An honest answer please

Hello!

So my family and I returned from Adelaide in Feb. We went to stay with friends who had emigrated. We all really liked it and have decided that we want to make the move over ourselves.

I know that SA's economy is not great at the moment with numerous job loses etc. So... is it really that bad to try and find a job...any job.? I am the equivalent of a child and family health nurse, roles in this appear to be rarely advertised in SA apart from one recently in Coober Pedy but that is a bit too far out for us.

My husband has been in the same job for 16 years, works for a small steel making company bending steel rods that go into roads and buildings etc. He would like to continue doing this but would quite happily take any role, which is more manual based (no office work, he wouldn't fit in), warehouse work, forklift driver, driver of some kind. He found a job advertised the other day collecting tyres for £55k, he would quite happily do this.

Can anyone give some honest advice about our chances of getting a job?

Thanks!

Can anyone give some honest advice about our chances of getting a job?

I think it's pretty grim job wise at the moment, and it looks set to get worse. That affects the lower paid, less skilled jobs as people will (have to, if they're claiming Jobseeker's /Centrelink) apply for anything, thus making those jobs ludicrously competitive. Whether you'd be able to find work in your chosen careers is not something I can answer, although I'm sure someone will come along soon.

I'm really replying simply to say, in my experience people who have jobs tend to think it's relatively easy to find work, those who are still unemployed, don't think it's easy. I realise that's probably stating the obvious, but deciding to emigrate can be such a huge decision that (IMHO) it can be easy to put too much credence in forum posts, when they're mostly just opinions.

Or perhaps I should stop going on and go to bed!

Night!

Its not great thats for sure. I know some members on here have said they struggled to secure a job or their older kids have (some are younger, kids who went through school here etc and now can't find work as an older teen or early 20's, others migrants who moved here in the past few years). Others have found work. Others have been in and out of work or on contracts etc.

It took me a fair while in recent times to find a job (I was self employed to start with here) but its also fair to say I wasn't really looking all that hard nor applying for everything and anything. I was being very specific in my job hunting and the hours I wanted (I work part time now, mostly in school hours) and so hung out and only applied for jobs that fitted what I was after. And after a few months I was offered something and haven't looked back. However had I been looking for full time across the board I may have struggled to get something, but then I may not. Impossible to know.

I do know I got disheartened reading the job specs on places like Seek and other job sites (I browsed the jobs listed quite often) and the amount of places wanting this certificate or that certificate to show I could type or use a stapler and photocopier Some of the things they wanted you to have had a training course and gained a certificate in just seemed pointless given that you've been in the workforce for 20 plus years the odds are pretty good you'd have gained some skills or knowledge on the way.

Having said that on occasion jobs were listed locally in some online groups I am part of and the prospective employer specifically stated they didn't expect applicants to have experience in the field and were happy to train and that a good work ethic and other things were more desirable and they wanted a local person as a smaller local company etc (hence them advertising in local area groups not on the big job sites).

Also I've found lots of locals here that we know (friends mostly) who when looking for a new member of staff for their business/company often ask around their friends and family if they know anyone. So jobs are often not even advertised but will go to a friend of a friend or some such. These are small companies, employees number in the single digits or low teens usually.

No one can say with any certainty how your job hunting will go and what will happen and be your experience. I also think the misunderstanding so many people make re their profession being on the SOL or CSOL and move to Adelaide only to find there is an oversupply here in the area here and the places that are crying out for those people are the rural communities or towns a long way from Adelaide itself, ie an 8 hour drive to Coober Pedy. The SOL isn't for Adelaide only, its for the entire state of SA and people seem to ignore or overlook this and most head to somewhere around the city or its outerlying towns, which is what I'd expect but it does mean there is a lot more pressure on the job market.

Often teachers have this problem and there is a big over supply in the Adelaide area but rural communities can't get staff or struggle to get and keep them. Nursing may well be the same. Of course most migrants don't want to live in the outback when moving over with their families to live in Aus. They want what they have been sold on TV and all that, the beaches, the outdoors lifestyle and so on and while many do get that, often its not without hardship and struggle. They don't want to up sticks to bring their kids the other side of the world to be stuck in a town with a population of a couple of thousand and miles from anything they may be used to or wanting to experience.

If your husband is prepared to try anything and can get certificates in forklift operation and other things (once he is here as I doubt most Aus employers will consider a UK cert and will ask or want an Aussie one) he may find something. Again, impossible to know.

What did your friends say? If they are migrants themselves and surely know how its going here atm and could tell you the warts and all.

I can't say don't do it or do it. Only you can decide that and if its worth the risk. If you have savings be prepared to see them dwindle if you can't find work once you are here and also that it can be tough going if one finds work and the other does not (and needs/wants to), it can really taint things and make it hard not just financially. No amount of research can tell you if you'll get jobs once you get here. All I can suggest is to look and see if you can secure a job before you move (in nursing often jobs come via a sponsor and then you move on to PR) but this is not ideal. However it would mean you would have a job to come to. Also, if you are finding there is work elsewhere in Aus, don't just focus on SA/Adelaide and be prepared to head elsewhere in Aus if you really want to make the move. Moving interstate or elsewhere in a city is also an option (dependant on finances/jobs) once you are here.

http://indaily.com.au/business/2016/04/12/sas-age-structure-holding-us-back-economic-paper/

make sure you read the comments, they are from locals

Hi Buddy,

I moved to Adelaide in Oct 15 could not find a job, so I decided to take over a gift store in Hahndorf. It is tough but if you want to survive you will have to fight for a job! or try something yourself. It is certainly not easy running your own business, so my recommendation is by all means try and get it one hell of a try!

Hi there

Good luck on your migration experience and hopefully you will find something for both of you.

I emigrated with my family in 2011 which included a 20 year old son.

Despite a number of training courses (which we had to pay for) he is still unemployed after 2 years.

The help from the government job agencies to help young people into work is pitiful.

From my experience it is not what you know-but who you know- in that respect- Adelaide is very parochial.

I may have work but my son still does not have a job.

I know hindsight is a wonderful thing but if I knew what I know now- I would probably not have come to South Australia.

 

it is not what you know-but who you know- in that respect- Adelaide is very parochial.

.

Agreed, this is very true.

I've just spent 12 months working interstate where its a lot easier to pick up work. On my return it seems to be pretty much where it was 12 months ago....pretty dire and hard going!

Yep I'm outta here in a months time. Can't wait. I'm currently working in Darwin and there's more going on there!!!