tonik25

Yes I'm with you on that one - we currently commute to Manchester and hate every minute of it so don't want to do that again.

chaval

Quite alot of us going to brizzy then...maybe we should join forces and set PM union lol

datamile

And every PM needs good developer or System designer as the ACS calls me to make them look good

tonik25

Well if the Brisbane area IT project managers want to PM me I'll save your details and organise a meet when I get to Brisbane if anyone fancies it?

I think the thought of a room full of project manangers is likely to put anyone else off wanting to come LOL

JackTheLad

You people are making me worry now. I'm a full time mum at the moment but when I was working, I had 2 or 3 managers from different business units telling me what they wanted me to do, in addition to my own project manager, and there was only one of me to do the REAL work (analysis, design and build). So when you lot come over and assuming you all get jobs as project managers, every developer will have like 10 PMs to report to or something like that?!

I think I'll stay home and let JTL handle the IT project managers...

On a serious note, be prepared to take your time finding a project manager job - there aren't that many projects in Brisbane, comparing to Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra. There are a lot of local PMs (some well qualified and some not so) and you'll be competing against them. However they have the advantage of having already been well networked locally.

Good luck to all,
Mrs JTL

DunRoaminTheUK

Brisbane IT is healthy and apparently booming. I got a job as Senior Analyst Programmer within 2 weeks and I went for 2 jobs and got offered both.

With the current predicted growth rate in SE QLD I think that things have improved vastly for IT peeps, since about 18 months ago.

datamile

Typical from jobserve I get around 25 jobs matching oracle + brisbane.. a year ago it was 5 a day

Jacqui

I'd be interested to know what a PM could typically earn in the UK (not London). Not wishing to boast, but my husband's salary is considerably more than we expected it to be, and currently 40% more than what he earnt in the UK, although that was four years ago. Hard to make comparisons now that we've been away awhile, can someone give me an idea of your average wage there now?
Hubby works in Perth and for his first job had to drop a few rungs down the ladder and start as a Senior Software Engineer, but that was at $78k three years ago, which was fine as we had no mortgage. He found the job too easy of course, but the important thing was to get a foot in the door, so don't stress too much if you can't find the ideal job straightaway. He works in C++ and .Net amongst others. It wasn't long before his skills were recognised by those "higher up" and he was promoted to Chief Engineer, until he was head-hunted and changed jobs. He had a massive pay rise and has been getting on ok in his new job, but with the passing of time, word has gotten around and last month he was head-hunted by no less than three firms! One job he turned down because it was based in Sydney. He went for interviews at the other two and today has gone in to meet with his new employer to formally accept their job offer. Have yet to hear what salary he has been offered, but I'm sure it's going to make a nice difference to our lifestyle!
My main point is, don't fret too much when you first arrive. It takes a while to build up your contacts again. The jobs are out there, even in Perth, you just need to let people know you are around, especially if you specialise in a particular field. Get networking! Join the ACS and attend their monthly meetings, see what local contacts you can make there. Don't sit back and wait for the recruitment agents to contact you; keep pestering them. It makes for hard work, but jiggle your CV around to suit each post you are applying for - whichever skills they are after, make sure these are the ones that jump out at them from the page. Really emphasise the jobs that you've done that are similar to what you're applying for, even if you only did it for a short while or you think the skill seems trivial - hubby got his first job because, out of over 120 people that applied, he was the only one that had worked on radio systems, a field that he had only ventured into once, for a short time.

Whitby Wanderers

[QUOTE=Jacqui]I'd be interested to know what a PM could typically earn in the UK (not London).

Last year I was hiring "experienced and competent" contract PM's for IT oriented projects in Yorkshire for £325 to £375 a day, and permies for around £50k pa plus a car.

Swing-Your-Pants

[QUOTE=Jacqui]I'd be interested to know what a PM could typically earn in the UK (not London).

£400-£450 per day - Reading

tonik25

[QUOTE=Whitby Wanderers] I work within a team of IT PM's and salaries range from about 25K for a junior PM to roughly £50K for an experienced PM. My company is based in Manchester.

Jacqui

Thanks for replies. It's confirmed then - he's earning more here, in Perth even. Uprooting the family to Sydney would have realised a massive payrise to $200k+ but we're happily settled here. Have been through (and survived) one lot of emigration stress, I don't want to go through that again moving to the other side of Australia.

I mentioned to hubby last night that I had posted on here, and asked him about the IT prospects for Perth. He says there are 40-50 posts advertised daily on seek.com.au, no shortage of vacancies, just the people to fill them. When he starts his new job next month, he will be expected to lead a team of over 40 developers but as yet they have only employed 15 and are continually advertising. He will be involved in the recruitment drive as well as heading up the team. This is for a major international project with a multi-national company. Skills required include C++ and Java. Please PM me if you are arriving in Perth over the next couple of months and would like him to consider you. I can't give out further details on this thread obviously, but if you've got the skills and want to be put in touch, I'll see what I can do for you. This Saturday we are both going up to Perth to meet with some ex-colleagues of his - one of them is the recruitment manager for a Perth firm and I can pass your details onto him too. This guy will be keen to speak to you even if you are still waiting for your visa, because their company too has been struggling to fill jobs advertised locally.

debilloyd

Hi, I am an IT PM in Sydney. We moved out at the beginning of January and had 3 offers by the end of Feb, I finally started work on the 13th March. I did ensure I had Prince 2 practitioner before I got out here and I'm sure that helped.

Good luck with your move and in find the right job.

Debs

sprite_green

Debs,

Thanks for the info.

I am an IT PM (and have been for years). Think that it makes sense to get some formal qualification behind me before arriving next year.

I am currently looking at PMI or Prince2.

What's your experience in terms of recognition of Prince2 in Oz?

Thanks in advance.

SG

debilloyd

I did OK with Prince 2 and some job ads do quote Prince 2. However, I have been trying to recruit another couple of PMs for my team and I have seen a lot of PMI and PMBOK mentioned. I think PMI is bigger here than Prince 2 if that helps at all. I still don't think you can go wrong with any of the above. They will know that you have done what it takes to get qualified and understand project governance etc.

Debs