Hopefully by now you should have established that your occupation is in demand in Australia and that you can enter the country via one of the visa types. If you are like most people and do not have work already lined up there are many ways that you can enhance your job search, even ahead of your arrival. Chances are that you will arrive with a clear idea of what kind of job you are seeking and which kind of companies might be in a position to offer you employment. There are some particularly useful websites for job seekers and I would recommend the following.
Online Tools
- www.seek.com.au
- www.careerone.com.au
Both of these comprehensive sites allow you to search for current vacancies within all major cities and surrounds. They enable you to search by both location and industry, ensuring that you find the most relevant positions for your requirements. Depending on the job, you can either send your CV direct from the advert on the site or it will direct you to the relevant recruitment consultancy. The sites are updated daily and provide a great insight into the current market.
This site provides an overview of the leading recruitment sites listing permanent, temporary and part-time jobs and allows you to click through. This is a particularly useful site for those wishing to cast the net wide.
This is a government run website that helps prospective job seekers. Not only does it contain up to date information about job vacancies in all the regions, it also offers useful tips and advice.
Recruitment Agencies
As you would expect, all Australian capital cities have numerous recruitment agencies. The majority are based in or around the Central Business District (CBD). Many of them specialise in certain industries and it’s a case of finding ones relevant to your profession which you can do by searching on line.
Publications
As Australia is so vast and the cities are great distances from one another, there are no national newspapers. Each of Australia’s capital cities has its own range of newspapers, which have useful information for job seekers. Refer to the city chapters to find relevant details.
Centrelink
Centrelink is a government job seekers initiative which has offices in many city suburbs and major country centres. It is a useful resource to know about as they can also refer foreign clients for overseas skills recognition and offer useful advice and information.
All job seekers can also use the free Job Network Access self-help facilities in Centrelink offices, which include telephones, photocopiers, fax machines, computers and daily newspapers.
You can locate them using the
White Pages telephone directory or on their website.
www.centrelink.gov.au
Your Resumé
Even if your CV is up to date and factually correct, it may need adapting for the Australian market.
Qualifications
Whilst most Australians are familiar with the UK and may have in fact worked there themselves, the chances are they won’t be familiar with our universities and courses so make it clear what your qualifications are in and what they might be equivalent to over here. Your professional skills and qualifications may also need to be formally recognised by the appropriate Australian authority before you are allowed to work in some jobs.
Work Experience
No amount of qualifications can make up for practical experience and
skills and Australian employers will recognise this. Make it clear what experience you can offer as they may not recognise the name of the company you worked for or the position you held, so ensure your CV is straightforward and relevant.
Job Interviews
Once you have secured an interview ensure that you have as much information about the company as possible. Investigate their product lines, their history and if possible their work culture as this can help you adopt the right attitude in the interview and will enable you to answer questions and ask any that you might have. Ensure that you dress in a manner befitting your industry.
Salary Expectations
The cost of living is a crucial thing to consider when moving to Australia as you must remember that wages are proportionately lower than in the UK. Salaries will vary across the States, with Sydney and Melbourne generally offering higher wages than other Australian cities, but this is comparative with the cost of living in those areas. You also have to remember that taxes in Australia are high. But the chances are that you aren’t relocating to Australia to earn more money, so as long as you bear this is mind it shouldn’t come too much as a nasty surprise.
Researching the market from the UK can also give you an idea of salary expectations, but don’t fixate on this too much as there’s a huge amount
of difference between earning pounds and dollars. It is not until your pounds have run out that you truly understand the cost of living and that the Aussie dollars do not go as far as you think and certainly not as far as the British pounds!
Working Conditions
Conditions in the workplace are generally very good in Australia. Annual leave within the majority of respectable companies is 20 days on top of the usual bank holidays. You have to love a country where they celebrate our Queen’s birthday with a national day off work!
Australia is also a multicultural society and proud of this, therefore you should not expect to be discriminated against for your sexual preference or race.