Hi kezzles
i know you have posted this some months back but I only came across this post recently and thought that as I am in HR and only in Melbourne 18 months that I would share my experience with you.
Just to give you a bit of background so you can get an idea of where I'm coming from.... Dh is an electrician and got state sponsored perm residency in jan 2012. We have 2 kids and moved to Melbourne purely for his work,or lack thereof, in Ireland. He came here in March 2012, he has immediate family here, and I came with the kids in sept 2012. I have worked in HR since finishing uni (degree and masters qualified) .. And I left a senior HR role as a HR manager in a pharmaceutical company in Ireland to move here as a family unit.
I did not look for work for the first few months so I could settle myself and the kids. At end nov 2012 I started looking on seek at suitable hr roles and I applied for about 5 and got called quickly for 2 interviews. One of the roles was for a permanent HR manager for a small company about 5 mins drive from where we lived so obviously this was my preferred option. I got offered the role and started end jan 2013 and was made permanent 6 months later. I know this is a very positive outcome but I read so many negative stories that I just thought it prudent to show that it is possible to be lucky and secure a good role quickly. I am well qualified and do have over 10 years hr experience in unionised environments so I knew I could transfer these skills easily to the Australian workplace. I am now a member of CAHRI (Australia's version of CIPD) so I think that's helpful to have on your resume as it shows your HR skills are recognised as being comparable to Australian Standards. I also do think that being a permanent resident certainly helped secure this role as most company's want someone who will stay a few years at least and some employers view 457 as too high risk as your dependent on your spouse/partners employer.
If you need any advise please don't hesitate to ask. You can pm if you like.
Be positive and believe in your abilities and that will translate in the interview. It's strange the way the system works here really , my husband was state sponsored for pr and we all came on his visa and he has found it next to impossible to get work here as an electrician, he's working in construction but more carpentry side of things, and I only came on his visa and got work in my field in a very short period of time.
Best of luck and enjoy the adventure
