What Do I Need to Do To Get A Job Here???

[Guest The_Tartan_Pimpernel]

The title says it all really.

I’ve been here with my wife and daughter since Sep 2010.

Whilst we were waiting on our furniture arriving we stayed a fair distance out with the wife’s in laws (Out towards Morgan), during that time the only work I could get was casual manual labour work as it was over a two hours’ drive into Adelaide.

I had previously passed my TRA as an electronics’ technician and have worked as a quality engineer and in operational roles after 26 years with a major worldwide IT company.

We moved into the city late Nov 2010 when my wife landed a good job due to the fact that another Scot spotted her application with the company that hired her.

My problem is that I’m still having to work out on my casual labouring job as “Nobody” is answering my CV and this includes recruiting firms (CV was tweaked by JOBS SA so it’s not a rubbish CV that’s the problem).

So every day I get to drive two plus hours each was to do my manual job (I have been kept on so it’s not like I’m lazy or not capable) after spending over 30 years man and boy working in electronics or IT.

Is there anybody out there that favours Anglo’s or do I have to sell the wife to a local to get a job that doesn’t involve me spending around 5 hours a day in my car just getting to work n back?

I’m sloly running out of patience with this lot….

[Guest Murphy642]

Just to let you know that we arrived in Jan 2011 and I have applied for over 70 jobs. Soul destroying as each one prob took an hour or so to complete. I was the main visa applicant and no one was interested BUT I have now got a job which, I start next wee and I am really happy about it!

 

Keep trying it'll happen in the end.

 

Good luck

[Guest rhymney]

were there many manual labouring jobs availabl untill you were lucky enough to get the employment you were looking for?we are moving to the southe of adelaide in september im am a bricklayer by trade and it would nice to know the employment situation there thank you

[Guest moonraker1959]

Wow thats some commute!Would'nt it be easier for you to stay with the inlaws during the week and spend weekends with the wife?:cute:I do understand how frustrating it must be for you,but I'm sure someone will turn up soon and it'll hopefully be well worth it.

[Guest cornish Busdriver]

Have you thought about a bit of a carrer change untill you get an ideal job ?

There are planty of other jobs out there thats probally closer to home and less traveling could well off set the pay differernce if its less money.

[Guest pauljoinoz]

Not sure if it helps but we have been here since Dec 08 & I have only just found a position with 18 years banking & managerial experience, I too applied for job after job plodded round agency after agency with no joy! Finally found something through a friend so again the whole it's not what you know but who you know kicks in!

Good luck & keep going!

 

Jo

[Diane]

the whole it's not what you know but who you know kicks in!

Good luck & keep going!

 

Jo

 

This is very true, and for my other half the way round it was to tell the agencies he would do any short term contracting jobs they had available. That way you have an "in" to a company, and a chance to show them how good you are, and for them to get to know you so when something permanent comes up, hopefully you're in with a chance.

 

Even when my husband had told the agencies he would take contracting jobs, they weren't offering him a lot of stuff on their books because they thought it was "too short-term", "too low paid", "too junior" etc etc so you really have to stress to them that you will consider anything, and they should let you make the above judgements foryourself! Have to say I've not been overly impressed with recruitment agents in general here, but every now and again you find one that is worthy of the title!!

 

As above posters have said, good luck.

[Moosh]

I don't think it matters how long you have been here or whether you are anglo etc etc. I was made redundant last month and for 2 months have applied for about 50 jobs and only received not interested emails back. I've got extensive experience with the jobs I'm applying for and my CV is good. Only just last week my luck started to change and I have 2 medicals to go to tomorrow for 2 of the jobs and went for a 2nd interview for another. I'm still waiting for an official letter of offer for any of these jobs but it looks like I will have to choose where I want to work. Where other people who also got made redundant with me, they haven't even got any interviews yet and they are aussies with the same experience as me. I was especially annoyed at registering with 6 employment agencies who all advertised jobs available, yet when you go in to meet them, there is no job at all!

 

Don't get too disheartened (I was starting to!) and keep perservering. Flood the market with your CV and apply for jobs even if they request certain qualifications and experience that you don't have. You will get there.

 

Good luck!

[Guest The_Tartan_Pimpernel]

Hello, I am still doing the general hands job out in the boonies so I'm not exactly up to speed on what is available. Now that said a friend of a frien is a bricky down here so I'll pass on your contact details if this is OK with yourself?

 

On working out here there are a few tickets you will need that I'm fairly sure you wont be aware of before you get here (white card for instance). Again this is something you can discuss with Charlie.

[Guest The_Tartan_Pimpernel]

First a more detailed background: I'm Ministry Of Defence time served (electrical fitter and electronic technician) My TRA was done my my electronics papers and that's what my VISA is on.

I'm also qualified up to Masters Degree from Paisley Uni.

Over the years I have done everthing from high volume manuf maintenance (process and test) through scheduling and quality engineering to field support where I took teams into European customers sites. I also have 6 years experience in Child related care having sat on the Childrens Panel (Scottish Childrens courts).

 

I have been lucky enough to have been continuosly employed for 30+ years until I moved out here and even then I was able to pick up the general hands job inside 4 weeks (I will literaly do any type of work, more than fit and able).

 

I have done white card training in an effort to land a labouring job in the city and again to no avail.

 

Staying out bush is not an option as it simply serves to isolate me even more.

 

I'm at the stage now where if the job I'm doing was in the burbs I'd stick with it and stop looking (the 1350 km I drive every week is killing my car for a start)

 

Apologies for rant...

[jockoz]

How about a complete change of career. One employer who is crying out for local recruits is SAPOL. Definately not a career for everybody but it is as secure as you are going to get and they have just got a decent payrise. . Just a thought

[Guest The_Tartan_Pimpernel]

The title says it all really.

I’ve been here with my wife and daughter since Sep 2010.

Whilst we were waiting on our furniture arriving we stayed a fair distance out with the wife’s in laws (Out towards Morgan), during that time the only work I could get was casual manual labour work as it was over a two hours’ drive into Adelaide.

I had previously passed my TRA as an electronics’ technician and have worked as a quality engineer and in operational roles after 26 years with a major worldwide IT company.

We moved into the city late Nov 2010 when my wife landed a good job due to the fact that another Scot spotted her application with the company that hired her.

My problem is that I’m still having to work out on my casual labouring job as “Nobody” is answering my CV and this includes recruiting firms (CV was tweaked by JOBS SA so it’s not a rubbish CV that’s the problem).

So every day I get to drive two plus hours each was to do my manual job (I have been kept on so it’s not like I’m lazy or not capable) after spending over 30 years man and boy working in electronics or IT.

Is there anybody out there that favours Anglo’s or do I have to sell the wife to a local to get a job that doesn’t involve me spending around 5 hours a day in my car just getting to work n back?

I’m sloly running out of patience with this lot….

 

First a more detailed background: I'm Ministry Of Defence time served (electrical fitter and electronic technician) My TRA was done my my electronics papers and that's what my VISA is on.

I'm also qualified up to Masters Degree from Paisley Uni.

Over the years I have done everthing from high volume manuf maintenance (process and test) through scheduling and quality engineering to field support where I took teams into European customers sites. I also have 6 years experience in Child related care having sat on the Childrens Panel (Scottish Childrens courts).

 

I have been lucky enough to have been continuosly employed for 30+ years until I moved out here and even then I was able to pick up the general hands job inside 4 weeks (I will literaly do any type of work, more than fit and able).

 

I have done white card training in an effort to land a labouring job in the city and again to no avail.

 

Staying out bush is not an option as it simply serves to isolate me even more.

 

I'm at the stage now where if the job I'm doing was in the burbs I'd stick with it and stop looking the 1350 km I drive every week is killing my car for one.

 

Apologies for rant but my frustrating levels are reaching the same lengths as my daily commute.

[HEAPS GOOD !!!]

Same old same old mate...there are a lot of people who have been in exactly the same position as your self....i too have had time out of work where you just seem to keep apllying for job after job and you hear nothing....keep at it mate.

 

I ended up doing a stint at Bunnings which was great, they just couldnt give me long hours, and as we were going for a mortgage i couldnt cope on 20 hrs a week....( even tho i got to go out fishing regular )

 

ASC are looking for some folk again i have seen on the job sites.....

 

There seems to be alot of defence stuff out there at the moment....maybe a total change might serve you well....but then again that depends on what you fancy doing...i am seriously looking at a total change but its working out what you want to do and is is going give you the satisfaction that you neeed.

 

Keep plugging away, pick your self up dust yourself off and get back at em.....

 

Good luck

 

 

HG

[she1971]

how about being a security alarm installer?

[jockoz]

i appreciate your frustration. i knew when i came over here that i would have to start on the bottom rung of the ladder in my profession. it didn't make it any easier to take but we are nearly 4 years in now and i'm getting back to where i was. My wife gave up her profession to follow me here, in the knowledge that there is no call over here for what she used to do. We are now looking at starting a business for my wife but as with everything else it takes time. It does get easier but you might have to face the realisation that it isn't going to be doing what you did in the uk. As a cadet in the police you would get approx $46,000, this would go up after 9 months to approx $55,000 plus about 20 % in shift penalties.

All the best and i hope it works out for you and yours.

[Jessica Berry]

This post might be best moved to the 'Jobs and Careers' section to get more input.

[scooterdan]

I would quite happily become a security alarm installer..... Do u know a company that will retrain me because I haven't found one.... All they say is no experience!!

[Jessica Berry]

 

ASC are looking for some folk again i have seen on the job sites.....

 

HG

 

If you want to stay in defence, like Heaps Good says try ASC and try BAE and Saab, get suited up, take your resume and go and see them on the off chance. Over here you need to be much more pro-active in your job search as a lot of jobs are not advertised and it is often a case of the right person at the right time.

 

I think a lot of us have been in the same situation, gaining employment can be hard. On the other hand my partner who works in IT has had a completely different experience to me and his transition from work in the UK to Adelaide has been an absolute success story. I personally have managed to gain employment in nothing I ever did in the UK, yet the jobs I did in the UK that I thought I would get, I didn't get anywhere - the Adelaide job scene is an interesting beast!!!! My Aussie friends tell me I should write a book about my job search adventures!!

[Guest rhymney]

i have found out about the white card from this site verry helpfull thanx