The view from above

I looked down over the ancient Italian city of Vicenza. The helicopter was flying over the outskirts of the old town, where the dense street of cobbles and hills stretched out to spaces filled with green fields, grand old homes atop hills, and churches with steeples reaching to the sky. It was so close, I could almost touch it. It was exhilarating, terrifying and it was a gift. 
This trip to Italy was a highlight wedged between reporting on the diamond bourse in Antwerp, and writing a profile of the richest Chinese jewellery business in Singapore. I loved it.But how did I manage to leave my low-paid job as an academic book editor in Melbourne to get here?And how many young Australians are leaving these shores to seek work in foreign domains?The Australian diasporaThe Department of Immigration and Citizenship states that there are 1 million Australians working overseas at any one time.In 2012, there were 8 million departures with over 350,000 Australians leaving Australia with the intention of never coming back. The Department anticipates that 80,000 of those will see that dream realised.
Who are the Australian diaspora?Most Aussies leaving our shores for greener pastures are aged 25-39 and with males and females equally balanced although the number of females moving away is increasing.Australian Tax Office information indicates that people from NSW (260,000), Victoria (203,000) and Queensland (180,000) were the key breadwinners overseas in 2010/11. Regional trends show that NZ, the UK and the US are the most popular countries of future residence. However, there has been a shift in focus to Hong Kong, Singapore, China, Japan and Thailand in the last ten years. There has also been a rise in emigration to the United Arab Emirates.

Consulates in these countries have estimated numbers of Australians as:

UK 275,000US 200,000Greece 100,000HK 80,000NZ 66,050Italy 30,000

So we really are getting around.You’ll find Australians everywhere, doing whatever the imagination can conjer. ‘Two men in China’on the ABC program recently found Australians working in Chengdu, China as chefs, IT professionals and landscape architects.Why do they leave?The main reason Australians leave these shores is employment and economic reasons. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection notes that unemployment in Australia is not the reason most emigrants depart. They may also be returning to the countries where they’re parents came from, cheaper lifestyle, retirement, volunteering, gap years, or extending their skillsets.I left because I wanted a new experience, to make some money, and to see the world from another perspective.

How did I do it?
I spent months studying overseas newspapers and websites and applying for positions in my field of expertise – an editor. I narrowed my search to the countries that had the following:1.       High salaries2.       Low tax3.       Spoke mainly EnglishI ended up with a short list of two places: Hong Kong and Singapore. After 100 applications and a lukewarm response from a Hong Kong company, I decided to visit Hong Kong for a week, tee up some meetings and test the waters. I was not offered a job on that trip but on my return home I soon received a letter offering me a position at Macmillan, which published secondary school books.  Finally Hong Kong had chosen me. It was a low salary and I had to share an apartment (which was not included in the deal and was ridiculously expensive). But it was a job. I could plan my getaway. The living arrangements would change, the salary would increase, the travelling would begin. Somehow my dream had become my reality.What did I learn?Over four years working first as an academic editor, then publisher of an international diamond magazine, I worked with and managed people from all over the world, including mostly Hong Kong Chinese. I can say I learnt the following:1.    Be patient and kind to the people around you – preface every email, every conversation with a polite introduction. Never bowl in with the intention of an outcome. Manners count2.   Work hard and be passionate3.    Accept every opportunity offered even if you’ve never done it before4.    Play – socialising outside of work can cement bonds in the workplace5.   Dare to dream – if you think you can do something, or at least have an idea that you want to pursue and don’t think about it not being possible – it will happen. It just takes belief and persistence.The view from above, wherever it may be, can be yours.