New and loving it here!

Get the job first. Then great move.

 

Brilliant! Get your certifications, get the job, then you can maybe work on that bachelor part time.

 

I agree, but you are going to be looking for a job, more than once in your career, so getting the degree, I feel is essential for the reasons highlighted, not because you can't do the job without the degree.

I know this first hand, as Hubby landed a job without a degree many years back, just by being in the right spot at the right time. It was a temp job, but he did so well, they kept him. The first thing he did was start a degree, so that he could stay in the industry, if/when he moved on.

 

Once you get your foot in the door with certifications, a bachelor is mostly redundant in IT because the focus shifts to what your experience + certifications are.

The world of IT evolves so quickly that there are so many jobs that didn’t exist 10 years ago that exist today. A bachelor in IT is worse than inflation haha. It loses relevance and value quickly.

There are a bunch of things in an IT bachelor that wouldn’t be relevant to the direction I’d want to take my career, so I’d be wasting my time and money. Ultimately the goal is to be better off financially in the most time efficient way possible.

You sound like you work in the industry in some capacity?

I don’t know if you’ve heard of it. But I have a friend who works for the internet security company Cloudflare in the US.

He’s been giving me guidance with regards to further education, certifications and knowledge I’d need for an entry level position within cloudflare.

 

Clearly you know a heap more than I do. Go for it!

 

Nice! What are you doing now?

Might have to get some insight from you from time to time.

 

Top 3 tips for financial success are..?

 

Well that was unexpected. Didn’t know something on the topic of entrepreneurship existed in the uni space.. would be super interested to hear the content of your lectures.

What made you deviate from IT to business lecturer?

 

Well I got that right!

 

I would have thought the top 1, would be to START. We hear so many ask questions, but they are paralyzed by fear and never actually start anything. If you don't start, there's no way you can achieve anything.

 

100%. The buck stops at action. Ideas, progress and inspiration all stem from action.

Overthinking is the enemy of action.

With that being said, action can be the enemy of thought too.

It’s important that sometimes we take the time to stop and reflect on our mistakes, what we’ve learned and how to move forward in the most effective way possible.

 

100% agree mate.

 

This is from The Millionaire Next Door & Stop Acting Rich and Start Living Like a Millionaire. The author is oft quoted and needs to be added to that very good reading list.

• What is a good rule if you are determined to become wealthy? The market value of the home you purchase should be less than three times your household’s total annual realized income.

• If you’re not yet wealthy but want to be someday, never purchase a home that requires a mortgage that is more than twice your household’s annual realized income.

So many people love these books but seem to miss these incredibly important tips. When you do experience living within or below your income, either by design or 'bad luck', you realise that it's really the only way to fly.
Another point never to forget is that capital gain and cashflow don't always go together but you can find properties that give you both if that is your goal - especially if you buy in a flat market and/or live in and renovate.

 

Only problem, pretty much no FHB would be able to buy in Sydney off that rule. Even a studio will go for around $400k in Sydney now, or you can get a unit in Penrith or Mount Druitt areas from around $300k, but it's not too many people's cup of tea and it might not have much capital gain. I think those 2 rules might be more applicable when the interest rates are a lot higher.

For Sydney, buy a house on land. It will appreciate, much more than an apartment.