IT - Question for Software Developers/Programmers (C#, Java, C++)

[Petal38]

Hi folks,

 

I can't help but pick up from this forum when i drop in every so often comments on the skills shortage list not matching the labour market in Adelaide etc etc, and how hard some people are finding it to secure employment.

 

We are planning to make the move next year from the North East of England (we have our PR visas), but want to refresh our research on the job market in Adelaide first. It's hard to do this from the UK in a meaningful way as recruiters are not going to reply to emails etc when we are not yet in Oz, and advertised IT jobs seldom indicate the salary range they are offering. So i'm hoping some of you already working in Adelaide as software developers will be kind enough to share some insight!!

 

My husband works as a Software Developer and has over 12 years experience, the most recent 4 years working as a contractor with his own limited company. He has worked in a variety of sectors including utilities (for the global company G4S), education, public sector (UK Gov Dept), mining and drilling and for retail banking over in Germany.

 

I would be interested to hear from any other software developers already in Adelaide, your experience of the job market within this specific area of IT, and the level of salary for a permanent role with his level of experience, and also, daily rate as a contractor?

 

Many thanks in advance!

[snifter]

It often doesn't seem to line up but in some professions I am not sure if this is because of a lack of jobs or because the Adelaide market is a bit more who you know not what and can make job hunting hard going. Also this thing for Australian experience seems a bit BS because so many jobs in IT can be done anywhere the world over so long as you have access to computers and internet and many of the clients are international or interstate. It can be frustrating.

 

I think primary teaching is the one that stands out to me most in skills shortage v actual jobs. So many teachers out there, hundreds applying for one one year contract posts and very few permanent contracts these days. I know a number of local teachers who can only get relief work for the past few years and have had to look to the country positions for a while to secure longer contracts. IT hopefully is a bit better (though I don't know and hope someone else can guide you there) and there is always trying self employed and working remotely if wanted. But it always helps to try to build up contacts and perhaps attending events, networking etc could help there.

 

There is BAE here and iirc they use them and sometimes advertises but its often for contract periods iirc.

 

https://careers.au.baesystems.com/jobtools/JnCustomLogin.Login?in_organid=16804

 

Salary wise, it depends. I've seen jobs from $60-70,000 to a bit higher.

 

My husband is in a similar line of work but works for an interstate company remotely and travels a bit so I can't say his salary is reflective of what to expect in Adelaide. He also doesn't work with those codes you've listed, he works with open source.

 

Uni jobs may pay more but again, often for 1 to 2 year contracts. And it seems those sorts of jobs can often be not what you know but who (as can others it seems). Perhaps check their job listings?

 

If you are using Seek you can probably get a good idea of what is around. Salary wise, depending on job level its hard to say. Management will be a bit more but how much more? No clue.

Edited December 29, 2015 by snifter
added a bit

[deryans]

Hi folks,

 

I can't help but pick up from this forum when i drop in every so often comments on the skills shortage list not matching the labour market in Adelaide etc etc, and how hard some people are finding it to secure employment.

 

We are planning to make the move next year from the North East of England (we have our PR visas), but want to refresh our research on the job market in Adelaide first. It's hard to do this from the UK in a meaningful way as recruiters are not going to reply to emails etc when we are not yet in Oz, and advertised IT jobs seldom indicate the salary range they are offering. So i'm hoping some of you already working in Adelaide as software developers will be kind enough to share some insight!!

 

My husband works as a Software Developer and has over 12 years experience, the most recent 4 years working as a contractor with his own limited company. He has worked in a variety of sectors including utilities (for the global company G4S), education, public sector (UK Gov Dept), mining and drilling and for retail banking over in Germany.

 

I would be interested to hear from any other software developers already in Adelaide, your experience of the job market within this specific area of IT, and the level of salary for a permanent role with his level of experience, and also, daily rate as a contractor?

 

Many thanks in advance!

 

 

 

with a skill set like that , you are really looking at Defence Work (MIL) as one of your main sources of contracts, There is work but as snifter alluded to adelaide is a funny market in terms of jobs being posted [ and that is all i will say on that matter]. Unfortunately you'll have to go through basic Police Check (easy enough same as disclosure scotland), and the required vetting, which may be similar to the uk in terms of prior residency requirements to even apply. Negative Vetting 1 etc etc, this takes a lot longer and the employer has to want you pretty urgently or badly (same as UK so no difference there). If you previously held UK clearance, it counts for diddly!

 

From a contractors perspective, Adelaide is a very thin market, which may mean plenty of bench time for your over qualified hubby, I'm not sure what large programs of work are underway, but BAE,Hawker pacific, Raytheon and a few others are generally always looking for coders, 12 years as C++ with Java would certainly make an attractive resource. There is a small mobile development market, bit it's stop and start and quite immature, if you have Java and C-Sharp, that might be an option.

 

I'd have to say if your hubby is solid with skills like C++, I'd be heading straight to Sydney, but I already did that 15 years ago from London.

 

If you're dead set on adelaide and find it difficult to nail a gig, then working from home and mobile may be the way to go, but the internet rollout has some time to go so choose where you live carefully, there ain't no 4G and typical broadband speeds are poor (for example an update to apple's Xcode can take overnight..!!!!)

 

Day rates vary, last one I was on was 700 a day (compared to 900+ in syd) and that was a fairly senior gig (lots of ass wiping,multiple roles, doing the job of 3 people and also taking out the trash), but it really depends on what the employer will pay, there are lots of people looking so it's supply and demand, but as one of my mentors said, ah glrasshopper, a rare and difficult skill brings good rates, but often one is on bench!

 

I'd recommend staying well away from the public service in adelaide, if they do have a requirement for a contractor such as your husband, they probably won't know what to do with him.

 

Financial institutions are basically Bendigo bank and lots of small spreadsheet driven wealth management consultancies, Bendigo is SAP I think now, there is probably some mobile work there (sharp/swift) or some dot.m android, but it' small beans really and probably not long term.

 

 

did I mention over qualified ? You may have to dumb down your resume because the locals will get nervous!

 

Check out the Whirlpool aussie contractor forums and do a search for adelaide, also post on conractorUK.com and simply ask the question, you're not the first person to travel this road.

 

cheers

deryans

[Jessica Berry]

did I mention over qualified ? You may have to dumb down your resume because the locals will get nervous!

 

The first job the OH had in IT in Adelaide, on his second day a colleague declared to everyone in the office "he has only been here 2 days and he is trying to take my job" because he gave them a hand setting his new work computer up!! By the end of the week he found another job and moved on to somewhere that appreciated someone using their initiative!

[Petal38]

The first job the OH had in IT in Adelaide, on his second day a colleague declared to everyone in the office "he has only been here 2 days and he is trying to take my job" because he gave them a hand setting his new work computer up!! By the end of the week he found another job and moved on to somewhere that appreciated someone using their initiative!

 

 

Thank you for the input so far from members - i appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts.

 

Jessica, i would be interested to hear more about your husband's feel for the employment market in Adelaide if he is an experienced Software Developer?

 

Interested in experiences from any other forum members with relevant insight too?

 

May i take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year .... although you're there already now, we still have just under 9 hours to go!