Hello all. Well we have been here 2 weeks now and everything is going smoothly except for the most important aspects, jobs. I won't bore you with my job situation I put it on the nursing forum but we cam on my OH occupation. He it in IT with years and yaers experience. He has applied for loads of jobs at least 4 a day but despite having to go in to see the agents in the city he gets no further except he has got past the agent and secured and interveiw on Monday. Just wondering if this is normal? He's applying for less experience roles now as well just to try and get something. I would ahve put this on the IT forum but barely anyone visits it compared tot he barbie.

Applying to jobs via an agent is not applying for jobs. All the agent will do is put him on the database and if something comes up suitable to his skillset then they will consider him and possible only then forward his CV to a job

Tell me something. How many companies has he actually picked the phone up and called, spoke to the hiring manager and then sent his CV to?

I suppose it depends on his skillset but there's not much as much IT work in Perth from what I've heard? I was lucky to get a job in Sydney before I arrived but I'm not sure I could have done the same in Perth.

Spot on.

I know for a fact that agents often advertise non-existent jobs just to harvest CV's. Your husband has probably noticed that when he's in seeing agents, one of the first questions they'll ask is "who've sent your CV to?" . . . and they don't mean companies but other agencies. If you've already distributed your CV to another agency, they'll generally want nothing to do with you (although they're very diplomatic about this) because its the agent who first sent in the CV that gets the commission irrespective of whether there was an actual job being applied for at the time.

Thanks everyone for the replies. He did send his CV to a few companies but that was when we were still in UK. So it sounds like all this treking back and to to Perth has been a waste of time. He has got a 1-2 day job today just transferring PCs from one office to a new one he is going to take his CV to the company whilst he's there. At least he can get talking to others as theres a few others doing the job too. Probably all in the same situation.

I dont know much about the current job market, but I think two weeks isn't very long.

If going via a recruiter they would wait until they have a bunch of cv's to look at before contacting anyone, the same going direct to a company.

When we came over it was at the height of the GFC so a bit different, it took my OH about 2 and a half months to find something. He is in IT but very specialised. He now gets about 2 job offers a month although he is not looking for anything.

My OH is on LinkedIn and got his job and has had other offers through that avenue. It's basically a professionals' networking site - free and it does work. My brother also got his current position through LinkedIn. Worth a thought.

My OH writes to all the biggest companies regularly with a CV attached just to keep his name fresh in their minds. Hardly ever bothers with agents as they tend to talk out of their rear end a lot of the time!!

Thanks for that daydreamer I let him know it may take longer for hime to find something. He's good at what he does and has sold his business in the UK to move over here so fingers crossed something comes up for him.

Cheers I pass that LinkedIn onto him. He has been to a couple of agents who have said to him they don't think he is suitable for the post which he has applied even though he fit the job spec. Which annoyes him that he doesn't get the chance to get a proper interveiw so he can do the talking instead of some agent.

I think the first one takes a bit longer, after that they know that you are good at your job and its much easier.

I am sure he will do fine, just keep at it and enjoy the time off, rather than worrying all the time about it. When will you next get a chance to spend time doing nothing?

I'm very familiar with agents tricks so the above rings true. Also never tell an agency any details about a job you've applied for, they'll be straight on the phone to the company putting up candidates against you, some call you with non-existant jobs just to find out about the ones you've applied for (this was in the UK). If they object (and some do), ask them to tell you the name of the company they're putting you forward to.

Another one is asking you for a reference from your current job before they put you forwIard, your boss is a valuable contact for them to try to sell more people to.

I'm dealing with a great agent here in Sydney (who moved here before me and I've known for years), a rare one who I trust completely so haven't had much to do with any other local ones, but they'd have to be bad to match the English ones.

Hi Guys,

Some really good advice here on this forum, didnt realise how difficult it is to get a job!!!!! My hubby and I came over on his visa, being told they were crying out for his skills, how more wrong were they????? My Hubby has been applying for job after job for 3weeks only now being told he needs to get his trade recognised again in WA before anyone will touch him....why does he have to do it all again?????Thankfully i do have a job as a neonatal nurse.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Leannelo

Don't know much about it but isn't it true that some trades need to re-certify or something (electricians are one I remember). Of course some of it may be down to the unions...

Thanks for that, hubby is a maintenance fitter, cant understand why he has to get another trade recognition certificate, i can understand electricians, plumbers, but maintaining equipment, bit confussed by it all

Well done on securing yourself a job I'm a registered nurse but no hope of me getting a job as I only have 8 months care home experience as I qualified Jan 09. No hospital will take me unless I have 12 months experience so I'm going to demote myself to care aide at least its work.