As an IT specialist pursuing a career in Brisbane, Joseph felt very ready for a regional move. He much prefers the country lifestyle and was seeking to build on his professional experience in a regional location. An IT opportunity with Balonne Shire Council spurred his move to St George, a remote Queensland town just over 500km west of Brisbane.
With a population of just on 3,000, St George may be small, but it’s certainly not short on fantastic rural experiences. From sipping local wine on the banks of the Balonne River to enjoying a cool drink at Queensland’s oldest pub, taking in the beautiful cotton trails across the region (particularly lovely when the cotton is in bud in autumn), and kayaking, water skiing or boating on the river, there’s an impressive array of activities on offer.
Joseph has experienced a very warm welcome to the St George community, right down to being the happy recipient of a very delicious lasagne on his first day in town. Being a Saturday, his new colleagues at the Council knew that he might arrive after everything had closed. With the food delivery services available in metro areas definitely not an option in St George, they wanted to make sure he had something lovely for dinner. A hot, homemade lasagne was duly delivered to Joseph and he was also taken on a tour of the town to start to get his bearings.
Joseph says he already feels plugged into the local community. He’s volunteering and tutoring at the local makers’ space, has been introduced to the board games club and enjoys musical bingo at the pub.
Joseph worked with regional recruitment specialists Work + Stay to secure his new role and navigate his move to St George. Joseph says that his recruitment experience was very comprehensive, with Work + Stay providing interview preparation support and helping him tailor his resume. He says he felt like much more than just a placement, something that he is very appreciative of given he was undertaking a remote regional move.
Work + Stay also supported Joseph to secure accommodation. They liaised with the local real estate community to help him find a rental property, while Balonne Shire Council provided a discounted temporary rental home for him for five weeks until his permanent home became available. Work + Stay also created a community partnership with Care Balonne, a progressive community-led organisation who ensured Joseph was welcomed to the area.
While towns like St George may be remote, they often feature thriving communities and a spectacular surrounding landscape packed full of things to see and do. If you are an infrastructure professional who has been considering a regional move, Work and Stay would love to speak to you about the recruitment support they provide. Please contact them using the details below.
Regional employers: send an email to info@workandstay.com.au
Candidates: register as a candidate at www.workandstay.com.au or send an email to info@workandstay.com.au
