Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Hi everyone, I am looking for work in Melbourne at the moment. It seems to me that there doesn't seem to be much happening and would be great full if someone could give me contacts of company's or something. I done my OTSR and have my restricted workers license. Money is getting tight and I'm worried that if I can't get work soon ill have to go home.!!!
Please someone give me advice on what to do or have any other options on what to do...

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Hi Jamie,

I did a quick search on seek for trade assistant, and there's one there with ilite electrical (http://www.seek.com.au/job/24737013). I was given the advice of looking for employers advertising direct, and not through agencies who screen you out if you are not an exact match, and to send CV's to local electrical contracting companies. Someone else also advised making friends with local electrical wholesalers who know all the tradies in their area, and who might need a hand.

What type of electrical work are you looking for? Have you done gap training yet? Have you got a good cv?

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

I just applied for it there now thanks but I have already applied for loads of jobs on seek and haven't even got an interview. I also have put an ad on gumtree in hope that a contractor would contact me. Apart from one or two people ringing for me to do shitty jobs that wouldn't be worth my while still nothing. I went onto the ETU website and got numbers/emails of contractors and forwarded on my CV. Is it really that quiet, seems to me that it's nearly as bad as Recession Ireland at the moment. It wouldn't bother me as much if I hadn't of left a full time job at home with great money. I will go the some of the wholesaler a next week and maybe put up a poster or something. I'm only qualified since early this year but have Great experience, I've worked in Regional hospitals, clinics, Irish Aviva stadium, Amazon & IBM data halls/offices, Pfizers pharmetcuetical plant and other small projects.. No I haven't done any gap training yet because I can't find employer so it's like I've just hot a dead end!!!!

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Hi Jamie,

I haven't found a job yet either but we've only been here a couple of months. I have gap training booked with PEER in Adelaide starting next month, and if I'm still struggling to find work, they have said that they might be able to help so that I can get the log book done. I have at least had a couple of interviews, and calls about a few others but no job yet. I do industrial maintenance and control work, but also have mechanical skills and a longer history. I'm here on state sponsored visa so limited to SA for the time being but if you are not restricted to Melbourne, maybe looking elsewhere may give you more options.

Did you also apply for the solar installer role?

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Hi sparles,
I might contact peer and look into about doing the gap training. To be honest at the moment I am more concerned about running out of money and having to go home. How are you surviving over here without a job for this long?? Yes I have applied for anything I possibly can find on the web.

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

We're here on PR visas, and I knew it might take time to find a job so have enough savings for a while. If you are really struggling to find elec work, why not try for any job just to have money going in the bank - retail, cafe's, etc. I also had a very good job in the UK before we left, and hammered the OT last year. They gave me a career break to be able to come over and see if I can make it work over here.

What visa are you on?

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Ohright very good, I'm only over here on a working holiday visa. I'm looking for regional work on farm ect. it seems difficult to find that to but I guess I'm just going to have to keep looking. I'm staying in hostels so your money doesn't last very over here, just hope I find something soon because I don't want to go home.

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Can you not try another state? Like NSW. Loads of construction going on here. Melbourne is a prick to get a job. I know. I was there in 1998 and they wouldn't touch me as i had no licence or was in the union. Came to Sydney and had a job within a few days.

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Hi all,
Im here in Melbourne too,im an A grade sparkie,did the peer course s few years ago.Ive had a few jobs since being here (nearly 4 yrs).Melbourne is dead for electrical work at the moment.Ive applied to probably 25 jobs this year,had a few interviews.The trouble is that for every job advertised on seek 150-200 people apply,then they interview 12 guys,just takes lots of luck to be the lucky one.
Its just the same as the uk,its who you know not what you know.
Im just working sub contract atm,with plenty of gaps.
not ideal

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Useful tips, thanks.

Btw, I don't think you should limit your options on one state just because you got sponsorship from them. If you really can't find work there, nobody can resent you moving to another state to survive...

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Yeah seek just seems to be a waste of time and it really is who you know not what you know. I first went to Brisbane for 5 weeks and had no luck up there either, I obviously picked the two worst places to find work sparking. With funds getting low now my options are restricted, I think ill just try stick it out here for another bit and hopefully something will come up. The whole new gap training thing really is making it tough on us overseas sparks to get work over here. Employers just aren't interested in you unless you have your A grade..

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Things might pick up after the financial year ends on 30th june,either that or when the election is over later in the year.as i said i'm finding it hard to get work and i'm an A grade!

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Yeah heard things slow down a bit at the end of the financial year. Hopefully I pick up something soon anyway, I just have to keep positive and applying for jobs. If anyone hears of anything don't be afraid to let me know I'd appreciate anything at all.... Living the dream apart from being unemployed.!!!!!

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

I know I can ask the state to let me move, but I'm getting responses to my applications at the moment so will give it a bit longer - 2 months really isn't that long to be looking, especially as the first month I was concentrating on sorting out home and stuff. If you have sponsorship, and are considering changing state, I would always advise speaking to them first.

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Maybe you should consider moving to WA.

http://australia.infomine.com/career...lled.jobs.aspx

As you can see on the link almost 80% of the jobs are in WA.

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Even in WA you will struggle without your A grade. I have just completed my gap training but a lot of the guys I met through the courses are struggling to get work, have been paid off or have low paid jobs. I found it very hard to get work with the restricted license as well I don't think it is easy anywhere in OZ now. Also if you are on a WHV do you really want to spend all the money doing gap training? you wont complete it before your visa runs out.

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Yeah it just seems like employers aren't interested in you with the restricted because your basically just a trade assistant or labourer to them.! Especially now that there doesn't seem to be as much work out there A grade are going to get the jobs before the supervised. Did you do an OTSR or ARTC.??? I'm planning on doing regional work so that'll give me the extra year to finish the gap training.. As I already spent $2,100 doing my OTSR to get the supervised workers permit which is a waste of time and money, I may aswell finish it out to get my A grade.. I have to find an employer first though.

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

I have an OSTR as i am a permanent visa holder and needed it for migration purposes. Why have you done an OSTR. On a holiday visa you should do ARTC. The rest of the gap training will cost you around $4000 plus 4 weeks lost earnings.

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

I found out that the TEEU were helping sparks to gain there license before heading to oz. They tied in with Future Skills Australia and done the OTSR through them. They told me that this was the best way to go about gaining my A grade license. Basically they kind of told us that this was the only was of gaining our A Grade now since everything was after being changed. I had been looking up info of how to gain the license prior to doing the OTSR and had come across the ARTC but didn't fully understand the process. It's my own fault in a way for not researching it but it all sounded good at the time. It was only when I got out to oz I realized that the supervised license is a pointless and employers aren't interested unless you have your A Grade.
The gap training various in every state, like in QLD you enroll with an RTO, where you do a course 2 nights a week for 6 months and can cost from $2000-3000 depending on the training organization and obviously do your on the job training to complete the e profiling log system.
In Victoria you have to do complete licenced electricians assessments (LEA) theory and practical which cost around €1000. These are only one day each for the theory and practical. You must also Completed 12 months electrical installation work as the holder of a Supervised Worker's Licence with written confirmation by the employer.
They are the two states I've been in so far in the past 2 months since I came out here. I just hope I can find work with this shitty supervised workers licence. Your basically just an apprentice again with it. So much hassle and money Im wondering is it even worth it. On the bright side though if I do decide to apply for my permanent visa I have my OTSR already.

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Also TRA will decline your application for an ARTC if you have done your OTSR already so you have to go about getting your A grade license the long way.! Gap training Bollocks.!!!!!!

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Can you get any work, and carry on looking for the TA work? There's some stuff being advertised here in Adelaide at the mo - but I think it's short term contracts if that would help - think its on with Hays.

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Still nothing yet anyway , I'm after applying for TA positions so hopefully I hear something back. Thanks for the info but I think I'm going to hang tough up in Melbourne now and i should pick up something to keep me going.

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

No worries Jamie - let us know how you get on :)

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Any luck in Melbourne yet with your OTSR?

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

I'm after picking up a job at last, it's not exactly what I was looking for but actually seems pretty decent. I had an add up on gumtree and a sub-contractor for foxtel contacted me an asked would I be interested in being a foxtel technician. Basically going around to houses installing the set top boxes, running RG6 coax cables and points and installing the satellites ect. He's after paying for me to do my working at heights training and cabling license course, supplying me with a van, tools and all equipment needed for the work. I'm just out in the field training with another technician the last two weeks and should be starting on my own next week.
The only thing is that this kind of work doesn't count as gap training as I'm only working in one specific area. I'm not to bothered about gaining my A grade at the moment, I can live without it. I'm just happy to have a job and some decent money coming in. It's a change of scenery from being on construction sites and a bitta of experience in a different area aswell.

Re: Help, looking for work in Melbourne.!!!!
 

Sydney seems to be the place for electrical work from my perspective sitting here in the UK. lol. you can work unlicensed and there's definetly more jobs advertised. I'm looking at a Skilled Independent Visa now. All the best. Steve