scampie

After waiting two years to sell our house and having ajob to come to wwe were really excited to arrive on 19th oct. now we are really disolusioned, the company who had promised my husband a job made him and others redundant after two days of him starting. we are now frantically looking for a job for him but her goes for interviews or relplies to ads and nothing even though he has the right experience and qualifications. My 18 year ols daughter has two years retail experience with a major high street name at home, has applied for loads temp christmas retail jobs and again not getting any luck. i am sure its because we are British.So noow we are homeless and unemployedn after selling our four bed at ome and giving upa job. why does Australa say they need skilled men when really they dont. Ay advice would be great. thanks

scrubbedexpat001

Disappointing - but dont give up hope just yet.

Took me 3 months to find a job when I got here in Nov 2007 and that was before the GFC took hold, left a really really good job - I'll never have one like that again (although I'm told the place has started to go to the dogs now). I'm currently looking for "the next thing" but to be honest there's not a lot out there in my field at the moment but expect it to pick up after Christmas.

It does seem that things tail off a bit from Nov and start to pick up after Australia Day - but that's just my experience in Perth over the last 2 years (you dont say where you've moved to). I doubt very much that your daughters lack of getting offered a job is "because were British", it's just the wrong time of the year - the schools are starting to finish, there's all these Yr 11 & 12's who have finised for the year so there's loads of school kids out there all competing for the casual summer jobs. Why would they pay an 18yr old when they can pay a 15/16yr old...

All I can say is - chin-up, keep trying, enjoy Christmas and see what transpires in the New Year...

Petals

If you had come two years ago things would have been different I believe. However the job market is now tightening up hence the changes to the skills required to migrate. If you were to apply now you would probably have a long wait to come.

Christmas work is undertaken by school leavers and university students and there is never a shortage of retail workers.

Its not because your British its the same for everyone who is out of work at the moment, more people going for every job and unfortunately because you do not have local experience its going to be harder. Same for people who move from one State to another.

I think the gravy train is over all over the world and even though we are said to not be affected as badly, we are affected because we trade with the rest of the world.

Christmas is not a good time to look for work either as a lot of businesses in construction close down over the Christmas holidays and things do not pick up again until February.

I hope you are successful and things do work out for you but migration is no holiday.

blackbag

don't give up hope, we arrived in september my wife is the main visa holder as she is a nurse and had a job organised before we left the UK, i work in the motor trade as a spare parts man and had an interview lined up for when we arrived.

At my interview i was told that the position had been filled but they would keep my details on file,So i sent my CV to loads of new car dealers around melbourne near where we were living.

to cut a long story short i had and interview offer for the next day and a job within 3 days, its not the greatest job in the world but it pays the bills and it is a start.

I was probably lucky but i read so many negative post and lots of people have a doom and gloom mindset but i just want to show that there are jobs out there

articnorth

Try Woolworths or Coles, for your daughter.

try apply by giving resumes, door to door knocking at retail stores in shopping centres.

what industry is your husband in?

Patrick D

I feel for you. Before you arrived you would have been full of optimism and the new life & start. Unless you are in the real professions or needed trades life here will be a real challenge. Employee & employer relations are full of conflict and the American casual style of work and minimum wage is established. Any savings will be consumed before you can get any help from the state in the 1st 2 years. Re-consider your position before it's too late. Whilst life here may seem better the sacrifices you have made will not be worth the rewards. Take it form me return to what you know when you can as the longer you procastinate the less likely you will have the option to return. The days of milk & honey here are gone. Sorry.

Kingseat

jjeez patrick - what a helpful post .... not. Did you get out of bed the wrong side?

To the OP. Keep strong. It is hard and as I've been told harder given the time of year.

I really hope something comes you way. What line of work is your husband in?

May be your daughter should just hit the local shopping centre and hand in her resume to every store. They've may be just not quite advertised yet and hers may just be the one to land at the right time.

Good luck.

scampie

hi thanks for the replys, my husband is a skilled toolmasker, fitter, cnc programmer/ operator. We have been throught the local telephone book and applied for loads on seek. also he has done his generic mining cards but dont know how to get into the mines.
my daughter has given her cv out in the local big shopping centre to all the shops so we keep tryiing. if we went back to england it would be worse engineering is drying up big time, redundancies everywhere so being poor in the sun is better than being poor in the rain. We are in redcliffe brisbane. any advice would be great thanks

Kingseat

I don't know anything about the profession but could he go in at a lower level or a different job that runs alongside his profession - just to get his feet in the door and prove himself to employers. That's what my husband had to do.

Rosscarbery

Unfortunately for your daughter I think most of the shops have hired their Christmas staff by now - every time I go to our local shopping centre there are at least half a dozen dejected looking kids doing the rounds of the shops with their resumes. My 16 year old has given up.

I know it seems a long way away, but if you can afford to enjoy the Summer without getting too dejected things will pick up again when the kids go back to school/uni at the end of January. If your daughter NEEDS a job she might be better off trying cafes and restaurants for waitressing work.

Amazulu

Sorry to hear about your dilemma. Unfortunately, Australian business seems to shut up shop for 3 months between November and January - the same happens in the UK in July-August.

If you can hang in there you will find things picking up next year.

Cheetah7

I would get your daughter to go on seek.com and check out the voluntary sector. Voluntary work seems very popular here and you can choose which sector/area you would like to assist in.

It will be some experience for her and get her a reference as well, not to mention she will be meeting people, making contacts and a bit of a confidence boost.

Amazulu

My wife does voluntary work for the Red Cross and the refugee support agency. She does it to get back up to speed with her office skills, to meet people and because she's a bleeding heart liberal!

Cheetah7

I was going to volunteer at the wildlife place near us but as I dont have a car, its a bit far to get to on my bike. Although I hope to do the wildlife rehabilitators course next year.

So Im looking around for something else but Seek.com has an excellent search facility for voluntary work and as you say, it gets you up to speed with skills as well as adding new ones.

I think voluntary work and the benefits of it can be underestimated.

articnorth

this is a bit far fetch, would your daughter consider fruit picking or working in a farm? since retail summer jobs might be full with uni students?

either that or the volunteering jobs?

probably try eco-friendly or green jobs volunteering work.