects?

There are jobs because a lot of Irish engineers would have good experience. I was on a working holiday visa at first. Then I got sponsorship from my employer, which came through pretty easily. And since then I’ve got residency through employer nomination.

What do you for fun, and what are your most/least favourite things about living in Australia?

I play guitar so I like to catch up with mates and play some music sessions. I’ve also become a lot more active over here than I was at home. I run and play tag rugby. The hardest thing is that it’s so far from Ireland and so expensive to get home. The pluses outweigh the cons here though.

James Kirby is from Dublin and is the managing editor of Business Spectator.

James Kirby :: Journalist

When and why did you first come to Australia and what do you do here?

I came in 1987. At the time there was a huge amount of people coming here. A bit like today. I loved it straight away. I’m the managing editor of Business Spectator, which is a business news website.

How did you find the process of having your qualifications recognised?

I did a journalism post-graduate course at the old NIHE in Dublin, which is now DCU. I was very lucky in 1987 that I saw an ad in The Guardian newspaper for jobs in the Australian Financial Review. To my complete amazement I got it and they brought me to Australia. It was marvellous really. I had never had a newspaper job in Ireland. I had been freelancing and really struggling. There wasn’t a job from one end of Dublin to the other in 1987, not to mention in journalism.

What is the biggest difference between here and Ireland?

The main difference is that business journalism is very, very big here. There are 2,000 stocks. In Ireland I think there are still less than 100. The business media here is very advanced. For business journalists there are opportunities here that there never can be in Dublin with the London stock market overshadowing it.

How would you rate Irish workers against Australians?

I think they are very similar. There’s a good sense of humour, I think there’s still an admiration for the fair go. From a journalism point of view there are aspects of Australian journalism that I never expected I would like so much. There is such a high quality of writing and analysis in Ireland I didn’t expect it to be repeated here, but it is. It actually has more of an aggressive, free flavour to it. I didn’t expect such an attractive intellectual life here.

Are there many jobs going in your industry? And what advice would you give to people seeking work?

In my industry they’re hiring all the time. But our world is exclusively online, there is no paper. In a way we live in a different world than the newspaper staffers. Though what we’re doing is risky and nerve-wracking because the rules aren’t written yet, it’s also very exciting. I expect it’s something like the early days of radio or the early days of television. Each year is better than the one before and it’s terrific to work in it. A lot of the guys I have working with me now have never worked on paper and may never work in newspapers.

How much should your average online journalist expect to earn and how does that compare to Ireland?

They earn exactly the same as their colleagues in newspapers. I’ve worked in different places around the world and generally journalism is the same; it’s relatively easy to get going, it’s harder to stay in it. The starting salary for a cadet out of college is about $47,000. That’s not bad I think. Going up from there is the hard part.

What do you for fun, and what are your most/least favourite things about living in Australia?

We have a growing independent media group and it’s very taxing time wise, but I have kids and I spend a lot of time with them. To everyone’s surprise I’ve become a big, serious cricket fan in my time here. My least favourite thing is that there is still often a lack of interest in international affairs which, as a journalist can be frustrating.

Darren Fitzharris from Carlow runs Fitz Fitness in Sydney's eastern suburbs.

Darren Fitzharris :: Personal Trainer

When and why did you first come to Australia?

I was here in 2001-02 for a year on a holiday visa and I loved it and always wanted to come back for the good weather. So I moved out here in 2006 with my girlfriend, Edel.

What exactly do you do here?

I’ve been a personal trainer for nearly two years. I used to work in a gym but now I’m freelancing on my own. I do outdoor sessions in parks. I live in the Randwick in Sydney so I cover all of the eastern suburbs. All the info is on my website.

What qualifications did you have before you came out here and how did you find the process of having those qualifications recognised in Australia?

Before I came out here I was a carpenter. I got the Australian visa based on the points I had as a carpenter. When I came out here I decided to do a personal training course. I had to do my Cert 3 and Cert 4 level courses. I’m registered with Fitness Australia, I have my own insurance as well and I’ve done a boxing course over here, too.

I also did pre- and post-natal courses for training pregnant women, and I did cable machine and exercise ball courses. I learned about CPR and first aid as well. For this job you have to get a lot of qualifications and every year you have to upgrade your skills. You can’t just become a trainer and never do another course again. You get points for doing the courses and every year for your insurance and registration with Fitness Australia you have to have a certain amount of points to be a trainer.

Are there many jobs going in your industry? And what advice would you give to people seeking work in personal training here?

There’s a lot of work in the personal training industry. Everyone wants to train over here; everyone wants to be fit. Having a trainer can motivate people and show them a safe way to exercise. There are better opportunities here than there are at home. It’s easier to set up your own business here. Everyone seems to be able to help you more over here as well.

How much should your average personal trainer expect to earn and how does that compare?

Per hour it can go from $50 an hour to $75. Sometimes it could be up to $100 an hour. In Ireland people charge up to €80 an hour. They charge a higher rate but there are fewer customers.

What long-term opportunities are there here for personal trainers as regards jobs and visa prospects?

If someone was an exercise specialist or personal trainer at home and they came to Australia and got a job in a gym then maybe the gym could sponsor them for a visa. But that would mean being on a set wage from the gym. They would not be freelancing. The long-term opportunities are good because personal training is seen as something for rich people in Ireland, but here a lot of people do it.

What is the biggest difference between working in personal training here and in Ireland?

You have more opportunities here. And the weather is better! I’m training people out in the sun every day and I love that. People are more inclined to get a personal trainer here to motivate them more.