We have recently moved to Adelaide from the UK, but we are having problems finding work. So far the feedback has been - you have great CVs but you don't have experience of working in (South) Australia so we gave the job to someone else. Does anyone else have experience or advice to share? Maybe we came to the wrong state. Noone else on this forum (or any other) seems to be discussing SA.

Can't help personally, but you could try the Adelaide Brits website

Still in the Silly Season - probably will be until a few weeks after the kids are required to attend school.

Try the Adelaide Brits site - I haven't heard too many other people with that problem..... but worrying as that's where we're headed in the next couple of years.

Can I ask what you both do for a living?

I'd be interested to hear more views and get more information on this topic too as I'm hoping to go to Adelaide.

As Emz asks, what fields do you both work in?

HD

Bump....

We've only been here 4 months, but that's a shock to us as when we've returned from travelling before we've always got a good job (relative to our work experience) in the UK easily within 2-3 months and plenty of office temping work to keep us going. For those interested, I work in marketing and my partner is in finance. Here we have applied for almost anything we are qualified for, but we have only had 2 interviews each and one temp job each. We have never had a reply to all the ads wanting casual factory workers. We just tried applying for casual gardening/picking work, but so far we have been ineligable to apply as we aren't registered unemployed (we can't be as we haven't been here long enough), but the grape season will start soon and we have been told they never find enough people, so we should get some money coming in in March.

If you are coming out on an SIR visa there are additional problems, as if you don't have a fully permanent visa then you are referred to as 'a traveller' all the time. You may even get grief from grumpy employment agencies ringing you to tell you that you are ineligable to apply for permanent jobs. You can't work for quite a few government departments and large corporates without having PR/Citizenship (it is usually stated on the job ad). I have been told that companies and employment agencies are jittery about giving permanent work to temporary visa holders as if you are in breach of any laws it is they who get fined.

By the way - Adelaide is a great place, the people and the life is good.

Very worrying!!!
We are thinking about SIR to Adelaide and the "getting jobs" bit as temp. residents is the one thing that is affecting our final decision.
I am a registered nurse (part time), so hopefully will get a job ok, but hubby is a building/civil engineering Estimator with no experience of the SA marketplace. I think he would be happy to do other things initially, but after reading several recent posts on here, being temp. residents does seem to affect things.
You'd think they would take SIR people on, as the whole point of introducing SIR was to increase populations in regional areas. If we can't get work then we'll have to return to the UK which defeats the whole point of SIR in the first place!!!
Anybody know of any jobs in Estimating?!!!!!

I don't want to teach you to suck eggs, but please, for your own sakes, don't just assume you'll be OK. Do some research! See http://www.careerone.com.au for a start.

I just did a search for any job in the state capitals using careerone and got the following:

Sydney 13,789
Brisbane 9,801
Melbourne 8,468
Adelaide 4,932
Perth 1,230

There's a reason why places like Adelaide and Perth have relatively cheap house prices.

We have looked on several job sites already and are well aware of the prospects in relation to other places, but due to our circumstances, SIR to a regional area is our only option now. To be near a city like Adelaide may hold more prospects for hubby than say a more out-of-city location in another state.
We have been discussing emigration since Aug 2004 and do not intend to jump in with both feet if we feel it is a huge risk!!

I'm having a phone interview with SKM in Adelaide for an electrical design engineers job on Thursday morning (it's for warship/submarine work, I don't know why they are interested in me as I know naff all about warships, being an HV/rail designer. I guess they are desperate). So, I think there is work there for engineers. I'll let you know how I get on.

He's not actually an engineer. He has a degree in Quantity Surveying, initially worked as a QS, then moved into Estimating, but has experience in both building and civils as an Estimator.
Good Luck with your interview. Will you be permanent resident in Oz and how did you line up your interview?

Very wise of you.

Yes, I will be PR. I put my CV out at the Aussie expo last October & have had loads of interest since then, phone interviews & emails. There is a definite shortage of engineers down there, so job situation looks good for the next few years. I'm not really interested in this interview as we are heading for Perth rather than Adelaide (SKM know this so don't know why they are pushing Adelaide), I just want to hear what they have to say & how much they are paying.

Thanks, mate. Certainly not expecting it to be plain sailing!! Hope we're being realistic and make the right decision now!!!!