pabloako

Is anyone else having problems getting jobs in Brisbane?

Employment agencies are next to useless. I phoned several of them up and they just said send in your CV. I sent it in and that was the last I heard anything from them.

I have also applied for permanent jobs and I sent of letters and CV's as asked, received the confirmation back from them and that is the last I heard.

I have spoken to several IT contracting agencies and they say that it can take over three months for government vacancies to even be short listed.

If you try and use agencies it seems that there 10 job vacancies and 20 agencies going for it. You may be perfect for the job, but if the agency you are going through charges more than another agency then the cheapest one gets it.

Is anyone else having simular problems?

I have been looking for work for two months now.

bondipom

Its not easy in IT at the moment and 2 months is not an unusual amount of time to be out of work. All I can say is head up and keep chasing the buggers. Try contacting companies direct to bypass the agencies.

The personal touch is the way to set ones self apart.

Good luck.

cookies

It's not easy in my line - as an accountant - either. I have been looking seriously for about 6 weeks now. The market has been extremely flat over Christmas to Australia Day. I sense that the market is moving again now though, as managers get back from their summer holidays!

Keep yer chin up......something will come up soon.

Steve

WBB

why not consider another line of work?

it is easier to find employment once you are in employment, maybe try factory work or start your own business?

i work in a lab here in the UK but i would be prepared to do whatever came along in aussie.

anya4oz

Sorry, mate, but this sounds just exactly like how it's been here in the UK in IT - for about the last 2 years . Problem is that most of the agents are still used to the IT 'boom years', where they did not have to use any sales skills, or work for a living, just send people who could breathe along for interviews Now they have to work hard, sell hard, use their brains & do the job - tough for some.

It's just starting to move a bit now here, & in NY too, with more 'real jobs' coming through. Must be a good sign for the more global economy - so let's keep fingers X'd it percolates thru to Oz - and Brizzie real soon now.

I'm afraid I'm cynical enough to assume (and budget for) not being able to get work, even in Melbourne where it's said to be better, for anything between 12-24 months.

Very good luck, anyway, from IT bod to another

Anya.

sarn

I know that this is nothing to do with IT, but my husband looked for work for over 2 months in Brisbane. He was a logistics manager in the UK. As you say he had the same responses from agencies and newspaper ads etc. At one interview he was even told, yes you have exactly what we are looking for but we will offer the job to an Australian, a kick in the guts or what!
Anyway things were getting tough we were eating into the savings, so he rang a few companies for any kind of work. He has ended up working for a window company(on the sunshine coast installing windows, until he finds something else,been there 6 months. He told the employer that he had installed windows part-time in the Uk and then just learnt by watching and asking others. Something will turn up it just may not be what you are looking for at the moment. Wish you the best of luck.

Ambrose

Reading this is starting to give me the s..ts! I have applied for 6 jobs over the last month, and have only received 1 "thanks but not nothanks" reply. Never occurred to me that Aussie employers might throw my CV on the heap because Im a Kiwi. Were not talking about a specialist job here, Im just a humble Purchasing Officer.

Dave

Timber Floor Au

The grass is always greener on the other side !! hmmm makes ya fink !

pabloako

It really makes you fed up doesn’t it.
At least the sun is shining and it is nice and warm. Strangely the cheapest thing for me to do, and hence not spend more savings, is to go to the beach. (Often cheers me up!).

For purchasing jobs have you tried some of the outer suburbs as they have some quite large manufacturing companies there. Pine Rivers Shire and out towards Ipswitch seems to have several.

Don't worry; we will all get there soon!

pabloako

The grass still is greener. Although jobs suck, the country, weather, people and life style are a thousand times better than in the UK. Plus a Big Mac meal is almost half the price here too!!!!!

I guess if I was looking for a job in the UK, I would be in the same situation. (But a bit colder and I would have to scrape the ice off of the car!)

dillon

I'm looking for work too and it's certainly tough. I'm a motor engineer but don't have my tools here yet and so am looking for anything. Have discovered some agencies are a waste of time unless you are a registered jobseeker which means they will get a bounty from the government for placing someone and getting them off unemployment (or at least that is what I've been told). I was expecting the odd anti pommy response from some employers and guess that you have to except that it is inevitable. Am coming round to the idea of buying a small business or franchise as a solution, but that's a huge gamble in a new country.

Ambrose

no...just applying online thru seek etc...

most jobs seem to be in the areas you mention.

ABCDiamond

That is very correct. With these specific ones, you do have to be registered with Centrelink, or they have no interest in you at all.

The problem is that these ones do not charge the employer for the service, they charge Centrelink.

So, employers have the option of choosing an agency that they have to pay, or one that they dont have to pay. Or, advertise it themselves in the newspapers.

It makes it a bit harder for the prospective employee to find the job.

pabloako

Do you know if us pommies can apply to become a ‘Jobseeker’ or is that one of the benefits that we can not get for two years as a Permanent Resident?

Merlot

Yep from early December to mid Feb the market is flat as every man and his dog is on his hols, so should pick up.

Self employment I have been told is better here than Blighty and I know that from own experiences you can claim alsorts back through tax.

Speak to a local BEC (Businss Enterprise Centre) or Chamber of Commerce for advice, it may be the way to go.

Our IT man is flat out as he is VERY good, gives great service and turns up on time - no ripping off customers either. Because of this he is recommended 10 fold and now busy.

Good luck
Merlot