Nurse-Tom

I'm a theatre nurse and my wife works as a retail developer... we leave the UK for Oz on the 28th October on a 175 visa. I have plagued every hospital close to where we want to live with letters and CVs.... loads of replies from Nursing Managers who have asked me to contact them directly when we arrive. It's worked for me so I'd get cracking at the post office too if I were you. All I did was send a nice convering letter with details of my arrival dates and the fact that I have permanent residency along with a very detailed resume. I used Google to find the hospitals and multi-map to see if they were an option in terms of a sensible commute. It's really helped my confidence in finding work. My wife has been told to hold off applying until she arrives but she too has had lots of positive replies from employers she approached directly. Also... my bother is a self employed chippy on the Sunshine Coast and he's got loads of work... stay positive.

nbn8

Good to hear that there is loads of work on Sunshine Coast for chippy's any ideas for the Gold Coast?

Nurse-Tom

My bother in-law has been out in Oz for about 4.5 years now so he has a well established client base...... but none-the less, he's saying that he's got plenty of work for himself and he works the Sunshine and Gold Coast areas. He's got so much work infact, that he can't take time off work to meet us at the airport next month!! Maybe he's betting on needing a few extra $$ coz he knows we'll be staying with him for a bit while we get ourselves sorted!! But it definately sounds encouraging.

paularn

Thank you springoz.

Please post back once you land a job I'll be anxious to hear how it goes.

paularn

I agree if you have a move date to write it in the cover letter. Mine doesn't have a move date yet, because we are aiming for January (for start of next school year) IF nothing came up before then (which I'm thinking with the way things are going that nothing will come up until I'm there). I think the job I interviewed for in March was because I wrote in the cover letter that I would be in the city between X date and X date. They knew I was there to actually meet me.

I have citizenship so won't have a problem with a visa etc, but I also mention that I have citizenship in my cover letter.

Did you ever get your QLD licence yet?

paularn

I'm starting to think this is true. I applied for a job on the QLD health website that closed 3rd August....still haven't heard boo about it. And the website says that my application is still 'in progress'. What are they waiting for? Just send me the email saying I didn't get it, instead of leaving me hanging!

Nurse-Tom

The QNC....... my nemises...... will I ever have my registration completed?? Dunno! I'm just plugging away at it, hopefully as of early next week they'll receive the additional paperwork they requested, after losing the first batch sent in May, and that'll be that. They certainly haven't made it easy and I'm absolutely 100% no doubt about it sure that I sent everything they asked for in the first place, but hey ho.

Regarding Queensland health, they never replied to my job applications either, but after submitting an 'expression of interest' they got back to me like a shot and actually gave me a choice of jobs! I'm sure though that it's made easier by the fact that I have permanent residency, a definate arrival date and importantly.... no notice period to work when I do arrive.

I'm a clinical nurse specialist in orthopaedic surgery and it would appear that they like the look of me, they even asked for a picture..... wierd eh!

paularn

Good luck getting your licence, hopefully it won't be too much longer before you get the approval.

I was thinking of submitting an expression of interest as well. My friend (an aussie RN) told me to do that and just list any area that I would like to work in, she thinks this is the way to go too and that I would probably hear back quicker doing it this way.

They wanted a picture? That is odd.

Nurse-Tom

My wife took the pic on a sunday afternoon following a particularly relaxing afternoon in the sunshine at the pub The sun made me thirsty so I maintained my fluid balance with cider. Seemed like a good idea at the time but on reflection I definately look like I've been in the pub too. The scrubs we wear at work are burgandy and clash with the colour of my eyes so that wasn't a photographic option!

josie jo

hi

we have been here for 3 months now and i was lucky enough to land myself a job last october at a aus expo in leeds!!

i work at the mater hospital in brisbane, they are still after nurses, pay a good relocation package and are in the uk in october, i think in london and manchester,

i travel up from the gold coast and it takes me anywhere between 40 minutes and an hour,

once you are here i'm sure you will have no problem landing a nursing job, agency nurses are used alot, so if you get desperate then you could do agency work,

hope this helps
jo