Why do Caterpillar, Komatsu and other OEM trained heavy equipment technicians, auto electricians and technical trainers relocate to work in another country? Ask a candidate and you’ll usually hear “seeking new challenges” or “to learn new skills.” The real reasons usually come down to two: money, and a better life for the worker’s family.
Two honest reasons
Workers in some parts of the world are paid a fraction of what workers elsewhere earn for the same job, the same tasks, often under worse conditions. For some people, money is simply the driver: as many hours as possible, as short a break as possible. Do not judge them - you have not lived their life, and you cannot know why they carry that desire. It is their reason, and it is valid.
And then there are the workers trying to balance everything: providing for their family, the best education for their children, proper health care for their spouse, a brighter future for the next generation and, God willing, the one after that. They are seeking generational change for their family.
The pressure nobody sees
That driver is powerful - and it puts enormous pressure on the worker, pressure most people will simply never understand. Many have worked so hard for so long at being the provider that they’ve forgotten what they used to enjoy in their spare time, because they’ve forgotten what spare time means. Every day they carry the load: the destiny of their family’s future, in their hands. It is their mission in life.
Then the day comes
The worker is offered a position in another country - and with us, no fees, no costs, no high-interest loan to repay - often on a fly-in fly-out roster. This is it. Everything they’ve worked for is about to bear fruit. And it is. But there’s a part of the story that deserves to be told honestly first.
FIFO, when you’ve just arrived
FIFO is different for a newly arrived worker than for someone who has lived in the country for years. A long-settled worker goes home after each swing - to family or old friends, a car in the driveway, a routine. The newly arrived worker has none of that. On their break they go somewhere with no family, no long-term friends, no routine. All they have is time and money.
And both come under pressure. The worker wants to save everything they can - to send money home, and to prepare for the family’s arrival. Yet temptation and peer pressure are everywhere. A co-worker offers a night out on the town: a night out in a major Australian city costs real money that could be saved for the family - but what if saying no offends them, and they never ask again? Perceived or real, the effect is the same: mental strain.
People say: use the free time, explore, see the country. But that can bring its own ache - “I want to see these places for the first time with my family.” And just like that, the free time becomes a reminder that they are on the other side of the world.
Look after yourself - and look out for your mates
If this is you: look after you first. Eat properly - skip the fast food; it’s expensive and it’s not helping. Grab something from a market and cook it yourself; you have the time, and YouTube is full of easy recipes. Learning to cook kills boredom and builds a skill your family will enjoy when they arrive. Watch the alcohol: every drink is money that could be waiting for them.
When the walls close in, go for a walk. Hat, water, fresh air - anything to get the body moving and break the day up. It’s free, it’s healthy, and a few minutes of your mind elsewhere might be all you need that day.
And on the days you feel great - what about your mates from home who are here with you? Are you watching out for them? Have you asked, “are you OK?” You might find they carry the same load you do, and talking about it makes it easier for everyone. Working in a new country is a team effort, not a solo job. Look out for others, and let them help you when you need it.
And if the load ever feels heavier than a walk can fix, say so to someone - a mate, your supervisor, your doctor. In Australia, Lifeline is there any hour on 13 11 14. In New Zealand, free-call or text 1737, any time.
The future - it’s why you’re doing it
Now picture the reason. You and your partner watching the kids play in their new life. The graduation ceremony - university, or simply their first day at school in a new country. Riding bikes by the water, not a care in the world, all of you together in the next chapter of the life you worked so hard to build.
Your partner and children don’t want a flash car or designer clothes - those lose their shine. They want you. You will always be the mum or the dad, the son or the daughter, the brother or the sister someone looks up to forever.
A better future for your family - that’s why you came.
And you are one step closer every day.
You can do this.