Young Aussie wanting to move to Bali

Decide if you can get a visa first.
Your best chance for that is getting a job.
Getting a job means you have to do something a local worker can't do so that excludes bar work and so on.
That means, no income as even the lousy language mills won't take on a high school educated 18 year old unless they're desperate or especially rubbish.

Hi Nao!

I hate to be a pragmatist and a realist, but the dreams of young folks moving to Bali before graduating college and being able to land a legal job here are just that…dreams.   

The only 18 or 19 year old foreign kids that I know here on Bali fall into one of two categories:

-Their dad or mom has a high level job, a business, or have retired to Bali. 

Or,

-They can live off of their savings or inheritance.

Jobs for foreigners on Bali are near impossible to find and by law they can only be given to those foreigners with a unique skill or ability that cannot be found within the local population. 

While your post didn't specifically mention that you are looking for employment here in Bali, you did mention that you are just finishing up your CV, thus my comments about employment here in Bali.

I saw quite a few of young foreigners doing a bartender job in some clubs in Kuta. Just saying.

Go back Annie, and see if they are still there!  LOL

Seriously, this job thing in Bali is being taken VERY seriously.  Bali has already passed a new law (approved by Jakarta) where the monthly fee/tax for work permits will be $200, and not $100.  The extra $100 is specifically for the manpower office in Denpasar.

“The second, most important thing is you must realize is that employment in Indonesia is not truly open to expatriates. 2008 government figures show that 8.4% of the population is unemployed and 10+% of those are professionals. Indonesian government policy is very clear that it does not want a company in Indonesia, domestic or foreign, to hire an expatriate for a job that can be done by an Indonesian. There are too many unemployed Indonesians looking for work!  This policy pretty much precludes the young, adventuring expat with little work experience from getting a job in Indonesia, except as an English teacher or volunteer.”

http://www.expat.or.id/business/jobseekers.html

But my real sources aren't found on the internet, but rather one of my brothers in law who is a sitting member of the Bali Provincial DPRD, an uncle who is chief of Police (Polda) in Ubud and yet another uncle who is high up in immigration.  As bad as the unemployment problem is overall in Indonesia, it is far worse on Bali. 

Foreigners caught illegally working here are now subject to huge fines and incarceration…and of course mandatory deportation (after the fine and/or prison term is over). I already know personally of two recent cases in Ubud where the foreigner has lived here in excess of five years but without the proper papers, and after hemorrhaging just about every rupiah they put in their pockets, they were deported…one after six months in the immigration lock down in Jimbaran. 

The next approach which is being seriously considered here by the DPRD on Bali is a reward system for Indonesians who “turn in” illegal foreign workers.  I kid you not. 

It's hard ball time here in Bali…and it ain't a game anymore.

But Annie, I'm totally sure you agree with the concept “jobs in Indonesia first for Indonesians.”  ;<)

Roy, I guess I should. Lol
Btw, sorry for not replying the last msg. I'm laptop-less at the moment.
Will get back to you sometime soon :-)

As for nate018 , goodluck on your moving! I hope everything goes well.

I co-own a bar and a hostel in Bali, we presently employ about 10 Indonesians. We cannot hire foreigners due to the local regulations without a lot of hassle, and unfortunately as the monthly salary for a barman is $150-250, it isnt worthwhile for us to attempt to hire foreigners.

I think that you should a little bit more research into some other asian countries that might have more lenient employment rules.

Good Luck

Sean

Sean, your post begs a question from me.  If given a choice, hiring local Indonesians versus foreign expats where all things like regulations and the working fee permit were the same...would you hire locals, or would you be more inclined to hire foreigners?

Both
For the Hostel, locals as they have the abilities and the talents required, and in this case foreigners offer no benefits. The present manager is Australian trained and is an absolute gem.
For our bar, I would hire wondering Irish bar-staff on their way to OZ, because it is a concept bar and it is very hard to get any locals who understand the concept of "Irish Craic", The waiters/waitresses would be local as once again in this role there is nothing that a foreigner can offer.

Your comment about most new businesses going broke within 5 years scared me! Our hostel is open 6 months and is Ranked #1 of 47 Specialty lodging in Jimbaran on Trip Advisor. Our Bar only opened on St Patricks Day, so 2 days ago.

sean

"For our bar, I would hire wondering Irish bar-staff on their way to OZ, because it is a concept bar and it is very hard to get any locals who understand the concept of "Irish Craic"

That's a good thing Sean…that the locals just don't get that particular “concept” as after all, this isn't the Emerald Isle, rather, this is Bali.  And this is not to mention another quandary, would you serve Jamesons or Bushmills, i.e, green or orange?   

If you believe like I do that there is a bit of the Blarney stone in all peoples, next March might surprise you with a local lad behind the bear, who just might prove himself as having some Irish within himself.

Let the Irish lads on their way to OZ continue their journey without their need to stop by Bali to fatten their wallets. 

Cheers!

And this is not to mention another quandary, would you serve Jamesons or Bushmills, i.e, green or orange?

Are you seriously asking that question? trust me, life is too short to make this into a quandary, we will serve every type of Irish whiskey that we can legally import. And the Irish flag outside the building will be Green White and Orange.

You have a lot of faith in the talents of the Balinese, but surely even they need some guidance to learn new talents rather than trying osmosis ?

Sean.

No Sean, I wasn't seriously asking that question, rather I was simply reminiscing about my old days long ago in South Boston where one would never find a bottle of Bushmills in a pub. 

“You have a lot of faith in the talents of the Balinese…”

Indeed I do, and that comes from many years of experience.  But of course I agree, getting your Balinese bartender to speak with an Irish brogue will take a wee bit of coaching and training.

Cheers, and good luck with your new pub.