Work

[LucaLeon123]

We have been in Perth a month now and I am struggling to find work. I am looking for part time admin work. I have applied for loads but keep getting rejected despite nearly 20 years experience! This is one thing I didn't expect, after being told so many times there is plenty of work and I would have no trouble getting a job. We are living with friends and can't get a rental until my hubby and me have work, and feel like we are out staying our welcome. Your experiences of the job market would be appreciated! I just want to get on with our lives here in Perth but feel trapped and our savings are running out fast. The last thing I want is for us to have to go home before we have even started !

[Mrskelly2014]

Aww no this is not great! But stick with it... Something will come up! Best of luck and I'll keep my fingers crossed for you x

[verystormy]

It is early days and most people need a few months to find jobs after arriving. Though, the job market is certainly getting tighter

[Deb]

It is frustrating and i remember us going thought it,we even did a paper round for some spending money.It may b a good idea to look at shop work cleaning anything to get your foot in the door.It is early days it too us 3 months to find work

[Chanonica]

I take it your hubby is the main visa applicant - What is his profession? I'd imagine admin work is very difficult to get into especially as part time work because everyone would like that job and hours. Does your visa limit you to staying in Perth - could you look elsewhere if all else fails perhaps? Do rentals only accept tenants that have work???

[OnOurWay]

I found that things work differently over here. I started applying for jobs on Indeed and Seek etc and had very little success, barely a reply. The problem is that there are so many people looking for work that employers can be choosy and take the safe option.

I spoke to a recruitment consultant recently who told me that he'd had over 200 applications for an admin recently!

I know you have 20 years experience, but the thing to remember from an employers point of view is that you have absolutely no experience of working in Australia.

I ended up calling people, and knocking on doors of companies that I thought might be interested in employing me. After 2 days of doing this someone put me on to the firm I now work for. Australia seems more entrepreneurial than the UK, and they seem to like it when people think outside the box.

Try calling/going into smaller companies. That way you have a chance of talking directly with the person that owns the company. Knock on enough doors and one will open.

Also, be realistic with your wage expectations.

[FOL]

You can get a rental without work (if you have money). Just offer to pay 3 months up front, show you have enough money (bank statement) and a referral from your previous UK landlord.

[LucaLeon123]

I found that things work differently over here. I started applying for jobs on Indeed and Seek etc and had very little success, barely a reply. The problem is that there are so many people looking for work that employers can be choosy and take the safe option.

I spoke to a recruitment consultant recently who told me that he'd had over 200 applications for an admin recently!

I know you have 20 years experience, but the thing to remember from an employers point of view is that you have absolutely no experience of working in Australia.

I ended up calling people, and knocking on doors of companies that I thought might be interested in employing me. After 2 days of doing this someone put me on to the firm I now work for. Australia seems more entrepreneurial than the UK, and they seem to like it when people think outside the box.

Try calling/going into smaller companies. That way you have a chance of talking directly with the person that owns the company. Knock on enough doors and one will open.

Also, be realistic with your wage expectations.

 

Really fantastic advice thank you !!! And thank you for telling me how it is! I suppose I needed the reality check!

[LucaLeon123]

Ok that's something to think about then, I didn't know that but that could save our sanity as living with another family is a lot tougher than I thought !

[LucaLeon123]

I take it your hubby is the main visa applicant - What is his profession? I'd imagine admin work is very difficult to get into especially as part time work because everyone would like that job and hours. Does your visa limit you to staying in Perth - could you look elsewhere if all else fails perhaps? Do rentals only accept tenants that have work???

Hi thanks for the reply. My hubby is a plasterer. He did do some plastering for 2 weeks when we got here but the boss expected a ridiculous amount to be done in a shift and he worked until his hands could do no more, literally cut and bruised until he could not move two of his fingers. We don't have to stay in perth I suppose but we have just got my son settled in school and I would hate to have to move him again. Xx

[LucaLeon123]

It is frustrating and i remember us going thought it,we even did a paper round for some spending money.It may b a good idea to look at shop work cleaning anything to get your foot in the door.It is early days it too us 3 months to find work

But what I can't get my head around is that we are both nearly 40.... We have started at the bottom, worked really hard and both had good jobs in the UK, we came to Australia as we presumed the country was lacking in skilled workers and we could get better jobs with better pay and in turn more disposable income to enjoy doing more outdoor things with the kids etc. to be honest I don't want to end up cleaning or something as this is not what we came here for. My hubby has been doing some labouring work and today got home after a 14 hour day!!

[Derbygirl42]

Hiya just seen this post fingers crossed something will come up for you soon! Slightly nervous about the job prospects particularly as hubby is a plasterer xx

[LucaLeon123]

Hiya just seen this post fingers crossed something will come up for you soon! Slightly nervous about the job prospects particularly as hubby is a plasterer xx

 

There are plenty of plastering jobs around but it's completely different to the UK. It's all float and set work, is your hubby trained in float or just plaster boarding? The float out here is sand, cement and lime like back in the old days in UK, it's hard heavy work no beads all hard angels, and you have to do 100 Sqm a day to make your money!!!thats applying it, ruling off and scraping back. The set is lime putty which you have to get flat when you put it on or it's dry when you get back to it. And all this burns your hands like mad you have to tape up all your fingers everyday and rub oil on your hands!!!! You don't see any old plasterers here.

[verystormy]

But what I can't get my head around is that we are both nearly 40.... We have started at the bottom, worked really hard and both had good jobs in the UK, we came to Australia as we presumed the country was lacking in skilled workers and we could get better jobs with better pay and in turn more disposable income to enjoy doing more outdoor things with the kids etc. to be honest I don't want to end up cleaning or something as this is not what we came here for. My hubby has been doing some labouring work and today got home after a 14 hour day!!

 

First, there is no or little correlation between the skills lists and actual demand. For example, my own occupation is still on there and we have about 40% unemployment at the moment and our professional body has pleaded for it to be removed. Overall, i would say Australia is lacking in skilled workers to the same extent as the UK is lacking skilled workers.

 

Australia works some of the longest hours in the developed world, so I wouldn't bank on finding that aspect.

 

Pay - well, some find their occupation pays more, some find about the same and some find it pays a lot less. Each occupation is different.

[Druid]

If your hubby does plasterboarding, maybe its time to start thinking outside the box and get his own ABN and effectivly start his own company, there are a lot of home builders here who do an upper floor in wood framework and then plasterboard over it and tape up the joint, similar to stud walling in the UK, I know for a fact the builder who is building my house has trouble finding these tradies as they are in short supply, I lost a week in my build due to the non availability of a plasterer, my construction manager is a brit too so he would probably welcome the availability of another tradie, I'm not a plasterer, so forgive me if I got the terminology wrong, and it was just an idea to suggest it.

[ali]

I don't know about admin jobs, but know that in public sector health that there is usually a selection criteria to address with the application. Many overseas applicants tend not to do this and don't get short listed. Usually the selection criteria will say 'demonstrate' then the skills they want, you can look in the CV but often they just list skills .. the best way to address a selection criteria is to do so separately, with the headings and a paragraph or 2 demonstrating that particular skill or task.

[benj1980]

Have you spoken to some agencies?

[Derbygirl42]

Hi no hubby can do both done lots if render work here and also skim and dry lining. He knows it's going to be tough we visited for a holiday and plus my brother is a bricklayer so we know (kind of) what to expect. I think he may set up on his own once he has his head around it all! Good luck and keep in touch!

There are plenty of plastering jobs around but it's completely different to the UK. It's all float and set work, is your hubby trained in float or just plaster boarding? The float out here is sand, cement and lime like back in the old days in UK, it's hard heavy work no beads all hard angels, and you have to do 100 Sqm a day to make your money!!!thats applying it, ruling off and scraping back. The set is lime putty which you have to get flat when you put it on or it's dry when you get back to it. And all this burns your hands like mad you have to tape up all your fingers everyday and rub oil on your hands!!!! You don't see any old plasterers here.

[pegg]

positive thoughts are with you guys ..... good luck and stay strong )

[New Life Down Under]

First, there is no or little correlation between the skills lists and actual demand. For example, my own occupation is still on there and we have about 40% unemployment at the moment and our professional body has pleaded for it to be removed. Overall, i would say Australia is lacking in skilled workers to the same extent as the UK is lacking skilled workers.

 

Australia works some of the longest hours in the developed world, so I wouldn't bank on finding that aspect.

 

Pay - well, some find their occupation pays more, some find about the same and some find it pays a lot less. Each occupation is different.

 

I agree Very Stormy, some of the jobs on the SOL/CSOL still amaze me!

[LoopyLauren]

GOOD LUCK WITH THE JOB HUNT lucaleon

[Guest Guest6235]

Yep, I don't understand why some occupations are still on the list when some people I know are being made redundant or just no chance of finding work (guess they're just raking in the visa fees). A lot of unemployment here and IMO I think it'll head into recession. Back In England we've just lived through one from 2007-2013.

[Vijay Kumar P]

I found that things work differently over here. I started applying for jobs on Indeed and Seek etc and had very little success, barely a reply. The problem is that there are so many people looking for work that employers can be choosy and take the safe option.

I spoke to a recruitment consultant recently who told me that he'd had over 200 applications for an admin recently!

I know you have 20 years experience, but the thing to remember from an employers point of view is that you have absolutely no experience of working in Australia.

I ended up calling people, and knocking on doors of companies that I thought might be interested in employing me. After 2 days of doing this someone put me on to the firm I now work for. Australia seems more entrepreneurial than the UK, and they seem to like it when people think outside the box.

Try calling/going into smaller companies. That way you have a chance of talking directly with the person that owns the company. Knock on enough doors and one will open.

Also, be realistic with your wage expectations.

 

Good advice. One of my close friends got the job thru door knocking to some small Electronics company in Adelaide. Now they have ended his contract though, but that was the big advantage for him to grab a new job. Now he is in some new company!

Edited April 22, 2015 by Vijay Kumar P

[Mutya Joseph]

Hi LucaLeon123,

 

I find that when you apply in Seek or Indeed, after you have sent your resume, you have to call them immediately so they will notice your application. Most often, they receive a lot of applications that they just browse through them and may overlook your resume. So it is better to call them as well so you will be able to sell yourself better.

Good luck on looking for a job, hope you will find one soon.

 

Mutya