Dammo

Hey all - my first post to these forums so please play nice...

I could so with a bit of local info as to what's happening 'down on the ground' to the job market over in Sydney.

My wife and I have been planning our move for a couple of years now, and our PR visas came through back at the start of this year (and validated in February). Our plan was to head out when our daughter is over 6 months old. She was born in June this year, so we were looking at early 2009. However now this global financial crisis has cropped up we are trying to work out if that's really such a good idea.

Obviously the house in the UK hasn't sold, but we're happy enough to rent it while we sort out our new lives down-under. Our main worry is whether there's work out there for us, so it would be really useful to get peoples opinions on what's going to happen.

I work in IT project management (Prince2 qualified), mainly internet, content management, ecommerce and systems integration, while my wife has 10 years experience working in marketing/supply chain for DVD's for one of the big film studios. We're both looking to continue our careers in Sydney. Should we take the plunge early next year, or would we be better off keeping our heads down until the world's a bit more settled?

Any facts, advice, opinions or ideas greatly appreciated...

Cheers!

Scuba Steve

Without wanting to breach any forum rules, I'm starting a role in IT recruitment in January so PM me, might be able to help each other out but as far as info on how the job market is, I can only speculate at the moment.

s1mon321

Hi,

I work in the same field as you and from what I can see there are as many IT jobs available now as when I arrived in February.

The only bits of advice I can give are....

1. Don't expect any job action whilst still in the UK. Regardless of whether or not you have PR they will not even respond to you unless you're in the country and can respond quickly to any vacancies. Assume that it will take about a month to secure a post, and then anything less will be a bonus.

2. Don't come to Sydney during the Aussie Autumn/Winter - it is so much colder than you imagine, and will alter your view on the life change that you made. We did Autumn/Winter in the UK, and then came over here for more of the same. Granted its not as cold as the UK, but much colder and wetter than you imagine. Me and the Mrs were so fed up for the first 5 months here because of the lack of sunshine. Great now tho - 33 degrees yesterday.

We have rented out our house in the UK while we decide what to do (PR? etc) and have had no problems at all.

Any other info you need then PM me.

Cheers

Simon

medwaymark

Agree that pretty much you don't hear anything about aplications whilst you're in the UK. I had 1 interview over the phone and it was a nightmare.

We arrived here at the end on April & didn't find the winter too bad. They said that it was the coldest August for 60 years or something....I would still walk around in short sleeved shirt and have only worn a jacket twice. It is very cold in the morning and evening, but found that it does warm up quite quickly.

Can't comment on job prospects really. I'm not qulaified in IT apart from 20 years experience and I started a job a month after arriving in Oz, we gave ourselves a couple of weeks holiday before we started applying too. Having said that, I probably applied for a hundred jobs & most of them you hear nothing back.

I would be happy to pass on the number for the agency that found this job for me if you want it.

Kooky.

Sounds like a similar field to my husband's (and one I've dabbled in from both sides of the fence), so you'll probably agree with me that that's never exactly a stable sector to be in.

I certainly think that by early next year you'll have a better idea of the world economic situation - gawd, I hope so - but at the moment, I suspect organisations are going to be very cautious about committing great wads of money to new systems. Not that that's specific to Sydney/Oz, of course.

The guys above speak sense (try making that move in Winter from Asia ).

Rosscarbery

I know some of the big banks and insurance companies have put a freeze on recruitment at the moment (definitely in IT as I know a couple of people who were quite far along in the recruitment process when it all stopped, not sure if it's across the board), but obviously that can't last forever. You'll certainly have a better idea of how things are going by the beginning of next year.

I would say that there is always IT work out there, but be prepared for a "starter job". Sydney is a very strange job market, the recruitment process isn't always as professional as you would expect and contacts are very important. They don't seem to like hiring senior people that nobody knows, no matter how impressive your CV. Having said that, if you can get yourself into a decent starter you can do very well here - there are a lot of successful brits working in IT in Sydney.

Budgie

Hello,

With your skills and your sector experience, you'd be a perfect fit for the company I used to work for. They regularly employ people through 457 visas, and they also advertise directly through online jobseeking sites, rather than use recruitment agencies, so this might make it easier for you to arrange work with them prior to coming out here.

PM me and I'll let you know the company name if you want to start looking out for them on the job sites....

Cheers,

IvanM

Sydney job market dies in December and January and only picks up in March. June/July is the busiest month as a lot of companies budgets kick in then.

Agents here tend to be as honest as realestate agents and heaps seem to be from London. Use contacts and go direct where possible.

E3only

There is always work work for talented people. A few pointers :

1. Use contacts and try and go through them.
2. Agents are are no way as professional as they need to be. However they are ok. Heaps of poms so you can expect some favors
3. Although market is tight at the moment coz of the bloody crisis, not as worse as UK/US (trust me I work for a UK backed Investment banking and it's hitting us real hard)
4. Avoid 2nd week of Nov to .....hmm...may be 2nd week of Feb. Very quiet - does not mean no jobs but just means less of them around
5. Prepare to pick up contract jobs & prepare for a lateral if not a slightly lower level (sorry not being -ve but brings me back to the start of the post - if you are good they will do anything for you)
6. IT is in the demand occupation. Only means most of them who dont find work drive taxis.

You will be fine as long as you have the skills - just go for it.

Cheers

IvanM

I did some interivews last year. Most candidates could not communicate effectively and had poor soft skills. Loads of technically qualified people but they could even give eye contact. I think they are the ones that pick you up at the airport and need a map to take you to Bondi Beach!

Basically permanent recruitment maybe lowering from the frenzy in July but there are plenty of contracts around.

Dammo

Thanks for the responses guys. Lots more to think about there!

E3only

I second that. People from overseas (not all) are a concern. I don't even believe sometimes they ahve all these degrees but can not speak decent english. Now, I don't expect everyone to be perfect in English, I am not either - but these guys have serious issues. I won't name country/State but guys come over JUST becuase they want to get out of there life their & they say to themselves they will drive taxis or work as security guards or what not.

Which means - people with talent get work anyway....

Olibeneli

I'd say the job market in Sydney will soften in the coming months.

Reasons/evidence:
Economic updates from BI Shrapnel
Economic forecasts from Macquarie Bank
Stricter lending to reduce funds available for new work

In my attempts to make a go of forging a decent career, from approx January
2008 to July 2008 I had circa 34 interviews across 15 different companies including:

Westfield, Qantas, Bluescope Steel, Lowy Private Group, Sodexho, Dairy Farmers....

All major corporations and all deciding to play senior recruitment cool. As mentioned a lot depends on your own contacts and recruitments agents are buggers...and lots of them are non-Aussie. I was verbally told I was going to be offered twice but zilch ever came about....complete buggers and useless.

I was is senior finance with specialist ERP skill sets. Many a time I could tell I knew more than my interviewer with vastly better experience. I was never going to take a lower paid job just to get on a bottom rung of a long ladder.

I secured TWO jobs back in the UK while I was still in Aus. Happily now in place in my new role leading a team of over 100 people AND involved with one of the biggest ERP implementations in southern England that is years ahead of what I saw/heard about in Sydney.

So:
You can secure a job from the other side of the planet - I did it on my way out to Aus and on my return.
Get to know your recruitment agents really well.
Register with as many agents as you can.
34 interviews may not be enough to secure a role
Keep trying even if you are verbally offered...it may not ever come about
Good luck....you will probably be very qualified.

cheers

spottydog

From what I've found the biggest problem is the first job, because all employers do phone reference checks if you don't have aussie work experience you're put at the bottom of the pile.

I work in Financial project management and over the last few months I've noticed the permanent jobs getting fewer but there are still plenty of contract jobs.

When you get here (as others have said Sydney won't touch you until you are on Sydney soil) get to know the agents, use seek, careerone & mycareer and give the agents a call then get yourself a contract role and make contacts.

Scuba Steve

From experience I've had success without being in Sydney but I'm sure that's not the case with other professions. I'd reiterate the part about making contacts etc. After a few years of being in UK and EU sales I'm confident if and when I have to return from Oz I'll be able to hook something up before I get here. I also personally believe though that its worth directly contacting employers and/or agents while you're still in the UK. It shows a level of organisation and desire that, combined with a glowing CV, COULD get you noticed when you do get in front of someone. The odds are obviously against you but I;m sure no one will disagree that anything that can help is worth trying.