Construction Work W.A.

d.pop

Guys, what follows is similar to another post of a few days ago about coming to Oz unprepared but is specific to Perth. Just want to point out some observations and things that caught me unawares.
First up I arrived a few weeks ago as a civil engineer on a 175 visa looking for work in site engineering/site management, while a lot of the stuff to follow applies across the board, WHV people may not like some of it but you should know.
I got a job offer after 2 weeks, but i was lucky and happened to meet someone by chance.
Perth is very much about who you know, take your first offer and go from there.
There are a lot of jobs being advertised on seek etc but 75% of them are Fly in fly out jobs in regional WA, preference is given to people with previous FIFO experience.
There is big money on FIFO, that is why everybody wants to do it, Perth is full of Aussies chasing a few years of big money to set themselves up later, the aussie will get the job before you more than likely, only fair i reckon.
Conversely if a company has an opening in Perth metro they will always offer it to their existing loyal FIFO workers as a reward, kind of a "good man for living in bush for 5 years come on back to civilisation"
The first thing every employer asks is proof of visa status, i'm sorry but WHV's are bottom of pile with 'serious' employers.
It goes..Aussie...Permanent Resident....the rest
Perth is big and hot, getting around in 35+ is no fun on public transport and to be honest you'll quite possibly be unable to get to most sites without your own transport.
You will be asked for a full medical for every mining or remote position, drug/alcohol/muscoskeletal/aerobic/vision/hearing etc. If you are going bush you don't want to be getting ill..
If you have any certificates or trade qualifications they'll have to be WA recognised, you'll know this from your own research no doubt.
Perth is expensive, maybe not as much as over east but if you're paying for accomodation, transport, food etc you won't be long burning through $100+ per day, that does not include drink money.
I wouldn't rule out applying for positions before you get here but realistically there are so many people applying for jobs why would anybody take a chance on you from the otherside of the world? I think you need to be here with a local mobile nbr and address and available for interview within a day of invitation, sorry but that's the way it is now.
Did i say it's hot? Manual labour in 35-40 degrees is no fun.
Finally, I'm not trying to put anybody off but be prepared for a long slog.
Perth is a lovely city and well worth a visit, i did say it's hot didn't I?

Brndn

Congrats on the job! Good post, I agree with all of your points.
You just need time to get acclimatised to the heat, I really love it now, you can get a 35 degrees day in Perth though only have 20% relative humidity, which is beautiful. When you are out on FIFO (like me) you can get over 80% relative humidity every day which is pants. I'm just in for lunch break now and I'm bloody soaked! (I work outside 90% of the time).

Theres so many Irish Civil Engineers here or on their way here now though that its soon gonna be tough to get a job I reckon, especially with the bad reputation the Irish seem to be getting here due to a minority of drunken Irish yobbos.

mandrake04

Congrats on the 175 and the Job

ellaq

Congrats on the job. Is it metro of FIFO?

It can be hard for locals to get into the mines too. A lot of companies won't even consider you if you don't have the relevant minesite experience. I can understand the reluctance of companies to take on WHV. It is expensive to train people, so many tickets are needed.

Also some, like us, do FIFO for the lifestyle. The money is a bonus. I love it when he comes home and when he goes back, less chaos in the house. He also get some really special time with the kids that he didn't do when he worked metro.

I don't know if the OP is going FIFO but if you are be prepared for the heat. It climbs well above 50 degrees in the pit. Also the hourly rate isn't that great in the mines, it is the long hours that make the money. It is often the site allowance that makes the difference between good money and great money. The more isolated the site the more money you get paid.

To get a job in the mines, some people get lucky, some don't. Just keep trying and fingers crossed someone will give you a chance.

d.pop

Ellaq, thanks, its FIFO, as it happens i had a choice so i chose FIFO building a new mine site, camp and crushing facilities for Rio Tinto, not exactly something you get to try at home...

ellaq

Rio Tinto, you must be up North then. Prepare yourself for the heat. A lot of guys leave their aircon on all day in their donga. My hubby doesn't because he feels guilty.
Are you in a donga or a swag? Either way you will love the food.

d.pop

ellaq wrote: »

Rio Tinto, you must be up North then. Prepare yourself for the heat. A lot of guys leave their aircon on all day in their donga. My hubby doesn't because he feels guilty.
Are you in a donga or a swag? Either way you will love the food.

not sure yet, having been to site yet, have a few weeks of office stuff to sort out first, think it's a Donga though, based in an existing camp near Tom Price while building the new facilites about an hour away.
Have heard the camp is good but like you said hot.

ellaq

Sounds pretty good then. Travelling time will be built into hours worked. Has anyone told you about not eating too much yet? My OH won't get on the bus. Enjoy your new experiences and if you are stuck for questions about the lifetsyle on your family don't be afraid to ask.

someday2010

Ive just paid for my WHV and about to book flights to Perth solely to try and get civil engineering work. Am I mad to be arriving in Perth on a WHV?, reading the above. It can't be as bad work wise as Ireland can it?

mandrake04

someday2010 wrote: »

Ive just paid for my WHV and about to book flights to Perth solely to try and get civil engineering work. Am I mad to be arriving in Perth on a WHV?, reading the above. It can't be as bad work wise as Ireland can it?

Why not do what the OP did and apply for a 175?

someday2010

mandrake04 wrote: »

Why not do what the OP did and apply for a 175?

Mainly the cost which is about €3k and the long lead time to actually get it somewhere between 9 months and 2 years. Ive been out of work in Ireland for a while so i'm kind of desperate to get going at something soon. I only have close to 3yrs work exp which mightnt be enough.

d.pop

someday2010 wrote: »

Ive just paid for my WHV and about to book flights to Perth solely to try and get civil engineering work. Am I mad to be arriving in Perth on a WHV?, reading the above. It can't be as bad work wise as Ireland can it?

Someday2010, i don't know what advice to offer you, things in Perth are certainly better than home but it could be tough on a WHV, maybe you have some friends over here who could get you in the door to start with? It totally depends on your timing as well, when i arrived i sent my cv to loads of companies and was lucky that it landed on a "friend of a friends" desk just as they decided they need an engineer. I've since had 2 more job offers so there is certainly work here and forecasts are for it to continue in the resources (mining) industry for coming years. But as far as my circumstances go i'm obviously a more attractive proposition due to the residency than a WHV, if you consider that every medical costs $500 plus another $2000-$4000 of induction and training per employee and a WHV leaves after 6 months you can see the difficulty?
Why not come over on a WHV, see if you like it, maybe get some contract or labouring work, come back later on a 175.
I feel for you, things are tough at home and when you hear success stories from Oz, you just want to get over there and put it all behind you. Realistically you probably need a more long term goal, maybe look at the WHV as an extended recce/test the water with a view to getting back here full time say 24 months after your WHV? But who knows, you might get lucky and end up sponsored or defacto? Good Luck.

SWL

d.pop wrote: »

Guys, what follows is similar to another post of a few days ago about coming to Oz unprepared but is specific to Perth. Just want to point out some observations and things that caught me unawares.
First up I arrived a few weeks ago as a civil engineer on a 175 visa looking for work in site engineering/site management, while a lot of the stuff to follow applies across the board, WHV people may not like some of it but you should know.
I got a job offer after 2 weeks, but i was lucky and happened to meet someone by chance.
Perth is very much about who you know, take your first offer and go from there.
There are a lot of jobs being advertised on seek etc but 75% of them are Fly in fly out jobs in regional WA, preference is given to people with previous FIFO experience.
There is big money on FIFO, that is why everybody wants to do it, Perth is full of Aussies chasing a few years of big money to set themselves up later, the aussie will get the job before you more than likely, only fair i reckon.
Conversely if a company has an opening in Perth metro they will always offer it to their existing loyal FIFO workers as a reward, kind of a "good man for living in bush for 5 years come on back to civilisation"
The first thing every employer asks is proof of visa status, i'm sorry but WHV's are bottom of pile with 'serious' employers.
It goes..Aussie...Permanent Resident....the rest
Perth is big and hot, getting around in 35+ is no fun on public transport and to be honest you'll quite possibly be unable to get to most sites without your own transport.
You will be asked for a full medical for every mining or remote position, drug/alcohol/muscoskeletal/aerobic/vision/hearing etc. If you are going bush you don't want to be getting ill..
If you have any certificates or trade qualifications they'll have to be WA recognised, you'll know this from your own research no doubt.
Perth is expensive, maybe not as much as over east but if you're paying for accomodation, transport, food etc you won't be long burning through $100+ per day, that does not include drink money.
I wouldn't rule out applying for positions before you get here but realistically there are so many people applying for jobs why would anybody take a chance on you from the otherside of the world? I think you need to be here with a local mobile nbr and address and available for interview within a day of invitation, sorry but that's the way it is now.
Did i say it's hot? Manual labour in 35-40 degrees is no fun.
Finally, I'm not trying to put anybody off but be prepared for a long slog.
Perth is a lovely city and well worth a visit, i did say it's hot didn't I?

Hi


I have been interviewed for a job in Perth. It’s a FIFO position. I spoken to friends who have dome the one year working visa. Some have said I will fit in that part of Australia others have said I won’t. I am very sociable but a don’t drink alcohol and I am lead to believe that is the accepted use of down time in the mines.

I am into the outdoor lifestyle, but given the heat I am unsure if that is possible to pursue. Don’t want to waste my time or the company who employ’s me, moving to the other side of the world and its don’t work out, but it is either Australia or the middle east and given I am into the outdoor lifestyle I think Australia would be a better move. The money is also good but that could be relative.

From your experience can you give me a brief outline of the lifestyle in Perth Australia?

Noo

Anyone have any info on civil engineering graduates in perth? I'm going later this year on a WHV (i'm a 2010 graduate) and was wondering what my chances would be applying for graduate positions. I'll have about 9-12 months experience at that stage but personally will not feel confident about applying with such little experience to civil jobs in australia so I would prefer a grad position so I can learn how it all works in oz (and hopefully my bit of experience will improve my chances?). Any advice would be appreciated.

ellaq

SWL, do you know what facilities the minesite has? Most have gyms, swimming pools, rec rooms and sporting teams. Not everyone drinks. My husband place is a blow in the bag everyday so not too much drink being consumed there.

Perth is great for the outdoors. It is not too hot this time of year. The weather is beautiful.

d.pop

SWL wrote: »

Hi


I have been interviewed for a job in Perth. It’s a FIFO position. I spoken to friends who have dome the one year working visa. Some have said I will fit in that part of Australia others have said I won’t. I am very sociable but a don’t drink alcohol and I am lead to believe that is the accepted use of down time in the mines.

I am into the outdoor lifestyle, but given the heat I am unsure if that is possible to pursue. Don’t want to waste my time or the company who employ’s me, moving to the other side of the world and its don’t work out, but it is either Australia or the middle east and given I am into the outdoor lifestyle I think Australia would be a better move. The money is also good but that could be relative.

From your experience can you give me a brief outline of the lifestyle in Perth Australia?

SWL, my experience is limited as i've only been here a few weeks, but Perth is a good spot, my clubbing days are behind me so can't comment on the nightlife. To be honest, Perth is all about the outdoors, run/cycle/swim/boating...whatever your poison. I run and found the heat difficult to adjust to so i get up early and run before sunrise, 6:00am, once the sun is up it gets hot pretty quick, that said i've seen aussies running at midday, so i guess you get used to it!
2 of my mates are on FIFO at moment, one is a fitness fan who swims and goes to the gym every evening after work on the camp site while the other mate goes to the bar. Both get on fine and you'll find a group of like minded individuals anywhere apparently. As ellaq alluded to you may be surprised to find that there is little drinking on most sites, you get tested frequently for drugs and alcohol and a lot of sites are dry sites, anybody gives you crap about not drinking tell em you were a raging alco and are on the dry fro a while! (No offence to any raging alkies on here) Someone told me recently that FIFO could also be an acronym for Fit In or F*** Off, basically don't rock the boat (it's a team sport) and you'll be right.
I did the middle east in the 90's, that place is not for the faint hearted, it's obviously closer to home geographically but Oz is much closer culturally.