Engineering_Geologist

Dear all,

I'm a soon to finish PhD student of engineering geology / geotechnical engineering from the UK and am looking to relocate to Australia as soon as possible upon completion + getting the 476 visa through (hopefully early 2015).

I've had a good go at applying for jobs from here but don't seem to be getting anywhere (I must admit rather unsurprisingly) so have decided the best bet is to head out and try my luck once in Australia. Can anyone please enlighten me as to how well received a 476 visa holding PhD graduate would be for EG roles in mining or civil engineering currently? I'm a little anxious about heading all the way across the world without any job to go to!

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Ta.

Tramps_mate

It's not easy at all in geology... Anywhere.

Tramps_mate

Although they want engineering geos in oil and gas in aberdeen!

old.sparkles

Hi and welcome to BE

I can't help much with your question, but I'm sure others can. When do you actually finish your phd?

Bermudashorts

Personally, I think you would be better off getting some working experience before you go. That is though, a generic comment, I would make to any fresh graduate as Australian employers are going to favour their own fresh graduates. I have no idea whether things are different in your field.

verystormy

Welcome to the forum.

I am one of the very many unemployed geologists here in Oz.

To be honest, I would rethink your plans. There are loads of us from mining backgrounds currently unemployed. The market for non mining geotech / engineering geology is very limited and not helped by the face that here, a lot of the roles a geo would do in the UK are done by civil engineers. They don't really get the reasons for using a geo.

I would concentrate on getting some experience in the UK for a couple of years while the industry here is in a downturn and then when it is picking back up, look at options for coming over.

Beoz

My wife does similar to you and had 3 skype interviews and offered 2 jobs from the UK. She was ready to roll when she arrived in Oz. She is not a doctor like yourself. Perhaps you are over qualified.

Engineering_Geologist

Thanks to all for help and advice!

Tramps_mate: yes I am rapidly learning how hard going it is everywhere for geo's! Not sure the other half would be too pleased with me substituting Australia for Aberdeen...

old.sparkles: should finish the PhD October/November/December time (it's one of those 'how long is a piece of string' things).

Bermudashorts & verystormy: I seem to be getting that advice from many corners but would really like to begin my career in Aus. - I'm not sure in the future I will be in a position whereby I can so easily up sticks and go. Perhaps blind persistence and ignorance is the answer.

Beoz: Wow congrats to your wife! very jealous. Perhaps I need to rethink how I sell myself on the CV.

Once again thanks to all for the help,

Ta.

old.sparkles

Perhaps revisit the situation once you finish your Phd and in the meantime, have a look at making your resume more appealing to the Australian market. In terms of your better half, are you married or in a defacto relationship?

Quinna

I have recruited engineers to the UK and Australia for many years. Its all about experience my friend. Even if jobs are hard to come by, the right specialist experience will mean you get a job. Conversely if jobs are easy to come by, you will be competing with others who have just graduated - For an employer given the choice of an Aussie grad with no visa issues and someone who needs a visa and may not stay - well I am afraid its a clear choice.

Alternatives to not getting work

1) If you need to travel to Australia why not do it on holiday work visa? You can have some fun and return to the UK then get experience you need after learning what is going on in your industry in Australia. Then you can return to Australia with a couple years experience under your belt and maybe even some contacts.

2) Check out NZ. Experience will still be an issue but when I was recruiting engineers and geotech in the UK I would say 90% of geotech guys and gals were Kiwis. Much bigger need over there! I have no idea of the state of current market.

3) Get experience in the UK or Europe where you can work and it does not cost £1200 every time you want to do an interview

Bermudashorts

Well I would have really liked to begin my career in the USA, but it was not going to happen. I think moving over on a temporary visa with no experience is just creating a rod for your own back.

Why would you not be able to go in the future? Just rent for a couple of years whilst you get your experience. I moved overseas when I was 36 and then again when I was 40, if you want to do it you can do it.

verystormy

Just remember, that even with a phd, as far as industry is concerned you are a grad. You may go further quicker due to the phd, but initially you will be classed the same as a normal grad. Understandably as mist of the day to day things you don't have experience of. For example, I had a phd grad working for me, who wasn't that happy that I was going to treat her as a normal grad. So I asked her if she could do a rig inspection for a geotech hole. A fundamental part of the job. Nope. She understood then why.

Now, consider that only a tiny minority of Australian grads - including phd qualified - are finding work here at the moment.

Next, you need to be aware of the way the system works. If you don't break into it within 12 months, the industry will write you off in favor of the next years grads. So, you are, as far as Oz mining is concerned, useless. Hard I known, but that is the way it works.

Beoz

What about something that's not mining? Plenty of infrastructure projects around.

Tramps_mate

When I worked in Oz our company let go 100 geologists in 2012 alone. They've since gone bust and released another 200. 50/50 Aussie to British I'd say. I know one Brit who managed to get a job after that, most of the Aussies got work.

The Brits have all returned home. Aussies as mentioned be it grad or highly experienced are and will getting priority or favorability over foreign workers in the current climate.

Very stormy is the guy who knows what's going on.

Fwiw. Aberdeen is a very nice place to live. Lots of money there and a nice city! If you like outdoors stuff you can go wild!

verystormy

The problem is that in the UK and most of the rest of the world, geotechs are used a lot in big projects. Heck, build anything much bigger than a house in the rest of the world and a geo will be used. Even houses in the UK built in inner city areas will often have a ground investigation done in case of contaminated land by a geo. Here they don't. Building projects prefer civil engineers.

Then there is the issue that there are a lot of guys that have been laid off from mining chasing the odd non mining roles.