wozzie2202

Hi there. I can't advise on the specifics around your area of engineering in particular but I work in HR for a civil engineering company and it's tough out there at the moment. We moved across a year ago and although I secured work very quickly, it's taken my husband 12 months to secure anything. He works in logistics management. The challenge here is even when you are willing to take a step down, you are often considered over qualified so you really have to dumb down your cv. If we advertise for engineering roles we get flooded with applicants, and many of them are from migrants looking to break in to the market. Often though the employers are looking for "local" knowledge which makes it a harder nut to crack. I would definitely recommend looking at any opportunities but be prepared to support yourself for a while. It can be tough, or you may be fortunate. It's hard to tell. My advice would be network as much as you can and use any connection you can. If you can do further Australian qualifications, then get yourself booked on to courses as they will give an employer some reassurance of your commitment. Don't be put off as I don't want to be one of those individuals that says it's all doom and gloom and to stay where you are as you have made the decision to start a life changing journey...just be prepared that it could be hard, but the rewards are worth it in the end. We certainly hold no regrets, despite initially taking a massive drop in salaries and lifestyle. We love our new life here....just wish summer didn't have to end.

Hi Emma I will mention it to my husband...he is always happy to meet people for a coffee as he feels quite isolated during the day. I will speak to him this evening and PM you. Many thanks Sarah

Prior to arriving in Adelaide, I would get frustrated with the negative comments on here about finding work and the "country-town" mentality. I'm a determined person and never saw failure as an option. As a potential migrant, filled with excitement, expectation, anticipation all you want to here is how great your journey is going to be (with some added reality every now and then!). So, when you read all the doom and gloom messages about the employment situation it can become quite disheartening and we arrived full of optimism and positive energy, determined to make this work. Fast forward 6 months of living in Adelaide and we have experienced both the good and bad sides to SA. On a positive note, I secured work (as the main visa applicant as an HR Manager) very quickly in spite of many locals expressing surprise as there are many unemployed HR professionals here. However, on closer examination this is largely due to the skill set you have and SA is currently in need of strategic, forward thinking HR professionals (in fact anyone forward thinking with some vision could add value!). It was a great start. We've been socially active, enjoying everything that SA can offer and we remained positive that something would come up for my husband who had a wealth of experience in Operations/ Transport Management and after a 25 year career in the armed forces. However, fast forward to now and I have a very disillusioned husband at home. Despite countless applications, many for roles which he is overqualified for, he can't even get a response, not even a courtesy rejection email for many roles!. He goes along to Agencies who fill him with false hope about potentially ideal roles and how wonderful his experience and knowledge is, only to never to hear from them again. He makes calls, that are never returned. He's been advised to 'water down' his CV so he comes across as less experienced as Adelaide employers don't like to feel threatened. He's tried to reach out and network only to receive no responses to his telephone calls or emails. I came across some articles by Malcolm King which provide interesting reading on the future of SA...and if things continue as they are....it's not great! This article was written in 2013 and fast forward 3 years...nothing has changed. I have spoken to many business professionals in Adelaide and there is a recognition that attitudes and mindsets need to change, but no appetite for it, it would seem. After all, once you are safely secure within a job...why worry? It's the old..."I'm alright Jack" syndrome. I have a job so all is ok in my world...so long as that world continues to function and thrive, but for how much longer? We will continue to strive to secure work in SA as we like what Adelaide can offer, but there will come a point in time when we may have no choice but to follow the exodus to the East and so the drain of new ideas and change to reinvigorate Adelaide will continue. My other half is already exploring opportunities in Melbourne. It's sad and I'm sure does not apply to all who come over here, as there are many success stories. Opportunities exist in Aged Care and the Trades to some degree. In fact we have been informed that there are roles in logistics, but only if you know someone who knows someone! This is a very real issue and one which you should be aware of before embarking on that journey. Don't let it deter you but just be aware that it may not be all plain sailing and have a contingency.

Hi Chris, have you moved across yet? It is certainly something we are considering. We came across earlier this year and I, as the primary applicant, secured work pretty quickly but my husband has struggled to break in to the SA market. After several months of trying he looked at Vic and got an interview straight away! Opportunities are more plentiful and attitudes more favourable towards employing someone without local experience. We would plan to remain living in SA and kids would be schooled here until such a time as we decided where to go so that I meet the rquirements under the Visa. I would be very wary about all moving to Vic on arrival and until you have given the job hunting situation a fair go, as that would be a breach which would not be viewed well by DIBP or SA. I think every situation is different and ultimately for us we always said if he struggled to find anything in SA we would look interstate before even considering anything else. When it gets to the point where you can't even get an interview in SA (it is very paochial and incestuous in some industries), and you have a family to support, in my mind, you have to do what you have to do. Hope this helps.

Thanks for your reply Buddy. I can't believe the experience you and your wife had with regards to qualifications! (well, I can!) Hubby has had a couple of second interviews and has a follow up interview for one job in Melbourne on Friday (they're flying him over for it so fingers crossed). If he secures the role, we will stay here and he will commute back at weekends...not ideal but we always said the first couple of years would be tough. The thing is, we don't want to move interstate as we truly like Adelaide, but time will tell I guess. You're right that it's not all negative here ...after all...I was fortunate to jump in to work straight away and if he secures this role...I may well reduce my hours further and enjoy SA a little more .

Thanks for the input ladies and yes, this was the sort of thing I was looking for in terms of Blackwood Rec...looks really reasonable as well.. I suspect I will do a combination of both or ask nicely to work from home!

With the October holidays fast approaching I am looking at opitions for my girls for a few days over the holidays whilst I'm working. They really don't like their OSHC so I was looking at other options in terms of sports camps or other activity camps. I'm really struggling to find anything other than CampAustralia and other OSHC providers. My eldest (11) hates going to vacation care as it is so I want to find them something they will enjoy. We're located in the South but as I work in the CBD I can always bring them somewhere nearer to the city if needed, but it has to be for the day. Any suggestions would be welcome. thanks Sarah.

Hi Rabeah, Yep, tried Aldi at various levels. No luck...Coles was promising and he has a couple of contacts across in Melbourne who were impressed with his CV but no opportunities currently in SA in his field. Woolies are restructuring so not the best time to try and get in there. Will keep persevering!

I came across this website which may prove useful for anyone out there thinking of moving jobs...has some insight in to a range of different employers in Australia along with some independent reviews; https://www.jobadvisor.com.au/

Thanks Rabeah. He completed a Cert IV in H&S before coming across and is a member of the Australian Institute of Logistics. He's had his CV reviewed by both Recruiters and also an internal recruiter at Coles had a look and was impressed...but no jobs in Adelaide at the moment which is frustrating when there are roles for me, but then that's just the way it is sometimes I guess. I can understand the keeness to employ locals (we are the same in UK to a large degree) and one recruiter said they need to break out of this mindset as it's the same people doing the rounds and so no new ideas are being generated. Supply chain and logistics professionals are in demand but it is broad field with many specialties. Its a bit like filling dead mens' shoes at the moment. I think it's also harder when it's the man that's out of work as they see themselves as the provider and it can be quite emasculating for them. As Kenny said though sand and beaches don't pay the bills so time will tell whether we remain in Adelaide.

Having moved four months ago over on a state sponsored PR Visa 190, I was fortunate to secure a role 3 weeks after arrving in Adelaide. However, my husband hasn't been so fortunate and like many others, after countless job applications, and zero responses he has become disheartened and despondant with the SA job situation (despite the assurances from the agencies that his experience and background in logistic management is just what SA needs!). He calls employers and they don't respond or they hide behind adverts so you can't contact them! We know it's a hidden market but even breaking in to that is proving a challenge when people don't respond when you try to network. He doesn't want to start again in a new career having worked hard to get where he was and if he tries to take a step down he gets told he is overqualified. I realise we are only 4 months in which isn't as long as many, but having been in the fortunate position where he has never been out of work, this is now starting to hit him hard and he is considering looking further afield as we know there are lots more opportunities in Victoria. Having spent much of his armed forces career apart, this was not something we really wanted to undertake again but unless something comes up, then it may be a viable option. I would plan to remain here as per the visa conditions in the hope that if he does move away, he may then eventually get a role back in SA. Failing that we will all move. I just wanted to know for those who have a partner who is working away, how cost effective is it and how do you find it? I know if will be hard on the children but this is something that I think he may need to do for his own sanity. It's so hard when on the one hand, the SA government have honoured their part and clearly there are jobs here for me but the other half of the relationship is negatively impacted. It's sad as we really do love Adelaide and what it has to offer but I'm struggling to see whether there will be a future here for us in the longterm....is it any wonder why Adelaide fails to compete with other cities with such a narrow minded parochialsm and unwillingness to change. Sorry..rant over!

Hi all, We’ve been here for nearly 4 months and my poor husbandis actively and unsuccessfully looking for work in the logistics management sector. He’s starting to get really despondent as heleft a well paid job in the UK and had always expressed his concerns atsecuring something here and it seems his fears are now materialising. We came out on the back of my work and I’m inemployment but feel responsible for the situation he’s now in. Having alwaysworked and never been unemployed, this is really starting to take its toll onhim.. It doesn’t matter how much I try and motivate him and tell him there is arole there for him, he’s just so fed up. To be fair he has good days and badbut he can’t even get a foot in the door for an interview despite being told byrecruiters his experience is great. I think it would help if there were any other guys out there in asimilar position or who have been in a similar position that he could talk toor just have a beer with. He spends dayafter day trawling job sites, contacting companies etc and is really stuck in arut. I think he’s in need of some malebonding:smile: and just being able to let off some steam with someone other than meand the kids. Frustratingly there are tons of opportunities across inMelbourne and people have expressed an interest in him from there but we aretied to SA for 2 years due to the visa and I am working so would unlikely to be released to move earlier (not that we want to move as we do like Adelaide with all its peculiarities). My worse fear is he gets to the point wherehe just wants to go back…which is something we said we would never consideruntil we had tried other states....and it's certainly not an avenue I want to explore! So, if there is anyone out there who fancies a meet up/ chatwith him, let me know. We’re in the south by the way! Thanks in advance Sarah.

My husband is actively looking for employment in the transport/logistics/ Operations sector currently (at management level). He has tried the usual Agency route where they promise the earth and deliver nothing and is now sending out speculative applications. Does anyone on here have any contacts in the Logistic/ transport industry to assist in his networking? I know a lot of these jobs are hidden, but it’s finding that route in that he’s struggling with and having never been unemployed he’ starting to get quite demotivated with it all which worries me. We’ve had a few people say try Melbourne (where there are plenty of opportunities) but as the PR visa was on me and I am working we have the 2 year obligation to comply with. Cheers Wozzie

Thanks Andy That's my understanding too, particularly with Forces pensions that you can ask that they be paid in to an Australian bank account gross and taxed here rather than taxed at source in the UK. Will try Alan, thanks again Sarah

Just starting to look in to tax returns etc and wondered whether anyone on here can recommend an agent who has some knowledge of UK armed forces pensions as my other half is currently in receipt of his pension which is paid (and taxed) from the UK. Wanted to look at our options in terms of where best to get it taxed as I know there is a reciprocal agreement in place. Many thanks in advance. Sarah