Probably, I'll be moving there mate, If you have any idea just drop some points on IT (programming jobs) demand over there. As per seek.com I feel its only a few compared with NSW and VIC

I currently live 220 metres above sea level, so do you think I'll have a good shot at getting a job?

Depends how high the position is

I am inclined to agree with that. It isn't that they want "local experience", C# is C# wherever it is used. It is just an easy way to fob off an applicant that they don't rate.

I know and know of plenty of people who have never faced the "local experience" problem so it is definitely not something every new migrant faces.

Having worked for a few recruitment agents I can tell you it is something some companies ask for regardless as to how much experience or qualifications someone has. It is something some narrow minded companies have asked for and is not an uncommon request here in Brisbane.

As far as I can gather the rationalisation of this goes something like:

• Aussies are extremely bad losers (anyone who's been here for them losing a sporting event knows this).
• This comes from them thinking they are always 'world class' (another phrase you will hear) in everything they do. Evidence to the contrary will get ignored at best.
• As such anyone coming from elsewhere never has valuable worldwide experience they could gain from. How could they, if aussies are 'world class'?
• Thus they must always be less than the local candidate, since those candiates have 'local knowledge' as well.
• Hence the knock back is 'lack of local knowledge'.

It's down to a lack of perspective and an insecurity about their position that also showed in their 'cultural cringe' in the past. Whereas in the UK if you turned up with ideas and experience from different cultures and situations it would be seen as an advantage in the job interview, here its likely to point up that their worldview is askew - so they don't like it.

Three options to sidestep it:

1. Bypass the agencies by building a local business network and getting access to jobs by personal recommendation.
2. Taking a lowly paid intro job so you can point to experience of the area in subsequent job apps.
3. Setting up and running an SME, where you are selling on the basis of what you can do - where your new ideas can be passed off as your own authentically Oz based concepts, not just a rehashing what you learnt in the UK five years ago.

Aussies do things differently than the UK and whether we like it or not we need to get with the program and do whatever it takes to get round it mate. Once Expats learn to play the game, everyone's happy

Agreed.... after all its Australia and their rules. No point in moving to a new country and spitting the dummy because they do things differently.

Oh they do, but that doesn't mean they are necessarily up with the cutting edge. It almost certainly varies by industry, but there is much they could usefully learn in the ones I've seen. It's no good forgetting what you know just because you've emigrated - more a case of you have to use their not-invented-here bias to your own advantage.

Actually in this regard they are quite similar to the french - get past their barriers and you can use their worldview to your advantage.

Hey guys don't make this an aussie bashing thread, this was just a post to portray the jobhunt environment for newcomers in Aus.To share my experience with people who are thinking of moving here. So that people don't come here with a false hope that things will be easy. Ultimately everybody do get jobs but have to get through a lot of pain because this stupid reason.

Mate what part of this do you not understand? You seem to be pretty intelligent... its not difficult.

Immigration policy & Politics = Government

Companies looking for 'Local Knowledge' = Industry

There is a difference... a big difference.

Any immigrant might satisfy the government's skill requirement to be granted a visa.... but the DIAC are not your employers and don't pay you money for your services.... Industry does.

A visa is not guarantee to a professional job ..you might meet the basic requirements to do the job (ie. Skills assessment bodies determine this) but that alone wont get you a job. Such things as Personality, confidence, communication skills, cultural awareness and commonsense would be big factors.

So although many people feel as if they are a good candidate for any particular job... its definitely not their decision... it's the Hiring manager's decision.

I don't make the rules but I been following them for 5 years.

How come USA has seen a boom in their IT with graduates from India and China?And mind it aus IT is nothing if you compare it to US IT. Did they take US Local Experience with them? What Did the US govt check for before dishing out H1B? How come sun, microsoft ,adobe, cisco , oracle all are situated in USA and overflowing with Asian graduates and their products are used around the world including Australia. You can look for reasons to support your cause whole night mate, but ultimately its just a crap attitude. I don't think a seasoned professional from any country would need more than a month to get accustomed to new environment as IT people are already habituated in working with offshore projects. And its true that a guy with 2 years local experience gets preference from a guy with 5 years experience abroad . Its only the loss of this industry, someday they will realize. I have many of my friends in my country working for offshore Australian software companies and they never saw the dust of Aus. How could they deliver for years?

A few myths laid to rest.

You don't need local experience. You just need to be able to get on with people and have the right fit - end of. Telephone calls are everything - people can tell by your diction, your attitude, the way you come over and pen an initial picture.

Agents are fine. I've never got a job by traipsing around the streets or by thumbing through the yellow pages...nor do I want to. I can see it now - "Hi -got a job, No? You sure? OK then". It's bad enough for telesales people.

If you aren't that marketable you will take longer.

I've met some great programmers from the subcontinent, also a lot of crap.
They're OK for the office corner.

Really? then how come I got some mails from some recruiters saying that this job strictly requires "Local Experience" and as you don't have any, we are sorry to say that you are not suitable for this job. No phone calls, nothing. Maybe they are telepathic.

Bullcrap as always. I have never heard an Australian I have worked with talk about being 'world class'. In fact, most I meet would have the opposite view. Most companies I have worked at here have recruited people who have hailed from all sorts of places.

You sound like one of the hoardes with a big chip. Where DO you people come from!?