How do people actually get into work in Australia?

[Brucolino]

Hi all,

I am a permanent resident who was granted a skilled migration VISA based on my skills and experience. Back in the UK, I worked in IT for 7 years for the biggest IT company in the world. I have professional certifications as well as academic and in my previous role I received 2 promotions. I consider myself very skilled and experienced.

When I moved over to Australia in November and begun my job search I assumed it was a bad period due to the Christmas holidays coming up so didn't think much of it. After the new year, my partner joined me and we both started looking for work.

I have met and spoken to job recruiters on multiple occasions who have been very impressed with my CV. Everyone keeps telling me ' you will find work in no time ' or ' you will get massive interest and job offers thrown your way'. Months have gone by and I am still unemployed..

I have been sending multiple applications a day. I have tried directly phoning up job advertisers only to be told how impressive my skills and experience are and that they would get back to me soon. They never do. Once I've rang 2-3 times I give up because I begin to perceive it as me harassing them.

I am applying via SEEK, via Linkedin and through job recruiters. The only jobs I apply to are the ones posted on that same day(to increase my chances of them having been filled already). The only replies I receive are to tell me I have been unsuccessful.

I have had 2 interviews in total. They completely praised me and told me they would be getting back to me. One of the guys even said ‘ we will be moving fast before someone else snatches you up’. I never heard back. When I called to follow up, he didn’t even remember my name. That was 2 months ago.

My partner has had NO interviews or interest. He is also working in IT. I’m beginning to feel very low about the whole situation. We had a lot of money in savings to keep us going but it really is starting to run out after months of no work. We still have a monthly rent, bills and expenses and Australia is expensive. I am an extremely active person but I feel I can’t even travel far from Melbourne, either due to limited funds or because I want to make myself available for potential interviews. I am at the point where I am just tired and bored. We still get out for walks but we really can't afford doing much else other than staying in and watching movies.. (and the multiple job applications per day).

Have other people found it this hard getting into work here? I am in Melbourne and have no idea what it is I’m doing wrong. I'm trying to stay positive but it really is affecting my state of mind. I'm beginning to wonder if this move was a massive mistake. I don't understand why I was even granted a skilled VISA if there just isn't enough work for skilled young people.

Edited April 30, 2018 by Brucolino

[Marisawright]

27 minutes ago, Brucolino said:

I don't understand why I was even granted a skilled VISA if there just isn't enough work for skilled young people.

That's one of the misconceptions about the occupations list.  People even call it "skills in demand" sometimes.  However, it doesn't mean there's a desperate shortage of those skills everywhere around Australia.  I think the misunderstanding arises because twenty or thirty years ago, migrants could step off the plane and be offered two or three jobs.  People think it's still like that, but it isn't.  These days, unemployment in Australia is much the same as the UK.    Also, demand for different occupations is very variable, depending on which city you're in.  It's common nowadays to recommend migrants have enough money to survive for 6 months without work.  

For other professions, I'd suggest looking for temp work rather than permanent to get you on the ladder and make contacts - but I'm guessing you are looking for contract work already, being in IT.  So I'm not sure what else to suggest, other than looking for work elsewhere in Australia.

Does your old company have branches in Australia?   It might be worth reaching out to them.  

Edited April 30, 2018 by Marisawright

[Brucolino]

Hi Marisa,

They do yes. I actually reached out to them 2-3 times before I moved here, asking for a potential transfer but they never got back to me. I found a colleague from the Adeleide branch and asked him if he could get me in contact with someone in Melbourne. He said he would and never got back either. I tried reaching out again and he never responded..

I wasn't really looking to walk right into a job as soon as I got off the plane. But it has been months of me actively looking with little to no interest. I see multiple new job postings every day so the jobs are out there but I'm beginning to wonder if they are even real or just phishing scams

[Guest nastasia]

May we know your IT expertise?

[Eera]

I was unemployed for 6 months when I came over, couldn't get interviews as my experience was not local, in the end had to move to a regional city as in general they have trouble filling vacancies from Australian candidates.  I cringe when i see posts saying "we want to move to X suburb"; you move where you can get a job and worry about where you actually want to live further down the line.

I'd also be very wary about recruitment agencies, sorry to any genuine people who might be here, but I've found they tend to advertise and re-advertise the same job (at least in my field, which is not IT) to get people on their books which they will then occasionally hawk around; I read an advert from one once which effectively was one I had put on a jobsite a year or so before; they had taken off the logo but used the company slogan and everything - we weren't looking at the time either.

Edited April 30, 2018 by Eera

[samlab]

Hi,

From my experience it is harder here than the UK. 

I don’t know about Melbourne but over 1,800 people are moving to Brisbane every month, the job market is flooded with applicants.

Ive been looking for permanent work since November too and had 3 interviews in that time without success. 

 

 

[Brucolino]

Eera,

I wouldn't call Melbourne a 'suburb'. It's a very large city with countless companies recruiting in IT and I'm applying to jobs all over, not only central Melbourne but any suburbs of Victoria. I had enough points to not have to limit myself to a specific region in Australia so why should I not be allowed to choose? Why does that make you cringe? In theory the larger the city the higher your chances of finding work.

Are you implying that recruiters have a discriminatory preference to hire Australians over non-Australians and that we should all move to the places no Australians want to work in?

[Brucolino]

17 minutes ago, nastasia said:

May we know your IT expertise?

Business/Systems/Functional/Technical Analysis

[Brucolino]

5 minutes ago, samlab said:

Hi,

From my experience it is harder here than the UK. 

I don’t know about Melbourne but over 1,800 people are moving to Brisbane every month, the job market is flooded with applicants.

Ive been looking for permanent work since November too and had 3 interviews in that time without success. 

 

 

I hope you find something soon

[samlab]

Thanks, I hope both of you do too.

Just keep trying. Got to be in it to win it ??

[Guest The Pom Queen]

13 minutes ago, Brucolino said:

Eera,

I wouldn't call Melbourne a 'suburb'. It's a very large city with countless companies recruiting in IT and I'm applying to jobs all over, not only central Melbourne but any suburbs of Victoria. I had enough points to not have to limit myself to a specific region in Australia so why should I not be allowed to choose? Why does that make you cringe? In theory the larger the city the higher your chances of finding work.

Are you implying that recruiters have a discriminatory preference to hire Australians over non-Australians and that we should all move to the places no Australians want to work in?

Hi @Brucolino I think Eera was talking about others not you. We see lots of people join the forum and say “I am going to live in ex Suburb” the problem is “ex” Suburb may not have any nearby work, schools, rentals etc.

What you will find is that there are lots of people applying for jobs and it’s not always down to skills you have had in the UK. It can be based on who you know. A lot want to see Aussie experience (which is hard if no one will give you a chance) if you can’t get a job go for a volunteer position, it will look great on your resume and also give you that Aussie experience. Also a lot of companies won’t employ people who are already unemployed (Why I have no idea in this logic) so volunteering would also give you another tick.

Remember as well Australia is quite slow in replying. I’ve known someone be called back for a 2nd interview 9 months after the first.

[CeltInCaulfield]

Brucolino, fire me a PM with your CV, if you fancy.  We may have a few openings coming up shortly for BAs/testers. We are based in the inner eastern suburbs on the main 64 tram line, so commuting not too harsh.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

7 minutes ago, samlab said:

Thanks, I hope both of you do too.

Just keep trying. Got to be in it to win it ??

The right job is out there somewhere for all of you. It can be upsetting getting refusal after refusal and not great for your self confidence but know that it isn’t you personally.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Just now, CeltInCaulfield said:

Brucolino, fire me a PM with your CV, if you fancy.  We may have a few openings coming up shortly for BAs/testers. We are based in the inner eastern suburbs on the main 64 tram line, so commuting not too harsh.

How lovely of you @CeltInCaulfield 

[CeltInCaulfield]

Partly loveliness, partly the fact that it's damned near impossible to find decent quality IT staff in Melbourne, mate.

(Edited for context:  there is just so much sodding bullshit, esp when it comes to developers, in Australia.  The humility of the Western nerd doesn't seem to exist in other parts of the world...)

Edited April 30, 2018 by CeltInCaulfield

[Brucolino]

48 minutes ago, CeltInCaulfield said:

Brucolino, fire me a PM with your CV, if you fancy.  We may have a few openings coming up shortly for BAs/testers. We are based in the inner eastern suburbs on the main 64 tram line, so commuting not too harsh.

Thank you! I have attached my CV in a message to you

[Eera]

1 hour ago, Brucolino said:

Eera,

I wouldn't call Melbourne a 'suburb'. It's a very large city with countless companies recruiting in IT and I'm applying to jobs all over, not only central Melbourne but any suburbs of Victoria. I had enough points to not have to limit myself to a specific region in Australia so why should I not be allowed to choose? Why does that make you cringe? In theory the larger the city the higher your chances of finding work.

Are you implying that recruiters have a discriminatory preference to hire Australians over non-Australians and that we should all move to the places no Australians want to work in?

Please don't take offence.  I lived in Sydney, I was looking in Brisbane, and had the same experiences as you - couldn't get a foot in the door and literally two interviews in six months and moving to regional town is what I had to do to get employment.  The cringe remark wasn't directed at you personally - you'll see loads of posts on here from people who are determined to live in a very specific area where there isn't necessarily the jobs they seek in the area.

I've found very much that Australians value Australian experience, regardless of whether the acronyms and minutia of the job are applicable internationally.  Once someone has that foot in the door - which may be gotten by living regionally, then doors open and people get a much broader area to choose from. You've had some positivity here so hopefully something will come your way soon

Edited April 30, 2018 by Eera

[starlight7]

What I have found is that Australians tend to exaggerate their skillset whereas British people are the opposite and tend to play it low key.  Not saying that you have to lie, never a good idea, but maybe really step up the hype?? Just a thought.

[CeltInCaulfield]

20 minutes ago, starlight7 said:

What I have found is that Australians tend to exaggerate their skillset whereas British people are the opposite and tend to play it low key.  Not saying that you have to lie, never a good idea, but maybe really step up the hype?? Just a thought.

Amusingly, I deliberately ignore any CVs that look that way nowadays almost without fail.  Drilling for substance where there is none in interviews really becomes a tedious exercise.

[Brucolino]

2 hours ago, Eera said:

Please don't take offence.  I lived in Sydney, I was looking in Brisbane, and had the same experiences as you - couldn't get a foot in the door and literally two interviews in six months and moving to regional town is what I had to do to get employment.  The cringe remark wasn't directed at you personally - you'll see loads of posts on here from people who are determined to live in a very specific area where there isn't necessarily the jobs they seek in the area.

I've found very much that Australians value Australian experience, regardless of whether the acronyms and minutia of the job are applicable internationally.  Once someone has that foot in the door - which may be gotten by living regionally, then doors open and people get a much broader area to choose from. You've had some positivity here so hopefully something will come your way soon

No offence taken Eera. I apologise, I'm just trying to understand how the process here works and have been feeling very frustrated and low. Thank you for your feedback - I hope I can find something soon too.

[Brucolino]

1 hour ago, starlight7 said:

What I have found is that Australians tend to exaggerate their skillset whereas British people are the opposite and tend to play it low key.  Not saying that you have to lie, never a good idea, but maybe really step up the hype?? Just a thought.

I feel my CV is already showcasing the best of me, as should any person's CV. I've already listed my 'Key achievements' under each role in the previous company. Not sure if that counts as 'hype' ? My CV was reviewed by a recruiting consultant in the UK before I left and he seemed to think it looked really good

[starlight7]

What also doesn't help is the number of 'word of mouth' jobs.  I believe a huge number of jobs here are obtained like this ( done it in the past myself).  An obvious disadvantage if you aren't local I guess.

[Jon the Hat]

Useful tips for any of us who will be looking for work.  I am lucky enough to have some Australian contacts through family and work, and I will be milking them for all they are worth.

[Brucolino]

12 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

Useful tips for any of us who will be looking for work.  I am lucky enough to have some Australian contacts through family and work, and I will be milking them for all they are worth.

Are you looking for work in the IT industry Jon?

[J-J]

55 minutes ago, starlight7 said:

What also doesn't help is the number of 'word of mouth' jobs.  I believe a huge number of jobs here are obtained like this ( done it in the past myself).  An obvious disadvantage if you aren't local I guess.

I agree, i initially got work via Seek but then 2 jobs after that were word of mouth and through a friend. 

Someone once told me that in Australia it can be more who you know that what you know unfortunately. Although I guess that could be said for a lot for places.