The IT field Thread

[Abyss]

Interesting thread here, I wonder if I get some advice in any direction from you guys

 

I am moving to Adelaide in 3 months as a defacto partner so dont need to worry about sorting the visa with my would be employer, but similarly don't have a job lined up yet. I am british, 32 and have worked in IT support and projects for several years now. Mostly I am 3rd line support or some project technical resource, varied CV, and have contracted for the last 6 years. I've seen and heard of some of the difficulties some people have had, its on my agenda to update my linkedin and get networking, and I am fully aware of the CV/Resume farming techniques that go on in the UK.

 

I guess my question is this, am I going to struggle to find work? I am quite generally skilled, I don't mind taking any step back, will my location (adelaide, s.a) work against me? I have little in the way of professional quals, ITIL v3, and an old CCNA, and a degree. I am a confident person, approachable and easy going, and don't mind taking the challenge of adapting my skill set, or anything in order to be more employable/australian!

[MrsPOB]

@MrsPOB Thanks for sharing your experience. May I ask how you managed to find those companies? Was it just Google search or did you use certain websites? And how did you figure what roles they had available? A lot of companies use recruitment agencies and don't even post their openings on their own websites. I have PR but wouldn't move without a job offer as I'm doing quite well here in London and I can still wait for the right opportunity. Seek has been of no help so far so I'd like to try something similar to what you did. I'm a .Net contractor by the way.

@bogdan Sorry for the delay in responding, I stopped following the thread and completely forgot about it until I was doing a bit of faffying about this eve and decided to check on the thread.

 

So the big question, how did I find those companies. It wasn't a net search, I actually did a technology search in LinkedIn, I searched for say "Yammer" or "Microsoft Lync" or "Microsoft SharePoint" and then I got a mass of profiles come up, I checked out the companies associated with the profiles. I went to the websites, saw what types of technologies they were working in, what services they were offering and it allowed me to figure out which companies were offering which technologies and/or investing in them. I then did a search on each company, was there any news in the press, how were they to work for, etc. Then as I said, the ones I liked I "stalked" them on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook - I wanted to see what they were promoting and what jobs are on offer. You are correct that some do work through search firms, but those search firms popped up along side the companies I was targeting and the recruiters were super easy to connect with, in the search firms.

 

Also, another trick I mentioned to someone via PM was updating your LinkedIn profile with the area you want to live in Australia. That way when someone does a search on local skills you'll pop up. Also, LinkedIn will flag and promote jobs you might be interested in - another good way to connect directly with folks.

 

Hope that bit of info helps!

 

- MrsPOB

[MrsPOB]

Interesting thread here, I wonder if I get some advice in any direction from you guys

 

I am moving to Adelaide in 3 months as a defacto partner so dont need to worry about sorting the visa with my would be employer, but similarly don't have a job lined up yet. I am british, 32 and have worked in IT support and projects for several years now. Mostly I am 3rd line support or some project technical resource, varied CV, and have contracted for the last 6 years. I've seen and heard of some of the difficulties some people have had, its on my agenda to update my linkedin and get networking, and I am fully aware of the CV/Resume farming techniques that go on in the UK.

 

I guess my question is this, am I going to struggle to find work? I am quite generally skilled, I don't mind taking any step back, will my location (adelaide, s.a) work against me? I have little in the way of professional quals, ITIL v3, and an old CCNA, and a degree. I am a confident person, approachable and easy going, and don't mind taking the challenge of adapting my skill set, or anything in order to be more employable/australian!

 

Hi Abyss, all I can say is they love their pieces of paper here - the more certifications the easier, especially if you are going for any sort of support role (I had to assist with interviews while at my first position in Australia - I'm not on to number 2). Also, from what you said it looks like you have experience across a number of technologies - which is very well liked here. Unless the position calls for an ultra-specialist, they are firm believers in the "Jack of Many Trades" position description.

 

One thing I would recommend, is wait until you get to Adelaide before sending your CV out in the market. Chances are you'll get more bites and more folks will want to fast track you into a phone/face-to-face interviews. Assuming of course, you have all those highly important pieces of paper .

 

PS As a side note, I actually had to request one of my pieces of papers from 2009 - as requested for my first job, just because they wanted to ensure I had that root knowledge on some software that isn't even around any more! :laugh:

[Bibbs]

Sometimes I keep wondering whether I have really come to a developed country or not ??

 

If you are not easily understood on a face-to-face conversation, you'd have to be exceptional in skill set or they wont want you. Why would they, when someone who can do the job AND be understood is available at the same cost.

 

My main client, out of a team of almost 2 dozen, about 25% white guys (English, Australian, South African). The rest are Chinese, Singaporean, Indian, Vietnamese .. all have very good English (a lot are Australian by birth).

[Abyss]

Hi Abyss, all I can say is they love their pieces of paper here - the more certifications the easier, especially if you are going for any sort of support role (I had to assist with interviews while at my first position in Australia - I'm not on to number 2). Also, from what you said it looks like you have experience across a number of technologies - which is very well liked here. Unless the position calls for an ultra-specialist, they are firm believers in the "Jack of Many Trades" position description.

 

One thing I would recommend, is wait until you get to Adelaide before sending your CV out in the market. Chances are you'll get more bites and more folks will want to fast track you into a phone/face-to-face interviews. Assuming of course, you have all those highly important pieces of paper .

 

PS As a side note, I actually had to request one of my pieces of papers from 2009 - as requested for my first job, just because they wanted to ensure I had that root knowledge on some software that isn't even around any more! :laugh:

 

Hi

 

Thanks for the reply, and yes,,I thought as much with regards to quals! Since i've contracted for several years now, I have not had the desire to purchase any new courses and learn on the job instead,,obviously this is a disadvantage now it would seem!

I am also certainly holding off applying for any jobs until I arrive, as I can imagine they will not want to employ me and wait till I arrive,,,my IT career so far has always been a case of they needed me yesterday!

 

I am prepared to a take a lesser position, earn less, and work my way up some place...$60k would be nice? let me know if im dreaming! This is just so the pressure is off my partner to pay for our new life, we have savings but would like to live off what we earn.

 

I am hoping the jobs market is buoyant enough for me to fit in somewhere...always a fear of uncertainty in employment when emigrating,,but were not scared of it as were doing it anyway!

[IronMan2]

Its been 3 months now...yet no calls..

 

the new norm is having a industry specilization

[Boldie]

Hi

I am currently looking into moving to Oz with my family fromthe northwest of England and was just wondering what the job opportunities arelike in and around Sydney for .net programmers. I am a web and winforms developer working with vb.net, asp.net, html5,css3, jquery and SQL. I have beenworking in IT for over 10 years now.

If anyone could give me any information on what wage I couldbe looking at and how easy/difficult it is to get a job over there, that wouldbe great. Also am I better trying tofind a job before I move over or wait till I get there?

Thanks.

[Xenon4017]

Hi

 

I am currently looking into moving to Oz with my family fromthe northwest of England and was just wondering what the job opportunities arelike in and around Sydney for .net programmers.I am a web and winforms developer working with vb.net, asp.net, html5,css3, jquery and SQL.I have beenworking in IT for over 10 years now.

 

If anyone could give me any information on what wage I couldbe looking at and how easy/difficult it is to get a job over there, that wouldbe great.Also am I better trying tofind a job before I move over or wait till I get there?

 

Thanks.

 

 

Always better to arrive with a job in the hand if possible. That said, it's really tricky because most places won't take you on without seeing you first. Even Skype won't give you much of a feel for someone.

 

The big question is: do you have a visa? Or are you in the early stages? vb.net does not look good on a c.v. I'm afraid.

[Boldie]

Always better to arrive with a job in the hand if possible. That said, it's really tricky because most places won't take you on without seeing you first. Even Skype won't give you much of a feel for someone.

 

The big question is: do you have a visa? Or are you in the early stages? vb.net does not look good on a c.v. I'm afraid.

 

 

We don't have a visa yet as we are just at the early stages. As it will all depend on what work I can get and what wage I would be looking at. Why does VB.net not look good on a c.v.?

[IronMan2]

Does anyone out here has any idea as to how employers or recruitment agencies select candidates. Is there any particular process or a format they follow when selecting from a list of applications ??

 

I am noticing that despite my skills and experience that I portray in my resume match the job description 95% of the times, how come I am not getting any single call.

 

Any thoughts or any information on this will help.

[davlap]

In my experience, if you don't get a call within a day or two, you will probably not get anywhere.

This applies particulary to agency job ads. Permanent can be slower, but often the same thing applies.

Reasons why you are selected or not is the golden question, doubt there are any real answers.

 

You might get the occasional 'dear John' email and I suspect this sometimes happens when you were considered, but not shortlisted, as opposed to just thrown in the bin.

 

I came here 6 years ago with 20 years development experience (data warehouse / etl) in the UK and ended up at Coles in fruit and veg after 18 months. Then got a couple of IT jobs and have been back in IT (production support/analyst) for four years. Last had a Sydney contract but family still in Melb, so quit after a year, as wife wouldn't move and we were double renting. Big mistake, still trying after 3 months - nothing except 2 agency 'interviews'!

 

Worth mentioning I am of more mature age (54) and there is no doubt this does not help. I have been told I am over experienced for a couple of jobs, but I got nowhere trying to carry on with the role I had in the UK. I guess at my age they might expect me to be in management, but I was mostly a contractor and happy to avoid office politics. For me, the future looks very bleak. But it only takes one person to see some value there. One agency told me that I appeared a perfect match, but he knew the manager for the client wanted someone in their 30's to fit in with the team (unofficially of course).

 

I am thinking of the pro-active approach mentioned in this thread of looking via online methods such as linkedin, twitter etc. But my experience is varied and I do not have enough in depth specialities. I do have experience of data quality software called Trillium as I worked for the actual company in customer support. This was how I got the Sydney contract, but unfortunalety not many clients in Australia and no ads.

 

So pretty fed up right now and trying to keep focussed on jobs I want, rather than anything and everything. As time goes by, will have to widen this. However, applying for jobs below your level probably has a negative impact as they assume you will jump ship when something else comes along.

 

Anyway, hope it works out for you. It nearly did for me. I could be a lot warmer, richer and less bored in Sydney right now !

[Paul1Perth]

In my experience, if you don't get a call within a day or two, you will probably not get anywhere.

This applies particulary to agency job ads. Permanent can be slower, but often the same thing applies.

Reasons why you are selected or not is the golden question, doubt there are any real answers.

 

You might get the occasional 'dear John' email and I suspect this sometimes happens when you were considered, but not shortlisted, as opposed to just thrown in the bin.

 

I came here 6 years ago with 20 years development experience (data warehouse / etl) in the UK and ended up at Coles in fruit and veg after 18 months. Then got a couple of IT jobs and have been back in IT (production support/analyst) for four years. Last had a Sydney contract but family still in Melb, so quit after a year, as wife wouldn't move and we were double renting. Big mistake, still trying after 3 months - nothing except 2 agency 'interviews'!

 

Worth mentioning I am of more mature age (54) and there is no doubt this does not help. I have been told I am over experienced for a couple of jobs, but I got nowhere trying to carry on with the role I had in the UK. I guess at my age they might expect me to be in management, but I was mostly a contractor and happy to avoid office politics. For me, the future looks very bleak. But it only takes one person to see some value there. One agency told me that I appeared a perfect match, but he knew the manager for the client wanted someone in their 30's to fit in with the team (unofficially of course).

 

I am thinking of the pro-active approach mentioned in this thread of looking via online methods such as linkedin, twitter etc. But my experience is varied and I do not have enough in depth specialities. I do have experience of data quality software called Trillium as I worked for the actual company in customer support. This was how I got the Sydney contract, but unfortunalety not many clients in Australia and no ads.

 

So pretty fed up right now and trying to keep focussed on jobs I want, rather than anything and everything. As time goes by, will have to widen this. However, applying for jobs below your level probably has a negative impact as they assume you will jump ship when something else comes along.

 

Anyway, hope it works out for you. It nearly did for me. I could be a lot warmer, richer and less bored in Sydney right now !

 

Didn't your wife like Sydney davlap? I would much prefer living there than Melbourne.

[davlap]

>>Didn't your wife like Sydney davlap? I would much prefer living there than Melbourne.

So would I !

 

We have a son, went off the rails, quit school in year 10. Quit tafe, quit a baker apprenticeship. Been in panel beater apprenticeship for 6 months. She will not leave him in case he goes off the rails again. He is 18, time to leave the nest, but its too easy for him.

We came over for his benefit (so say), but has not worked out very well. Of course he blames us (parents) for all this, but who knows.

 

So I guess there is guilt there. One reason I went to Sydney is because I sometimes feel they are the couple and I am an outsider in my own home. The work was getting back to a high technical level and I was considered the goto expert (SME). This is why not getting a new job quickly is not helping.

 

Anyway, don't want to hijack this thread with personal stuff, probaly best to keep on topic.

[Paul1Perth]

>>Didn't your wife like Sydney davlap? I would much prefer living there than Melbourne.

So would I !

 

We have a son, went off the rails, quit school in year 10. Quit tafe, quit a baker apprenticeship. Been in panel beater apprenticeship for 6 months. She will not leave him in case he goes off the rails again. He is 18, time to leave the nest, but its too easy for him.

We came over for his benefit (so say), but has not worked out very well. Of course he blames us (parents) for all this, but who knows.

 

So I guess there is guilt there. One reason I went to Sydney is because I sometimes feel they are the couple and I am an outsider in my own home. The work was getting back to a high technical level and I was considered the goto expert (SME). This is why not getting a new job quickly is not helping.

 

Anyway, don't want to hijack this thread with personal stuff, probaly best to keep on topic.

 

Sorry to hear about your lad davlap. Tough times with kids that age. Don't take it personal that he blames you for everything that is going wrong for him, a lot of teenagers do that. Hopefully he will grow up a bit in the next few years and he'll come round. Panel beating is a good job to have, better money in that than baking and better hours. As long as he sticks at it he should be fine.

 

Good luck.

[wawaa]

Hi all,

I am a PR whose been in Adelaide for the last 18months, I was lucky managed to get a job immediately on arrival though I am a Network and Systems Engineer awith 6 years experience, I applied for a lesser roel and now in Government. I have been looking at switching to technical stuff as I am currently on service desk and it's not interesting at all as anyone with technical skills would expect, I have tried applying and a bit more relied on my Agency but realized I am not getting picked up for these positions, currently I am sersiosly considering moving from my current role, any guidance will be appreciated. You could be PM if need be.

I must add that I have excellent written and spoken English, happy to join the discussion in this forum.

[wawaa]

"In my experience, if you don't get a call within a day or two, you will probably not get anywhere.

This applies particulary to agency job ads."

 

This comment is 100% true out of experience

[sameer123]

Hi, I vl be migrating to OZ in June. I am applying for IT jobs online since few months. I am a software engineer with 10+ years experience in Linux. Do u know any IT recruiters in OZ? Becoz applying on job sites isnt taking me anywhere..Can u guide me on this???????

[Xenon4017]

Hi, I vl be migrating to OZ in June. I am applying for IT jobs online since few months. I am a software engineer with 10+ years experience in Linux. Do u know any IT recruiters in OZ? Becoz applying on job sites isnt taking me anywhere..Can u guide me on this???????

 

Just briefly, you have to improve your spelling and grammar. I know this is an informal forum, but if any of your "SMS-speak" bleeds over into your application, you're toast.

[themod53]

I would agree with Xenon, excellent spoken and written English is paramount when apply for a new job!

 

I'm kind of in the same position, having contacted a number recruitment agencies directly and the occasional digital agency, of which most, if not all - have pointed out 'no recruiter will want to or take a look at my CV until at least a couple of weeks before I arrive in Australia!' If your not in the country or at least a week or two away from being so, the CV goes straight in the 'No' pile.

 

Good luck - personally, I would wait until you are a week out, or until you are in Australia. Being there opens up a lot more recruitment options from what I am told! I've also been led to believe that migrants with certain visa types are more attractive to employers than others? Is there much truth in this? Has anyone had any first hand experience?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 15, 2014 by themod53

[Xenon4017]

You're right in that not being in the country means you've got no ties to a particular place. So employers are a bit reticent because they think you might jump ship straight away. And it's one thing to say you've got the visa, but no employer is going to check, and they figure they might as well go for someone who is already here, of which there are many. For specialist skills, they might make exceptions, but these are rare. The best you can do from abroad is to make a list of potential employers that you'll target once you're here. And make a plan for what you'll do if you don't find the job you want.

[PW1]

Samer123, don't you think that with the power of the internet at your fingertips, you could try putting in some effort to find recruiters yourself, rather than randomly posting a question on this site and expect people to do the hard work for you. Either that or you are not a naturally resourceful individual. I have read every post on this thread, and there have been several posts that answer your questions one way or another. So, at the very least, make the effort to read through the thread and do something for yourself. I don't mean to be harsh, but first impressions make it seem like your looking for an easy road to take, when there really isn't any. Still, good luck, I wish you well.

 

Regards,

PW

[n1ck]

I've been in Sydney since December and haven't had any issues finding work. There seems to be LOTS of IT jobs across the whole spectrum and any of the recruiters I've spoken to (a couple of whom are friends) have said the same.

 

Generally in Sydney if you can speak good English, are white (sad but true), have the necessary skills and are willing to learn, you won't have any issues finding work.

[dejani]

I've been in Sydney since December and haven't had any issues finding work. There seems to be LOTS of IT jobs across the whole spectrum and any of the recruiters I've spoken to (a couple of whom are friends) have said the same.

 

Generally in Sydney if you can speak good English, are white (sad but true), have the necessary skills and are willing to learn, you won't have any issues finding work.

 

Can you please ask some of your friends if the situation is same or similar in Brisbane? I'll be moving there in a couple of months.

[sameer123]

Thanks themod53 for your inputs. Ya I couldn't agree more on that..One needs to b onshore so that employers really start taking u seriously.

[sameer123]

Hey PW1, u totally misunderstood. I may have asked more questions but my intention was just to get some help from somewhere. On my front, I m also trying hard to find jobs. I also have friends in OZ but all of them have told me to try hard to get job from the day u get PR as they said it takes a lot of time to search job after coming here, entire family including spouse, kids and parents also suffer. I may not get a job until I m in OZ, but atleast I want to give my 100% in job search. So don't tell me what to do. People who genuinely want to help provide suggestions.