Susannah

Home: Picton, Ontario

University: Griffith, Australia

Subject Area: Primary and French, sponsored on long-term contract

What Leading Out support and services have you enjoyed, or have assisted you, the most?

Leading Out has been a great help in terms of getting paperwork sorted quickly and efficiently. I was very busy teaching in Canada while I was making arrangements to come to Australia so it was great not having to waste precious time in doing all the groundwork myself. I was still responsible for gathering my end of information and filling in forms, but I was told exactly what needed to be done and by when, which kept the planning process smooth. Once I arrived in Australia, Leading Out picked me up from the airport, took me to the bank where they already had an account open for me, and then on to my new apartment which they had also helped arrange. Because I was coming on my own, it helped make a large and daunting transition much less stressful. At that house I met a lot of really good friends from all over the world, many of whom I still hang out with now.

After a few months of CRT work, an interview was arranged for me at a secondary school. Being a primary teacher I wasn’t sure if it would be right for me, but I figured that since I came to Australia to try new things I might as well give it a go. I attended the interview and felt good about the opportunity, so I chose to accept the position. I will be teaching at the highschool full time for the whole school year, and so far it has been a very positive experience. I’ve met lots of new, interesting, and friendly people, am doing work I probably wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do at home, and am learning new ways of doing things. It’s good and I like it!

Since being in Australia Leading Out has helped with employment, accomodations, social events, and the inevitable paperwork. The most important role they’ve consistently provided has been to accurately answer questions pertaining to my specific situation. I’ve worked overseas before and often you are given very general answers or suggestions for where you can look to find your own information, but I’ve found that Leading Out can give me all the information I need in a quick e-mail or phone call. I came here to travel, work, and enjoy life, not spend hours tied up red tape!

The best place travelled within Australia:

One of the best things about teaching in Australia is the way the school year is set up. 3 sets of 2 weeks of holidays is ideal for travelling. I did my teachers college in Australia several years ago, and so saw most of the major sights then. This time around I’m focussing on just living life within an Australian context and using my holidays to travel further afield.