Guest Sassy Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 Hi, So we've been here in Perth for a couple of months now and loving it. Got a rental house, settled in etc. Then started the job-hunting.... I am a Civil Engineer with 15 years experience, mainly design and project management and I have been finding it hard to get a job in Perth. I have registered with about 12 recruitment companies and directly on some employers websites. Also applied for 10 jobs in total now, and only had 1 interview and feedback from one other saying they want somebody with local experience. The recruitment agents also seem less than helpful and you're lucky if you can actually speak to any of them. Initially thought it was the CV format, so got some help to 'Ozzify' it. But still no luck after 3 months of actively looking! Any other engineers with similar experiences? Or maybe some advice on how to get into the Perth market? Cheers, Sassy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philpom Posted May 14, 2012 Report Share Posted May 14, 2012 What are some of the agencies and companies have you been to? Maybe I can point you in some sort of direction that might help. I am a piping designer so I am in relatively the same game. It's all a load of crap this local experience stuff. I had a similar issue when I first moved to Ireland. Took me 4 weeks to get something sorted and had to take a job doing electrical drafting when I am a piping designer, all because I had no local experience. Standards in the UK and Ireland aren't that dissimilar from here, so peoples reluctance to hire new immigrants is a load of BS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sassy Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 What are some of the agencies and companies have you been to? Maybe I can point you in some sort of direction that might help. I am a piping designer so I am in relatively the same game. It's all a load of crap this local experience stuff. I had a similar issue when I first moved to Ireland. Took me 4 weeks to get something sorted and had to take a job doing electrical drafting when I am a piping designer, all because I had no local experience. Standards in the UK and Ireland aren't that dissimilar from here, so peoples reluctance to hire new immigrants is a load of BS. Hi Philpom, Thanks for the reply. Agencies / companies I have registered with are: Hays, CGC, Fusion People, Titan, Skye Recruitment, Civil Jobs, Tecside, Randstad, Pearl Recruitment, APP, SKM, PB and also my profile is on Seek and CareerOne. I clearly underestimated the time it would take to secure a job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaynBev Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 Sassy, I work for a company that uses Engineers for structural calcs on glazing systems etc. We use a company called RED Engineers in Perth, they might be on the look out for people. If you want to try a speculative contact then I would try to get hold of a gent called Chris Gooch as he seems like a senior person there & might know if they are looking for anyone. Hope it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest MARK77 Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 I have just got my 176 visa sponsored by WA, who said there is a high demand for civil engineers in WA. Now i'm worried about moving! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gayle & Ross Posted May 15, 2012 Report Share Posted May 15, 2012 Hi Philpom, how you doing? What is work like over there at the moment for designers/draughtsman? Plenty of jobs, good money? Im a structural designer in the oil and gas industry, Aberdeen. Thanks Ross Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philpom Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 Hi Philpom, Thanks for the reply. Agencies / companies I have registered with are: Hays, CGC, Fusion People, Titan, Skye Recruitment, Civil Jobs, Tecside, Randstad, Pearl Recruitment, APP, SKM, PB and also my profile is on Seek and CareerOne. I clearly underestimated the time it would take to secure a job! Sassy, for agencies, I suggest you try Swan Contract Personnel (they have been around for years and are one of the most respected Engineering recruitment agencies). Other agencies to try BSP Industries, Engineering Resource Consultants, Ambit and Technical Resources. These agencies pretty much specialise in engineering recruitment. As for Engineering companies, get in touch with Ben Adams (HR Lead) at Clough and also get your CV into Worley Parsons and Transfield Worley. Another option might be to contact John Mazzucato at Leighton Contractors - this would be more on the construction side, but I guess if you want local experience, you have to get it somehow. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philpom Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 Hi Philpom, how you doing? What is work like over there at the moment for designers/draughtsman? Plenty of jobs, good money? Im a structural designer in the oil and gas industry, Aberdeen. Thanks Ross Ross, the work for drafties/designers is still there. There might not be the same demand of 12 months ago and the rates seem to have finally plateaued somewhat. Have a look at http://www.ambitengineering.com.au/salary-index/ for a general idea on rates. It's a little bit out of date. A senior designer should be getting a low of $95 to a high of $105 per hour depending on the company, etc. I recently went for job in Perth (I don't live in Perth any more) and was offered $93 per hour as I didn't have Autoplant experience but decided to stay where I was (Bunbury) and take up a FIFO position with the company I am already at on more money and more time at home with the family. When I went for that position in Perth, the bloke that was doing the hiring indicated that there were a number of projects winding down around Perth and bodies coming free. It's all swings and roundabouts though. It might be down this week but up again next week the way the resource projects are going in this state. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philpom Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 Hi Philpom, Thanks for the reply. Agencies / companies I have registered with are: Hays, CGC, Fusion People, Titan, Skye Recruitment, Civil Jobs, Tecside, Randstad, Pearl Recruitment, APP, SKM, PB and also my profile is on Seek and CareerOne. I clearly underestimated the time it would take to secure a job! Sassy, another couple of companies that have just popped into my head that might be worth getting in touch with are Calibre and Ausenco. Calibre are doing a load of FMG work and Ausenco have numerous projects at various places around the globe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Gayle & Ross Posted May 16, 2012 Report Share Posted May 16, 2012 Ross, the work for drafties/designers is still there. There might not be the same demand of 12 months ago and the rates seem to have finally plateaued somewhat. Have a look at http://www.ambitengineering.com.au/salary-index/ for a general idea on rates. It's a little bit out of date. A senior designer should be getting a low of $95 to a high of $105 per hour depending on the company, etc. I recently went for job in Perth (I don't live in Perth any more) and was offered $93 per hour as I didn't have Autoplant experience but decided to stay where I was (Bunbury) and take up a FIFO position with the company I am already at on more money and more time at home with the family. When I went for that position in Perth, the bloke that was doing the hiring indicated that there were a number of projects winding down around Perth and bodies coming free. It's all swings and roundabouts though. It might be down this week but up again next week the way the resource projects are going in this state. Hi Philpom, appreciate the quick reply. Thats kind of what I heard from a guy who has been over there a few years now. He guy actually worked in Worley Parsons. I've been thinking about going on a PDMS training coarse lately, A LOT of employers seen to be wanting this now. Do you think this would be beneficial to me over there? (already got a copy of the software - but you know whats its like trying to learn something new at home after a days work) Cheers Ross Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philpom Posted May 17, 2012 Report Share Posted May 17, 2012 Hi Philpom, appreciate the quick reply. Thats kind of what I heard from a guy who has been over there a few years now. He guy actually worked in Worley Parsons. I've been thinking about going on a PDMS training coarse lately, A LOT of employers seen to be wanting this now. Do you think this would be beneficial to me over there? (already got a copy of the software - but you know whats its like trying to learn something new at home after a days work) Cheers Ross Well Ross, it certainly couldn't do any harm trying to learn PDMS before you come over as it will increase your options. I think it's PDS that's used mostly here and not PDMS, but still worth learning. I could have got back into oil and gas as a Senior Piping Designer if only I had PDS experience which most companies don't seem to be interested in paying to train you even if they can't get the manpower. I can understand about not wanting to sit on the computer and learn it once you get home. A guy gave me a copy of Autodesk Inventor to learn at home and I never got the motivation to even install it, but luckily I got the chance to learn it on the job anyway. All in all, projects are still ticking over here, so could still be worth your while looking into it some more. Be a bit warmer than Aberdeen. Cheers Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sassy Posted May 18, 2012 Report Share Posted May 18, 2012 Sassy, for agencies, I suggest you try Swan Contract Personnel (they have been around for years and are one of the most respected Engineering recruitment agencies). Other agencies to try BSP Industries, Engineering Resource Consultants, Ambit and Technical Resources. These agencies pretty much specialise in engineering recruitment. As for Engineering companies, get in touch with Ben Adams (HR Lead) at Clough and also get your CV into Worley Parsons and Transfield Worley. Another option might be to contact John Mazzucato at Leighton Contractors - this would be more on the construction side, but I guess if you want local experience, you have to get it somehow. Hope this helps. Thanks for the contacts Philpom and JaynBev. I will battle on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sassy Posted May 18, 2012 Report Share Posted May 18, 2012 I have just got my 176 visa sponsored by WA, who said there is a high demand for civil engineers in WA. Now i'm worried about moving! Hi Mark77, Numbers of new vacancies are listed every week, however from my experience and like somebody else has mentioned here, it seems like some employers will hold out to get the perfect candidate rather than train somebody up who would also be able to do the job in a few weeks time. And understandibly people with local experience would have an advantage over somebody else who doesn't. Guess the lesson here is to allow yourself enough time to get a job and to budget for a potential few months' wait. Still all worth it though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philpom Posted May 18, 2012 Report Share Posted May 18, 2012 Sassy it can be the same for the locals. Was told I was being put forward for a job in Perth and didn't hear back for weeks. Eventually when they came back to me I got the interview and one of the guys that interviewed me was from Dublin, so we sat there shooting the breeze about companies and people in Dublin that we'd worked with and for and without much further discussion about my previous history, was pretty much offered the job there and then. I turned it down though in the end. You will just have to persist and eventually you will be in the right place at the right time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jenny B Posted May 28, 2012 Report Share Posted May 28, 2012 Hi, my husband is about to start work as a recruitment consultant out in Perth (not one from your list) and his company specialise in construction/civil engineering so I'm sure he would be happy to help, let me know if you're interested and I will send you his email address. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest theandersonfamily Posted May 29, 2012 Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 Really sorry to hear that and hope you find a job soon. We have just got our visa and my husband is an engineer. He is now starting the job hunting process. I read that sometimes it can pay to knock on doors and visit companies in Australia and that they like it if you pop your head in the door. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Sassy Posted July 22, 2012 Report Share Posted July 22, 2012 After a 4 month+ struggle finally found a job NONE of the agents mentioned above were of any use. Couldn't even get hold of a person to speak to in most cases. With a bit of luck I found an agent who was working in the UK until last year. He was able to relate my UK skills and experience to the Oz industry and contacted a number of companies here in Perth. Set me up with two interviews shortly after and got me a package that was higher than I expected with my zero Oz experience with one of them. Thanks Ciaran McGreevy from FusionPeople!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philpom Posted July 23, 2012 Report Share Posted July 23, 2012 Congrats on the job. Good luck in the future Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RoyS Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Hi Sassy, thanks for sharing your job hunting experience. It's gives me some warning and what to expect during this difficult time. Hope things can get better soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lozzachino Posted August 28, 2013 Report Share Posted August 28, 2013 Roy, this was over a year ago, things have slowed a lot more since then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philpom Posted August 29, 2013 Report Share Posted August 29, 2013 Roy, Lozzachino is right. Things are slow but there is some light on the horizon. Once the election is over, hopefully things will improve more. I am a mech/piping designer and was out of work for over 4 months and only started working again a few weeks ago. I know people who have been out of work for even longer. I had been considering moving to the UK to try and get a job in this new oil & gas boom that's going on over there but luckily a job came up locally. I guess you may have to consider taking something that's not ideal to begin with just to get the money coming in the door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ascended Alteran Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 Hi, How are the things in the construction industry these days? Have they improved at all? I am a civil engineer with roughly around 3 years of experience in project management. How are things looking for entry level jobs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deb Posted January 19, 2014 Report Share Posted January 19, 2014 Hi My OH is a site engineer / engineering surveyor with 20 years experience does anyone know if it is easy to find work? Are things picking up? He knows he will have to knock at doors. We are hoping he can get work with in a couple of months, if it goes on too long then concerned that money will run out. I am not bothered what kind of job I get, cleaning, shop work or local hospital is what I am use to. Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philpom Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 Hi, How are the things in the construction industry these days? Have they improved at all? I am a civil engineer with roughly around 3 years of experience in project management. How are things looking for entry level jobs? Things are still slow and you'll definitely need to be persistent, but there seems to be far higher demand for engineers than there is for designers. I know a lot of businesses have scaled back, but I keep hearing of engineers being hired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ascended Alteran Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 Things are still slow and you'll definitely need to be persistent, but there seems to be far higher demand for engineers than there is for designers. I know a lot of businesses have scaled back, but I keep hearing of engineers being hired. Thanks for your reply. Can you please refer the names of some companies/recruitment agencies who are currently hiring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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