How do people actually get into work in Australia?

[Brucolino]

5 minutes ago, J-J said:

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. 

It's the same in other places too. Most companies I know of have employee referral schemes, especially the large ones. But given I have been applying to advertised positions I assume they are not recruiting internally. I just wasn't expecting it to be quite so difficult.

I have a suspicion that with some of the jobs they're not looking to fill a position immediately as I've had a few people phoning me to let me know they're really interested and ask for my availability but then they never get back to me.

I have a couple of contacts here but sadly not in IT

[Nemesis]

35 minutes ago, Brucolino said:

It's the same in other places too. Most companies I know of have employee referral schemes, especially the large ones. But given I have been applying to advertised positions I assume they are not recruiting internally. I just wasn't expecting it to be quite so difficult.

I have a suspicion that with some of the jobs they're not looking to fill a position immediately as I've had a few people phoning me to let me know they're really interested and ask for my availability but then they never get back to me.

I have a couple of contacts here but sadly not in IT

Many jobs ARE filled internally but have to be advertised externally first A lot of government roles are like that - legislation says that they must advertise the posts, yet often they already have an internal candidate earmarked for it and are just advertising so they can tick the boxes. 

[Jon the Hat]

1 hour ago, Brucolino said:

Are you looking for work in the IT industry Jon?

No, I am a qualified accountant.  Will be in Perth, but not for about 18 months.  I expect similar issues though, and Perth if anything is a smaller market, so I already gearing myself up.

[Leighbee98]

21 minutes ago, Jon the Hat said:

No, I am a qualified accountant.  Will be in Perth, but not for about 18 months.  I expect similar issues though, and Perth if anything is a smaller market, so I already gearing myself up.

Wish you well Jon. We are just starting out on the visa journey and my wife is an accountant. Be great to hear how you get on. 

All the best buddy

 

[Leighbee98]

@Brucolino  and im an IT professional too..eeeeek

[Brucolino]

 

7 minutes ago, Leighbee98 said:

@Brucolino  and im an IT professional too..eeeeek

Wishing you well. I will keep everyone updated if I manage to secure a job!

[CeltInCaulfield]

I have to confess, I would love to hire based on someone knowing me, out here.

At least then I would know the bugger spoke enough English to communicate properly in the office...

[Toots]

6 minutes ago, CeltInCaulfield said:

I have to confess, I would love to hire based on someone knowing me, out here.

At least then I would know the bugger spoke enough English to communicate properly in the office...

I thought migrants had to sit an English test?  Not much use if they can't communicate properly.

[CeltInCaulfield]

Toots, I can understand Geordies more easily than a hell of a lot of migrants who "ace" the English tests. 

[path2aus]

I got lucky in that regard and I moved to SA of all places. IT openings in SA always hovers around 300-450 on Seek. I had built up lots of contacts while I was still abroad but that did not help me much. I landed on a Saturday, applied for a job the next day, got a call from a recruiter on Tuesday and a month later I landed my first contract through the same recruiter. I spoke to multiple other recruiters while I was waiting on the interview to be set up and none of them seemed promising. The only thing I did was I toned down my resume a bit and have gone one step lower than what I was in the US. I had come prepared for that when I decided to move here. I was lucky to have found job within a month of moving here and a year later a permanent role in the same organisation. Australia tough but knowing someone does not translate into jobs in IT as few people seem to suggest though.

[Zet01]

My husband is also in IT, he got a job 7 months after we arrived here. Not that easy because he already held a higher position in another country and they find his skillset overqualified for most of the roles he applied. Plus the fact that Aussie companies want local experience.

Good thing, one small company hired him for his attitude, and he still works with them for 5 years now. Not a big company that pays so much, but the work environment is more important to him.

I hope you get a job soon @Brucolino

Edited May 2, 2018 by Zet01

[Brucolino]

Thank you Zet. Trying to stay positive and keep trying

[Wonderingaloud]

My husband is IT too, when we arrived (albeit 7 years ago) he had a couple of interviews (within a week of landing) with small businesses who were impressed with him but they told him to start with he’d be playing the part of ‘coffee boy’ I.e. start at the bottom and work up. 

He was a bit proud for that so he ploughed on and secured a job with the RFDS in IT there. ( as a side note after he was interviewed the guy walked into the office next door and OH heard him say ‘yeah he’s a Pom but he’s got a ripper reference mate’) 

Anyway he absolutely loved it, great experience and now he’s working in a much more corporate environment in the city but one he still enjoys. He’s been able to take little steps up the ladder too and expand his scope, something he wouldn’t be able to do in UK (he doesn’t think).

I do think the work face has changed since we came though, jobs really were in abundance if you had the right attitude and skills. We were so lucky we came when we did.

Good luck I hope it works out for you. 

[leeeekiat]

On 30/04/2018 at 23:50, Jon the Hat said:

No, I am a qualified accountant.  Will be in Perth, but not for about 18 months.  I expect similar issues though, and Perth if anything is a smaller market, so I already gearing myself up.

Yeah, i did manage to get a few phone interviews in London for accountant roles in Perth but in the end had to change plans and move to Sydney where i got an offer whilst still in London.  Suppose having no kids makes a difference as we can always up and move after we get the relevant oz experience.   

[CeltInCaulfield]

I would just hasten to add: local experience doesn't really come into it in IT. It is far more a case of "do you know how to muddle through regardless?": a skill that is far harder to develop than local experience. 

senseOfHumourFailure ? devSurroundedByMorons : devKicksUpHellWhenNeedBe

[Paul1Perth]

Went through the same experience when we came in 92. Only upside was my wife is a nurse, rang Royal Perth Hospital first week,  went in for a chat and came out with a job to start the next week. I'm in IT and communications and was out of work 5 months. I had come over like you on my skills and quals. Degree qualified with several years experience.

I ended up dumbing down my resume and tailoring it for every job I applied to. I used to get the same feedback as you and had a couple of people say they'd love to have me but couldn't afford me. Thinking I would leave as soon as I got a better offer.

I eventually stopped staying in waiting for a call, got an answer machine (no mobiles those days) got a bike and a seat for our 2 year old and went out every day exploring the miles of bike paths and parks.

Job came out of left field too. I'd applied for an IT job at a local hospital and never heard a thing. My resume had been kept and a guy rang from the biophysics dept. Wanting an IT guy to fill in for 3 months for someone going on long service leave. They were worried I wouldn't take it as they made it very clear it would only be for 3 months. I jumped at it obviously. By that stage I would have cleaned toilets.

Nicest people and a great place to work. A guy I worked with knew someone looking to employ an Engineer and I got that job. A week later the big IT company doing the health dept. Upgrade offered me a job too. I should have taken that in hindsight but I'd promised the first guy. Never liked that job but stuck it for a year and then it was easier to find another as I'd had local experience.

Been with the same company now for 23 years so got heaps of long service and normal leave to come. 4 day weeks now and near retirement. Can't wait.

Good luck and don't give up hope. Remain positive in interviews and make sure they know you're here for the long term and not disheartened. Everyone likes a positive person.

[Marisawright]

Reading the other posts, I wonder if the problem for the OP is that he's over-qualified, and everyone assumes they can't afford him.  

The other thing that occurs to me is, he's in Melbourne.   So many Australian companies have their head office in Sydney now, or even in Malaysia somewhere - if he's really senior, maybe the opportunities aren't in Melbourne?

[Brucolino]

1 hour ago, Paul1Perth said:

Went through the same experience when we came in 92. Only upside was my wife is a nurse, rang Royal Perth Hospital first week,  went in for a chat and came out with a job to start the next week. I'm in IT and communications and was out of work 5 months. I had come over like you on my skills and quals. Degree qualified with several years experience.

I ended up dumbing down my resume and tailoring it for every job I applied to. I used to get the same feedback as you and had a couple of people say they'd love to have me but couldn't afford me. Thinking I would leave as soon as I got a better offer.

I eventually stopped staying in waiting for a call, got an answer machine (no mobiles those days) got a bike and a seat for our 2 year old and went out every day exploring the miles of bike paths and parks.

Job came out of left field too. I'd applied for an IT job at a local hospital and never heard a thing. My resume had been kept and a guy rang from the biophysics dept. Wanting an IT guy to fill in for 3 months for someone going on long service leave. They were worried I wouldn't take it as they made it very clear it would only be for 3 months. I jumped at it obviously. By that stage I would have cleaned toilets.

Nicest people and a great place to work. A guy I worked with knew someone looking to employ an Engineer and I got that job. A week later the big IT company doing the health dept. Upgrade offered me a job too. I should have taken that in hindsight but I'd promised the first guy. Never liked that job but stuck it for a year and then it was easier to find another as I'd had local experience.

Been with the same company now for 23 years so got heaps of long service and normal leave to come. 4 day weeks now and near retirement. Can't wait.

Good luck and don't give up hope. Remain positive in interviews and make sure they know you're here for the long term and not disheartened. Everyone likes a positive person.

Thank you so much for your post Paul. When you said "By that stage I would have cleaned toilets" I could really relate. I've started going into takeaway shops asking if they need staff. I'd like to say it's not getting me down but it's inevitable. My sister and her partner live here and they both recommended to not rush into any old job and to remain patient. I feel very grateful to have so many good people around me.  

I am being a lot more positive. Thankfully my partner is also extremely supporting and we're both encouraging each other to keep getting out, to remain active and keep our minds healthy. So tomorrow we are taking it easy and visiting the museum for an exhibition. I'm really looking forward to it

I know the right job will come my way eventually. Like you said, I just need to stay positive so I've promised myself I will never regret making the decision to come here.

[Brucolino]

1 hour ago, Marisawright said:

Reading the other posts, I wonder if the problem for the OP is that he's over-qualified, and everyone assumes they can't afford him.  

The other thing that occurs to me is, he's in Melbourne.   So many Australian companies have their head office in Sydney now, or even in Malaysia somewhere - if he's really senior, maybe the opportunities aren't in Melbourne?

Hi Marisa,

I am female

I have found that when I call recruiters to follow up on my application most of them tell me I don't have local or sector specific experience. For example, some of my applications have been for jobs within a Finance or Healthcare sector and I was told they specifically require previous experience within that sector.

I have no idea why! I was even offered a job with a major banking company back home before moving here and I also have ex-colleagues who are now recruited with the NHS for example. As far as I’m concerned IT skills are completely transferable and it makes no difference if that's within a finance or healthcare setting, it’s still IT, it’s still a system, it’s still data and information. I even had one person tell me I didn't have consultancy specific experience, even though I have advised and mentored business teams in my previous role. But he specifically wanted me to have worked as a 'consultant'. The irony is a lot of my ex-colleagues went into consultancy. It makes no sense to me.

Today I spoke to another recruiter who was hiring for a role working as a consultant for my previous company. I imagined I would have been the perfect fit as I was familiar with all the flows, systems, processes of the company.. but when I called she told me I had never worked under a consultant title. Even when I argued that I used to work for that company she said there were more suitable candidates. I have no idea at this point if they’re just making up excuses for the sake of it.

On the plus side, I received an email today from a large company saying they’ve reviewed my CV and that ‘my application will be reviewed further’. As ambigious as that may sound it's at least somewhat positive!

[ramot]

It took my son a year before he found work. That was 7 years ago. It was a difficult time and I sympathise as the rejections do get you down.

He got a weekend/public holidays job in a local service station, which left him clear on weekdays for hopefully interviews, better than nothing. Also I think Telstra employs casual workers, as he also worked there for a while.

Really hope you find something soon, 

[ali]

sorry to hear this .. I can't comment on the IT field, but in Health, one of the problems we find with UK applicants is that they don't address the selection criteria on the application and often the information isn't available in the CV to demonstrate the skills (just bullet points).  Just a thought .. (apologies if you're already doing this), but do ensure if a job asks you to address the selection criteria - it's often best to do this as a separate document.

[Brucolino]

9 minutes ago, ali said:

sorry to hear this .. I can't comment on the IT field, but in Health, one of the problems we find with UK applicants is that they don't address the selection criteria on the application and often the information isn't available in the CV to demonstrate the skills (just bullet points).  Just a thought .. (apologies if you're already doing this), but do ensure if a job asks you to address the selection criteria - it's often best to do this as a separate document.

Thanks Ali. I was already doing this and still got rejections I found it an absolute pain if I'm being honest because the information is contained in my CV and cover letter already. I now tend to avoid jobs that require you to address selection criteria because they take up too much time

Edited May 3, 2018 by Brucolino

[Marisawright]

38 minutes ago, Brucolino said:

Thanks Ali. I was already doing this and still got rejections I found it an absolute pain if I'm being honest because the information is contained in my CV and cover letter already. I now tend to avoid jobs that require you to address selection criteria because they take up too much time

If your standard cover letter "already contains the selection criteria" then you're not being specific enough.  You need to address their selection criteria in their exact words, e.g.

"I feel my skills and experience are ideally suited to your requirements as follows:

• (selection criteria #1) - I hold (qualification) which is equivalent to ....
• (selection criteria #2) - at (job), I did such and such
• (selection criteria #3) - at (job), I did such and such

etc.

I'm sure you know not to address the criteria by saying things like, "I have extensive experience of ...(selection criteria #3).  Anyone can say that, why should I believe you?  Instead, give a specific example of a time you demonstrated that skill in one of your previous roles. 

By the time you've done that for each of the criteria, your cover letter will be long enough.  Don't overdo it by mentioning other achievements or attributes they don't ask for. 

If you're sending out a bog standard letter that doesn't address my criteria, as a  manager, I'd be inclined to put your application aside because it shows you don't really care.

The good news is that if you do write a good cover letter, your CV can be a standard list of your previous roles, you don't have to tailor it because the cover letter will get you the interview.

Edited May 3, 2018 by Marisawright

[Guest The Pom Queen]

On 01/05/2018 at 07:12, CeltInCaulfield said:

I have to confess, I would love to hire based on someone knowing me, out here.

At least then I would know the bugger spoke enough English to communicate properly in the office...

Wey aye man ?

[Brucolino]

42 minutes ago, Marisawright said:

If your standard cover letter "already contains the selection criteria" then you're not being specific enough.  You need to address their selection criteria in their words, e.g.

Thanks for the tips Marisa. I do understand what you're saying. I meant that the information was already contained in both the cover letter and my CV. For example, here are a few of selection criteria questions I was asked for:

• Post-graduate qualifications in a relevant discipline or an equivalent mix of education and relevant experience: (Contained in my CV under EDUCATION very clearly)
• Demonstrated project experience in complex environments: (My CV clearly details information specific to projects that were massively complex and large scale as you would expect by any corporation the size of my previous company. For example, we were juggling 3 different time-zones in Europe, Americas and Asia and I clearly list my duties/responsibilities under these roles, demonstrating the complexity.
• Ability to lead a team etc:   I have been in a leading role (as a delivery lead) leading a number of teams, again very clearly stated in my Work Experience.

I suppose I could elaborate even more but I just find it painfully tedious and repetitive, particularly when I'm sending multiple applications per day. I did do it initially, but still ended up with job rejections. Given that not all job applications ask for these selection criteria, unless the role looks like a seriously unmissable opportunity I tend to steer clear of them.