miriam

we moved to sydney from london about 5 months ago. the weather is fabulous, there is less traffic than london, our two year old loves the beach and outdoor lifestyle, as do we!

However, we've had real problems with work. i'm a professional and came here pregnant and have been unable to get work as i look pregnant. my husband, works in finance and has only managed to secure a three month contract since we got here. we find sydney much more expensive than anticipated. It now appears the job market shuts down now until february.

i never envisaged that we would both be unemployed when we were having our next child.

Has anyone else had problems with work opportunities - it appears that there are a huge shortage of trades/hairdresses etc here but professionals do very badly compared to the UK.

will be grateful for advice. if we don't have jobs by may next year, we'll have to come back to the UK. Its dawning upon me that the reason its packed is that there is loads of opportunity there

Miriam

JAJ

The cynical part of me suggests that most employers won't hire someone who's pregnant as they know they'll have to re-hire in a few months. I think that's just a case of accepting the real world.

As regards your husband, what area of work is he in? Options for getting work include temporary positions (which he's tried), what about networking or being willing to accept a job that might involve working in a less popular area of Australia?

If you do leave Australia before getting citizenship, bear in mind that your younger child (soon to be born) will be an Australian citizen, by virtue of birth in Australia to PR parents, while your older child will not. Assuming you have PR but your post does suggest this.

This kind of disparity in citizenship could well cause tensions when they are older, if the one who's not Australian wants to live in Australia and can't. It's happened to other families in the same situation.

Jeremy

kath n kim

Hi Miriam,
Glad you're enjoying Sydney!
Sorry it's not so good on the work front though. I think many people have found it more difficult to secure good jobs than they thought it would be, and as JAJ has already said, you will probably find it even harder being pregnant because employers will know they will have to re-employ when you are on maternity leave. As for your husband, maybe he could try something other than finance for a while? Even if it is not so well paid, it will possibly open doors... I know quite often employers are wary of employing migrants as they have no Australian work history, so it is much easier to get another job when you are already working, than before you have a job, even if it is in another field (sounds bizzare I know )
Many people I know who have emigrated here end up doing something completely different to what they had been doing before coming here,and are enjoying it far more, so maybe try a career change
Good luck anyway!
K n K

Rosie n family

There's a lot of Temp Work from Reception & data Entry at around $17 per hour to secretarial $24 and above. PM me if you want details of the agencies I use.....

bondipom

Getting the first break is always the hardest. As you say the job market will slow down for the summer holidays so in the meantime temping and contracting is probably the best option. It does give the opportunity to make a name for oneself and to get some contacts.

Many Aussies do go to the UK for opportunities and experiences that are harder to obtain than here.

MikeStanton

That's about right. There are many more opportunities for professionals in UK than Oz - partly because it has a much large population and also because London is a key financial centre

I've known a few profesionals return to the UK because they can't find the jobs in Sydney or Melbourne.

CPW

I have known this happen to two families that I am close to. In one case the situation almost tore the family apart, and things are now only patched together (at best): anger, jealosy and recriminations remain not far below the surface.

A circumstance that is very much to be avoided if at all possible.

rapitts

yeah it depends on your husbands resume as well. Make it standout, put experience first, basically sell yourself. Sydney does shutdown during the summer,starting late november until end of January.

Sydney is a hard market for jobs, for example my current position had 120 applications so the agency told me.

Ring the agencies every other day just to remind them your still alive.

Good Luck and hope you get something long term, you may need to look at short term until after the summer months, also make sure you add to your resume you have a PR visa.

If a agency is looking for key skills, make sure your resume states all the required key skills, agencies dont mind having various versions of your resume.

If you can fax/send references to the agencies as well then it all helps.

chocaholic

We arrived in Australia at about the same time of year and started looking for work half way through January. It takes a lot of effort meeting up with headhunters, agencies and following leads through friends etc and it can be frustrating listening to people who want to see "Australian experience". We thought it would take about six months average to find a good job and it took a little less than that, but not much less! By good job, I mean, in this case, one where you can utilize your qualifications and experience as much as possible.

You'll read here that some people walk straight in to jobs. They could just have the right experience, have good contacts, or just be plain lucky!

base_sydney

What sort of job are we talking here?

I think one of the most important variables that we need to consider is the type of job that one is looking for. I believe some job types have regular vacancies while for others, vacancies might be infrequent.

miriam, is your spouse a pure finance personnel or an accountant? I thought aussie market is crying for skilled accountants! However, I am doubtful whether the same applies to pure finance jobs!!

ireland

Hi I was sadden to read your post I hope everything works out for you and the family Best wishes ireland

miriam

Thanks for all your replies. my husband works as a commercial/financial analyst. His contract has been extended now until the end of Dec but we are finding the situation pretty parochial.

Rosie - if you can let me have the numbers of your recommended temp agencies that will be helpful. I haven't temped yet since most temping jobs net of tax don't cover the cost of childcare here but if my husband is not working, will do so.

I think we are both united that if we don't ultimately find good jobs in our profession will look at business opportunities. But I can't see the point of staying anywhere long term if it ultimately results in fewer opportunities for ourselves and our children.

Rosie n family

The Three Temp agencies I use are:
D3 on 83391777
Small & Associates 92903733
Julia Ross 0282560000 They also have a Breakfast club where you (Phone and book your day) turn up in the morning, eat croissants and coffee, read the paper and when jobs come in they dish them out to first come first served....the risk is that you might not get a job...but then I can eat my bodyweight in croissants no probs

Childcare is much cheaper than the UK and seems widely available - we have a before and after school care on school site They can go from 7am to 6pm with tea & Brekkie and you just choose which sessions you want. You also pay childcare according to how much you earn....ie low salaries get a larger % reduction, but even at 100% I think the PM session is $8!

Good Luck

miriam

Thanks Rosie - thats really helpful - is it possible to temp part time or are most assignments for weekly contracts. Which area are you based that childcare is so cheap?. We are based in Bondi and childcare in the whole of the Eastern Suburbs is seriously pricey and the waiting lists are two years. i'm trying to get my kid in for next year. Are your kids at school?

miriam

John Howard

When i left the UK i was Engineering Manager at a medium sized food manufacturer. I found it difficult to find a Job when i first arrived in Sydney. It took me 3 months to get my first offer! By then i took it as i was desperate. The job was Maintenance team leader at a large food manufacturer, quite a few steps down the ladder!! I have spent 9 months at the food place. I have just accepted a Job as Engineering Manager with a very large Australian building products and sugar company, at one of their sites in Sydney.

Don't let agencies and people tell you that is doesnt matter that you are not Australian, IT DOES. Until you have had experience within a company in Australia your overseas experience counts for very little.

Somebody said to me once that it would be easier to settle in Australia if they spoke a different language as then you would not expect everything to be the same as the UK and think that you could walk straight into the same Job.

For all you people coming here please dont expect to walk into the same Job. Employers here are as sceptical as employers in the UK would be about employing for example a Russian instead of an Englishman.

Sometimes you have to take a few steps down the ladder to get back up again. YOU NEED TO HAVE LOCAL EXPERIENCE I dont mean to try and scare people i'm just trying to tell it like it is.

Pete