People and Culture graduate Ashley relocated to Melbourne from Wollongong, New South Wales for her graduate role at Medibank. We ask her a few questions and she shares her favourite tips for relocating for work.
What’s your new living situation like?
I met a roommate on FlatMates.com.au, and moved into an apartment in Southbank with her when her previous roommate moved out. Living in Southbank is nice as it’s right next to the river, and super close to the city and work. I think I’ll stay in this cityside apartment for a year of so while I get to know the city, then move further out into the suburbs when I’m more comfortable with Melbourne.
Can you tell me about the logistics around moving states?
I was lucky in that I lived with my parents in Wollongong, so when I moved, they helped me shifting things out of the house and into our cars. We all drove the 10 hours down to Melbourne with my belongings, which saved on a moving van fee as well as allowing me to keep my car down here with me. Once here, they stayed for the weekend to help me unload the car and buy the rest of the things I needed and helped me settle in before I started work on Monday.
What were the most challenging aspects of the move?
The most challenging thing would be not having the support system of my friends and family from back home. I know it’s just one of those things that will come with time, and I’ve already made a few great friends down here so I’m well on the way in that aspect. The other challenging aspect would probably just be that Melbourne is so busy and fast-paced, so I’m really missing the relaxed vibe you get in Wollongong.
What were the positives around the move?
For me, the major positive has been that there is just so much to do around Melbourne. There are amazing restaurants, cafes and bars and always activities and markets on. There’s basically just so much opportunity to meet new people and have new experiences I wouldn’t have gotten if I hadn’t moved here.
What would be your top tips for relocating to Melbourne?
• Give yourself enough time between the big move and your first day at work. I moved the Thursday before starting the following Monday, and it wasn’t really enough time to get my head around everything before throwing a new job in the mix.
• If you’re moving out of home for the first time, learn how to cook and do household things beforehand so you can hit the ground running and that’s one less thing to worry about
• Have a going away party (or a few) with your friends before you leave so you can say proper goodbyes
• Join websites such as MeetUp. There are groups of people who attend all types of different interest-related events, and the whole point of them is to welcome and meet new people!
• Ahead of the move, find out some basic things like good places to eat near you, close supermarkets, public transport options etc.