Springbok

Hi There Chefs and Families..

Well, we got our visa's a few weeks ago, which after a year and a half was some kind of relief. We have booked our tickets for February and are excited about coming over. I am on this site quite often and see that the chef section is quite a quiet area. Obviously folk are getting on with their lives and the forum is no longer the be all and end all of communications. I wonder how people are getting on. I see lots of jobs advertised but the wages seem pretty grim. How many of you guys have stayed in the industry or have moved on to other things. We were looking at Perth but the wages advertised to house prices seem impossible. Don't get me wrong we are coming no matter what. I am just interested to hear what peoples experiences are. Otherwise, I hope you guys are enjoying your time over there, hope to hear some honest answers and possibly meet up with some of you. Cheers........

Ewan

Springbok

Hi There..

Informative lot you guys are. Do I detect a clique....

Maybe my paranoia

Pollyana

Just a rather quiet forum I think - try posting some questions in the Aus Lifestyle forum.....

Tigeresswhite

Hello,

Can I ask where you have found chefs jobs with salaries listed? I can find jobs but there does not seem to be much informaton of what they want to pay?

Also does it matter if you only go as a cook if you are a qualified chef? I am not sure why the agency put me in as a cook as I have been a qualified chef since1989 and worked as a chef or catering manager ever since?

Also are others down grading as a chef until they know what is what in OZ?

thanks for any info.

Nicky

Cheetah7

High Nicky.

I think alot of/most of the chef jobs have salary discussed at the interview which is or can be negotiable. Some do have them listed but I havent found that many.

With regards to working as a chef when assessed as a cook, I dont think you need to show your TRA certificate with jobs.

If you have your chef qualifications, then I would apply for that trade.

Although my husband said he would if he had to, take employment as a cook just to get that all valuable 'Aussie work experience'

They do say chefs rarely have problems finding work, but that is something we shall find out for ourselves when we get there I suppose.

Good luck with it.

Samantha

Tigeresswhite

HI Samantha

Thanks for your reply.

I have looked in lots of places but without much luck on finding salaries.
I will have to wait a bit longer to find out there seems to a massive variant in salaries from $30,000 to $65,000 not sure which is the more likely.

Do any of you know of any famous Aussie chefs? I need todo some reading as I know they call some foods different names to us. I think some of the herbs they call different names. Don't want to look a right plank when I get out there.

Thanks for any information you guys might have.

How are all of you chefs doing at the moment?
I am almost ready to send off TRA for the second time....fingers crossed.

Nicky

petereb

Hi Nicky

I'm just in the process of sending off TRA for the first time, why was yours rejected the first time, not enough info...any help would be appreciated

Tigeresswhite

Hi Peterb,

Yes they said there was not enough information even though most of what I have rewritten was the same as before but in a different format.
I have written an idiots guide to a day in the kitchen explaining everyting as though you are talking to a moron. Not saying they are morons reading it but they didn't manage to understand what I wrote last time.
They queried 14 jobs in 20 years even though they had all of the information such as wage slips, P45's and P60's as well as detailed CV's and explanations of all of the jobs.
They did not seem to understand that in catering a lot of jobs where I live are seasonal and that sometimes I was doing 2 or 3 jobs at a time.

Make sure you explain everything very well for eg. describe how you would make a dish, from what you use (not quantities as you could copy that from a book)to how you prepare the ingredients also what you are doing at the same time, like I am peeling the potatoes that I will place into cold salted water and bring to the boil, then when they are boiling I will then turn down the heat so that they simmer, while that is happening I get the ingredients together for my cheese sauce. Get the gist?
Basically teach them to suck eggs. I think the TRA are going to start their own cook book with all of the recipes and methods that we are sending them.
Also if you can write your references and if your exemployers are willing to print them out on headed paper and sign them that will help you. Basically the detailed information you put in your day in the kitchen you will need the same in the references. I have had to redo mine ( as requested by the agent).
Not sure of your circumstances but in mine the reference writers would not be able to put the required detail in. Many take no notice how you get the end result as long as it is the quality and quantity they are after. They would not be able to say how you buy in the beef and cut it for steaks of different cuts and different weights to order and how you would trim off excess fat.
Hope this helps a bit. Good Luck with your application and shout if you need any help.
Happy typing Nicky

Cheetah7

My husbands first skills assessment was as a cook and not a chef. Our TRA agent Glenn Newton, appealed and successfully got it reclassified as a Chef.

We couldnt have done it without him though. I would say if there is any doubt about gathering info for TRA, then use someone like Glenn.

We couldnt afford to get it wrong or risk failing as time is not on our side and our situation needed someone who knew what they were doing, to put it together.

That saying, we are still waiting for the visa and its a year next month.

the4ofus

[QUOTE=Professional Princess;4347485]My husbands first skills assessment was as a cook and not a chef. Our TRA agent Glenn Newton, appealed and successfully got it reclassified as a Chef.

We couldnt have done it without him though. I would say if there is any doubt about gathering info for TRA, then use someone like Glenn.

We too are using Glenn Newton (thru AVS in Dublin), he was our skills assessor and we passed yesterday . NExt step is the TRA - how I am dreading it. My husband is the main applicant but its me that does all the reading/writing/typing. Keep your fingers crossed for us!!!!!!!!

Lynn

Tigeresswhite

Hi Samantha and Lynn

My agent told me the difference was that the chefs had to have Michelin Star to be a chef everyone else was then a cook. I did tell her the best you get on the Isle of Wight is AA Rosette and that there are not many of those. So therefore I am only as good as a cook for this??? After 20 years, being qualified and having worked in most of the Rosette kitchens on the Island.
I AM A COOK! At least I don't get a label to say COOK when I get there
Anyhow well done Lynn and family for getting through that stage.
We are now 2 monts behind our schedule what with having to redo what info they had and the agents keeping the decision to themselves for 6 weeks, will probley be homeless if the house sells quicker that we anticipated. Cross that bridge when we come to it.

Take care
Nicky

wavy_davy

Sorry guys, I missed this thread...........................the state award for a head chef is $42,000 a year which is what anyone working in a low standard cafe will earn. Head Chefs of larger cafes, restaurants, hotels etc should expect to pull anywhere from $55-$75k a year. As I've said before, don't undersell yourself at the interviews, Aussies are a bunch of tight wads and will screw you down for as little as they can get you for...................the West had at least 15 Head positions in it last week and up to 100 other grades so jobs are a plenty at the moment and to be quire honest it's been this way since I arrived 10 months ago..............I'd be happy to answer any more questions you guys have if possible.....

wavy_davy

That is the biggest load of bollocks i have ever heard, you don't need to be a starred chef to be recognised as one!!! I got graded as a chef and know other head chefs out here including that have never been anywhere near a star and have all been given chef status by the Tra.......I'd put the agent straight if I were you

Dave

tonychef

Sounds like a load of bollocks to me to as i got the tra as a head chef and never had a michelin star etc its down to your experience and qualifications so the agent is lying. Im of on april 2nd but traveling for a year and only working in main citys doing temp work or even as kp just to get an idea of what its like which should be fun as i want very little presure at first

Tigeresswhite

Thanks Wavy Davy and Tonychef for your replies. It is beginning to sound to me that I need to change agents.
I am not sure if they think women can't be chefs only cooks or something, but as I have been in charge of the majority of kitchens I have worked in then I think I should qualify. In the later years I have been a hands on catering manager which means that as well as the cooking I have had to deal with and organise the front of house stuff as well as deal with the clients. I trained almost 20 years ago as a chef so I was miffed.

Good luck in your travels Tony that is somewhat like my own intentions. I don't want to settle down with a nice job and then hate the area or there is no work for my other half or something. Also I think the temping rates are quite good so should be able to save a bit more for the new house or the business if I go down that route. Where are you heading? Where are you Wavy Davy? Hopefully going to Perth area.

Nicky