Agency jobs in Melbourne - anyone had a positive experience?

[Tea4two]

Hi

 

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience gaining work with agencies in Melbourne or across Australia as a whole? It's only been 2 1/2 weeks since we got here but after days full of spending hours applying for jobs i'm becoming a little disheartened. I optimistically thought I could apply for long term roles direct with companies and take short term admin contracts with agencies whilst applying. I have emailed about ten agencies in Melbourne and not had one single reply...my background is all admin, communications/public relations and I have a 2:1 Degree in PR. So I thought I would be ideal for admin positions?

 

I decided to be a bit more proactive and so dropped in to the Hays offices in the city centre as i've previously used them back in the UK...I was told of a specific address to send my cv to. I thought I could have an appointment and sign up to the agency like i've experienced before but I was told this isn't how it works here. So I went home and sent another covering letter and attached my CV to the specific email address and received no reply. I called but the lady was out. So I forwarded the email again politely asking if I could arrange to come in to the office and sign up for available work. I received an email back almost straight away saying my cv didn't match their vacancies at this time. I emailed her back with regard to a few very basic jobs i'd seen advertised with them for short term admin positions and asking for advice if my cv did not fit with Australian ways (although I have amended it following guidance to meet Aus reequirements) but i've since heard nothing. I'm not sure they even looked at it.

 

I just don't know what to do. Temp agencies were my plan B if I didn't secure work in time and it seems I can't even get on their books. We are still in expensive short term accommodation as we can't sign a contract until we have work. At this rate we will be going home having spent out savings. I have to say, i'm a little bit anxious

 

I spoke to a girl here who is from the UK and has been applying for jobs for the past year! She has had few replies and luckily she managed to get a job where she is studying or she too would have been on her way home.

 

After arriving so optimistic, I feel like we may have made the wrong decision to come here

[JoandJon]

Jon had no luck with hays at all, fab contact in the uk but here in melb they didnt even answer his emails or return his calls. He was really quite sad sbout it - he'd been told (by hays) that he'd have a meeting with them the week after he arrived but not a thing.

 

Good news though - he's just today gotten a contract position via another agency

so give some other agencies a call.

[marta]

I have been applying since June. I think we just have to be patient! Wishing you the best of luck!! Don't give up!

 

BTW I don't think agencies are really helpful. I had an interview with one recruiter in the CBD and I have to say I am not surprised the lady couldn't get me job because she didn't even know what a doctorate (in humanities) is or an internship (in the cultural sector). Anyway maybe that's just one very specific case. But still disappointing...

[Tea4two]

Thanks Jo/Marta

 

Congrats John on your new job! You deserve it Glad it's not just me with Hays then. Was so upset today but yeh i'll try a few others

 

Marta - since June? Oh boy, I will be well home before I last that long...financially if nothing else. How on earth are you coping? Have you managed to get any work at all?

 

Thanks for your replies

[GlobeTrotta]

I have been applying since June. I think we just have to be patient! Wishing you the best of luck!! Don't give up!

 

BTW I don't think agencies are really helpful. I had an interview with one recruiter in the CBD and I have to say I am not surprised the lady couldn't get me job because she didn't even know what a doctorate (in humanities) is or an internship (in the cultural sector). Anyway maybe that's just one very specific case. But still disappointing...

 

Well June beats me i started in August although I never really got going until September. In the USA if you walked into an agency (prior to the GFC) within days you were working. In UK usually within weeks, here is like walking into a black hole. The employment sector here is (speaking about Adelaide) well is beyond me. Disappointing may be bl***y infuriating.

[Tea4two]

It's bizarre isn't it? They advertise on all these sites daily, if not hourly, and then when you call in response to this they are not interested? Do they already have enough on their books and just advertise to keep the employer happy, so it looks like they have advertised and tried their hardest to find an eligible candidate? I was doubting myself earlier, but i'm a good candidate for any job and to not be given the chance is frustrating. It's really quite funny considering when I did pop into Hays the lady on reception was not even capable of taking a message and calling the relevant department and one of the male consultants passing by had to interrupt and take over from her (looking mortified). I even put my residency status (PR) on my CV so they know i'm not just looking for a few months. Does anyone think all this yo-yo-ing by poms in the past is making employers think we are a risk?

[Tea4two]

Just a little bit of an update, Hays sent me another email this morning, same email as yesterday. So I replied saying I had replied yesterday looking for more guidance as I thought my skills and experience did meet a few of the jobs they had advertised. The lady just called me back now just to clarify and said that although she has nothing, their department deals specifically with a different sector so she has forwarded my cv on to the relevant person and I am now on their database and if/when a position that meets my experience comes available, I will pop up on their system. I'm not really holding out much hope but i'm glad she called to clarify and she was really nice about it. Feeling a little more optimistic in general today ...maybe it's the 33 heat today! lol x

[marta]

By now I am even convinced that the visa status (I am on a 457) is not the problem. I have a feeling Australians are in general reluctant to give foreigners jobs when those are applying from inside Australia.

 

I had a similar experience in London a couple of years ago. I am German which wasn't even the problem back then - but the fact that I did not have so called London work experience made a difference. And I guess they invent a similar excuse down here, namely that what we are lacking is Australia work experience.

 

Well, sure, if nobody gives us a chance... Strange world.

 

I have heard that Hays in Oz are not very "good" whatever that means. I have been to a recruiter in Melbs which is called DFP Recruitment and they consider themselves superior to, say, people like Hays. I have no idea and didn't like these DFP guys either, and when I went into their high tech super duper office in the CBD I just thought, geez, I definitely don't want to be one of THEM. You know, all those people working there were looking exactly the same! Anyway.

 

Let's hope we will find a job someday in the end.

 

As someone was asking me earlier on here, I am sponsored by my partner who is sponsored by the uni, which means he has got the job - which is why we are here, and I am searching. Forever. Hopefully not.