next plan of action?

Sirsok

Right so there are 6 of us currently stuck in a rut in melbourne. 3 males and 3 females. Out of the females only one could get a job, out of the 3 males, 2 are qualified carpenters who got screwed out of their pay and 1 male got a telemarketin job sellin funeral insurence , not exactly why you would come out here. So we decided to pack melbourne in and with the remainin money we have get a vechicle for the 6 of us and go travelin up the gold coast. We are doin this in hope we can pick up fruit pickin or whatever along the way.....are we being to niave?in some of our heads we just presume we will get jobs and we are investin whatever funds we have to do this as we are all in a rut here.............any advice? Sorry about non paragraphs i am doing this through a nokia

Pisco Sour

How long have you been out here? There's tons of jobs in Melbourne. Granted it will get quieter now, coming up the Christmas time, but generally if you are not fussy then you should be able to find work.

It takes a few weeks to find work. You have to be patient.

Sirsok

We have been here 7 weeks and to be honest im hatin the place, im not homesick but i just want the bagpacker lifestyle that i thought id be involved in. Myself and mygirlfriend have been livin in relatives house and so far its been ****....any suggestions?

Pisco Sour

Sirsok wrote: »

We have been here 7 weeks and to be honest im hatin the place, im not homesick but i just want the bagpacker lifestyle that i thought id be involved in. Myself and mygirlfriend have been livin in relatives house and so far its been ****....any suggestions?

Change your attitude towards the place. You'd be amazed how far that will get you.

universe777

04072511 wrote: »

There's tons of jobs in Melbourne.

Where? and what type of work are they?

lima

There are feck all jobs in Melbourne, it took me 3 months to finally get one in something that is not my field.

zweton

Out of curiosity what are yer backgrounds guys?
Reckon Sydney would be better for the oul short term contracts?

universe777

Administration, mostly govt stuff.

rounding tattenham Corner

Sirsok wrote: »

2 are qualified carpenters who got screwed out of their pay

First i'd tell your two friends to grow a pair and get the money they are owed or undo their carpeting work if you know what I mean;)

zweton

universe777 wrote: »

Administration, mostly govt stuff.

whats your degree in.

universe777

zweton wrote: »

whats your degree in.

Nothing related to the work I have been doing for the last few years, Mechanical Engineering degree.

Zambia

lima wrote: »

There are feck all jobs in Melbourne, it took me 3 months to finally get one in something that is not my field.

I disagree.

It all depends on your VISA class, your skill set, your attitude and above all here your networking skills.

You need to meet people and state the obvious
I am looking for a job?
Do you know anyone looking for workers?

If you use the old Irish trick of hinting hoping someone will offer it wont work.

Aussies dont pick up on a lot of how we as Irish interact with others.

zweton

universe777 wrote: »

Administration, mostly govt stuff.

did it take you long to get this work?

universe777

zweton wrote: »

did it take you long to get this work?

Well that is not the only work I am looking for, any admin work will do but when I first arrived in 2010 it took 5 months to get any work.
Right now I am out of work for 7 months, went on holidays in March/April and haven't worked more than a week since, it is very quiet here.

zweton

universe777 wrote: »

Well that is not the only work I am looking for, any admin work will do but when I first arrived in 2010 it took 5 months to get any work.
Right now I am out of work for 7 months, went on holidays in March/April and haven't worked more than a week since, it is very quiet here.

wow thats a long time, you must of had a lot of money:D

I found agencies were the only way to go. Don't even bother looking for anything but the temporary categories. Maybe take a walk around the hostels too and see if any work is advertised. If you're going to go fruit-picking, go for it. Do your 3 months to give you the option of an extra year, just check what is growing where. You might head up the east coast and miss all the seasons.

Diddler82

zweton wrote: »

wow thats a long time, you must of had a lot of money:D

Or..

- You have not really looked
- You are being too selective
- Your resume is appalling
- You don't interview well or dont seem interested

As someone posted here before, Skippy won't meet you at the Airport with a pot of gold...you have to get yourself out there.

Traq

Sirsok wrote: »

We have been here 7 weeks and to be honest im hatin the place, im not homesick but i just want the bagpacker lifestyle that i thought id be involved in. Myself and mygirlfriend have been livin in relatives house and so far its been ****....any suggestions?

Get out of your relatives house. Seriously, you'll meet a lot more people if you're actually staying in a hostel or a share house, rather than living with your relatives. It's great to have a roof over your head for the first while but I'd make it my first priority to get out of there and then you'll find that you'll meet other backpackers easily.

jank

Zambia wrote: »

I disagree.

It all depends on your VISA class, your skill set, your attitude and above all here your networking skills.

You need to meet people and state the obvious
I am looking for a job?
Do you know anyone looking for workers?

If you use the old Irish trick of hinting hoping someone will offer it wont work.

Aussies dont pick up on a lot of how we as Irish interact with others.

This!!! Most people don't have a clue what it takes to dig in and look for work. Most of these are kids that grew up in the Celtic tiger, Celtic cubs I suppose one can call them. Most of them are spoiled and don't have a clue, I see them every day!

There is work out there, you just have to know how to look for it. Ill say it again. Networking is the key here and no that doesn't mean fixing a hostels internet, it means going out there talking to people face to face asking about possibilities of work. Your not at home wit mammy and daddy anymore kids, this is the real world!

Also, the visa is key, it is a holiday visa first, working visa second. We on this forum are sick and tired of reiterating this point but some people don't listen, in fact some people don't want to listen.

zweton

haha great advice.

danotroy

jank wrote: »

Also, the visa is key, it is a holiday visa first, working visa second. We on this forum are sick and tired of reiterating this point but some people don't listen, in fact some people don't want to listen.

The WHV is the only way most of us have in order to get to oz and try and start a career.

Traq

danotroy wrote: »

The WHV is the only way most of us have in order to get to oz and try and start a career.

That's all well and good but don't be too disappointed if it doesn't work out the way you thought it would.

Australian employers - for the most part - tend to view the WHV as a holiday visa, with a little bit of work on the side, so it can be a lot trickier than you might think to start a career on a WHV.
Of course there are stories all the time of people on WHVs who get sponsored and end up staying on making a career out of it all, but for the majority of people who arrive here on a WHV they end up going back home again after the year or two.

Best of luck with it all when you arrive over here anyway, you might end up being one of the lucky ones!

mandrake04

jank wrote: »

This!!! Most people don't have a clue what it takes to dig in and look for work. Most of these are kids that grew up in the Celtic tiger, Celtic cubs I suppose one can call them. Most of them are spoiled and don't have a clue, I see them every day!

There is work out there, you just have to know how to look for it. Ill say it again. Networking is the key here and no that doesn't mean fixing a hostels internet, it means going out there talking to people face to face asking about possibilities of work. Your not at home wit mammy and daddy anymore kids, this is the real world!

Also, the visa is key, it is a holiday visa first, working visa second. We on this forum are sick and tired of reiterating this point but some people don't listen, in fact some people don't want to listen.

The Irish media are partly to blame, they keep saying that tens of thousands of young Irish people are migrating to Australia. People actually believe it's true, but in fact the stats show that only 3200 Irish migrated to Australia the whole of last year.

Its a holiday visa exactly as it says on the tin.

danotroy

Traq wrote: »

Best of luck with it all when you arrive over here anyway, you might end up being one of the lucky ones!

mandrake04 wrote: »

The Irish media are partly to blame, they keep saying that tens of thousands of young Irish people are migrating to Australia. People actually believe it's true, but in fact the stats show that only 3200 Irish migrated to Australia the whole of last year.

Its a holiday visa exactly as it says on the tin.

yeah i think you are correct here mandrake i know alot of my friends have gone to australia over the past few years on a two year bender after finished their trades or college courses and they never said they were emigrating but they were classed as many of the young leaving the country for good by the media however all of these have since come home broke and gone back to further education.

I genuinely believe my case is different from the majority although i know that i am not alone. I am moving to Australia on a WHV as there is no employment for me after finishing 6 years in college i am hoping to move to australia long term and because i have little experience and no money i cannot get any other visa. i will work hard when i get there and i will network as much of the free time i can and i hope it will work out i do not want to be back in ireland a year from now back to square one.

Pisco Sour

Diddler82 wrote: »

Or..

- Your resume is appalling

Yep this can be quite common. A friend of mine in Melbourne couldn't get a job at all, for months on end. I couldn't understand why. Then one day she sent me her CV asking me to send it to my boss. I had a good solid read through it and it was an embarrassment. She listed every single crappy job she ever did, and it was all a mess. If I was an employer I'd delete it from my inbox immediately.

I gave her advice, but not sure if she ever took it. Havent been in touch with her much of late, but she is no longer on a WHV, but rather a student visa now.

universe777

Diddler82 wrote: »

Or..

- You have not really looked
- You are being too selective
- Your resume is appalling
- You don't interview well or dont seem interested

As someone posted here before, Skippy won't meet you at the Airport with a pot of gold...you have to get yourself out there.

I thought I should interject here, I posted the Skippy quote a long time ago.

I have looked, and looked and looked and looked.
When you have so many years doing a certain type of job and zero experience in other types of work it is very difficult to get that other type of work.
My resume is fine, thanks. I do interview well but one thing I should warn, agencies will interview you without having any jobs at all, they really want your referees details so they can try ply their wares and drum up business.

Which is why I can't stress enough to people coming here to bring as much money as you can, sell your granny if you have to!

A lot of work advertised is not work, those "marketing" jobs - door to door or chugging? The ads are rampant on Seek et al.
A lot of jobs on Seek don't exist, if the agents name is not on the ad chances are it's just been posted fishing for resumes.

Pisco Sour

danotroy wrote: »

i do not want to be back in ireland a year from now back to square one.

I'd advise you to do your 3 months regional work the minute you arrive. That way you then have 21 months to look for sponsorship.

jank

danotroy wrote: »

The WHV is the only way most of us have in order to get to oz and try and start a career.

And? Does the Australian employer care about that? Cry me a river...

danotroy

jank wrote: »

And? Does the Australian employer care about that? Cry me a river...

cry you a river, how original JANK you must be chuckling away to yourself in your chair at your intelligence and wit.

i am just stating what is the truth for many recent graduates i know. Companies in ireland are not even taking on voluntary internships in many cases so why stay in ireland when we can get a WHV and try australia.

danotroy

04072511 wrote: »

I'd advise you to do your 3 months regional work the minute you arrive. That way you then have 21 months to look for sponsorship.

This seems to be sound advice that i have heard off a few people however i think i will try melbourne first and if all does not work out i shall head north and do an internship i have secured on an ECOvillage which will in some way furnish me with some experience in my field.

jank

danotroy wrote: »

cry you a river, how original JANK you must be chuckling away to yourself in your chair at your intelligence and wit.

i am just stating what is the truth for many recent graduates i know. Companies in ireland are not even taking on voluntary internships in many cases so why stay in ireland when we can get a WHV and try australia.

That is not what you said originally so you are changing your story. Of course people can try Australia on a WHV, in some cases it works out, most cases it doesn't but in that case don't come on here and start crying about a WHV is the ONLY option open to people and that you are "surprised" that work is not there for you when you get off the plane. Have you tried the UK or Europe? Canada? NZ? USA?

People are too quick to put on the sob story rather then knuckle down and think what they really want to do and achieve. So ya... cry me a river because there ain't no one listening and that job you may get might be going to someone else because you are on here cribbing rather than being out there looking.

danotroy

jank wrote: »

That is not what you said originally so you are changing your story. Of course people can try Australia on a WHV, in some cases it works out, most cases it doesn't but in that case don't come on here and start crying about a WHV is the ONLY option open to people and that you are "surprised" that work is not there for you when you get off the plane. Have you tried the UK or Europe? Canada? NZ? USA?

People are too quick to put on the sob story rather then knuckle down and think what they really want to do and achieve. So ya... cry me a river because there ain't no one listening and that job you may get might be going to someone else because you are on here cribbing rather than being out there looking.

right i fail to see how i am "changing" my story. i said the working holiday visa is the only way most of us, irelands recent graduates, have available to us in getting into australia. so i would like you to show me how i changed my story.

since when am i "surprised" that there is no work in Australia for me you use quotations yet i never said i was surprised?

Have i considered the uk and the usa yes i have however NZ hasnt been studied in detail. I have a US passport so the option is always open for me there but there are not many jobs in my field in the US and even less in the UK, where i have lived for the past 3 years, however in OZ there is a large skills deficit in my field.

And finally i am not even in OZ yet i am in the process of moving there.

So please stop with the sweeping generalizations in relation to my posts.

p.s please excuse the fact that this post does not read well it is after 3 in the morning here and i have not slept in nearly 22 hours.

Zambia

Nothing is so important on the internet as to stay awake for 22 Hours.

jank

danotroy wrote: »

Have i considered the uk and the usa yes i have however NZ hasnt been studied in detail. I have a US passport so the option is always open for me there but there are not many jobs in my field in the US and even less in the UK, where i have lived for the past 3 years, however in OZ there is a large skills deficit in my field. .

If so apply for a SMC Visa.

danotroy wrote: »

And finally i am not even in OZ yet i am in the process of moving there. .

So why the moaning? Jezz get some sleep so and moan in the morning.

Diddler82

universe777 wrote: »

I thought I should interject here, I posted the Skippy quote a long time ago.

I have looked, and looked and looked and looked.
When you have so many years doing a certain type of job and zero experience in other types of work it is very difficult to get that other type of work.
My resume is fine, thanks. I do interview well but one thing I should warn, agencies will interview you without having any jobs at all, they really want your referees details so they can try ply their wares and drum up business.

Which is why I can't stress enough to people coming here to bring as much money as you can, sell your granny if you have to!

A lot of work advertised is not work, those "marketing" jobs - door to door or chugging? The ads are rampant on Seek et al.
A lot of jobs on Seek don't exist, if the agents name is not on the ad chances are it's just been posted fishing for resumes.

Well I am actually one of these devilish recruiters! PM your resume if you wish and I will try and help point you in the right direction. I have (Irish) friends in Melbourne who are recruiters so they may be able to help you out also.

Generally people coming over here do not find their dream job straight away..you need to take a couple of steps back because they value "local experience" so highly here unfortunately.

myflipflops

Sirsok wrote: »

We have been here 7 weeks and to be honest im hatin the place, im not homesick but i just want the bagpacker lifestyle that i thought id be involved in. Myself and mygirlfriend have been livin in relatives house and so far its been ****....any suggestions?

Here could be your main issue.

What do you mean by backpacker (presume bag was a typo) lifestyle? If it's that you want to just earn enough to go on the p*ss most of the week and travel around then I wouldn't hire you.

Also, it looks like you failed to bring enough money if you are down to the last roll of the dice after 7 weeks of living with relatives.

Zambia

If you have no money, that is the backpacker experience.

I once had to walk from Bondi road to double Bay one summer day because I only had enough cash to get home after work.

Luckily that was to go to my first decent job. I was down to 5 bucks period.

danotroy

danotroy wrote: »

I am moving to Australia on a WHV as there is no employment for me after finishing 6 years in college i am hoping to move to australia long term and because i have little experience and no money i cannot get any other visa..

jank wrote: »

If so apply for a SMC Visa.

I cannot apply for a SMV as i have stated above as i can not afford it and do not have enough experience. If you read post before generalizing it would help a great deal.

Zambia

6 years... are you a doctor?

If you are in Eco technology here is a good place to be.

The state government here gave me a free plug that turns of my TV if I forgot to.

danotroy

Zambia wrote: »

6 years... are you a doctor?

If you are in Eco technology here is a good place to be.

The state government here gave me a free plug that turns of my TV if I forgot to.

No i just did a 4 year degree then did a 2 year masters. So im qualified in Property managment and valuation and Government and town and country planning. I have limited experience in each, i.e summer and placement positions.

The ecovillage i spoke of is offering a permaculture certificate for 3 months work which will also count towards woofing time. I think i could use the experience as it would be sustainable development experience as i see it.

sponge_bob

Zambia wrote: »

If you have no money, that is the backpacker experience.

I once had to walk from Bondi road to double Bay one summer day because I only had enough cash to get home after work.

Luckily that was to go to my first decent job. I was down to 5 bucks period.

i hear you brother, i gave every day for a week walking from randwick to bondi junction with a bag of tools on my back which weighed a ton to get the train to the city and walked 15mins to get to the job. because the site wasn't very secure i had to lug the tools home again every evening. and walk back from bondi junction. spent my last few bucks buying the weekly train ticket. the following week after gettin paid i got a taxi to the train station and then another guy started on the job with a van that week aswell which meant i could throw my bag of tools into the back of his yoke, now that was a load of my back.:D

markymark21

lima wrote: »

There are feck all jobs in Melbourne, it took me 3 months to finally get one in something that is not my field.

I arrived in st kilda yesterday and I have 5 interviews lined up. If you have the qualifications, skill set, experience and attitude you'll have work thrown at you

Cooperspale

You are probably aware already but if not
http://jobsearch.gov.au/harvesttrail/default.aspx
An indication of where the harvest jobs are going to be are on this site plus a phone number.

To be honest, it is probably the busiest time of year to be heading up east coast towards Goldie....so it could be a long haul.
I would be looking at places off the beaten track.
You have and will need you own transport for the most of these jobs.

Melbourne and the other big cities, you really need to pound the pavements and use up any vague connections that you can pull out of the bag. Some very highly motivated skilled up individuals get lucky and score a position in days but mostly for a new arrival it takes a few weeks or more. It's a totally different system here: TFN, super, getting around on public transport, food,
finding a room/rental, hostel life etc etc.

I would advise/urge anyone leaving Dublin airport on a WHV to have enough cash/credit to see them through for 3-4 months minimum, this may help
avoid the stress and drama of being down to your last ten bucks.
And if you like to party/drink, be prepared for the cash to dwindle faster.

Best of luck to all 6 of you on the job hunt.

amybabes

I really wonder sometimes when I hear stories like this about how people cannot get work!!

I agree that is has gotten more difficult since I arrived three years ago - due to increased competition for jobs and employer's becoming more picky about visa status. Also - I can only speak for my experience with Sydney but you will find that the work dries up slightly between around now and February/March. I think this is due to the increased number of "backpackers" coming to Sydney for Christmas/the summer periods, and also a lot of companies really shut down for a month between Christmas and the end of January or only put skeleton staff on.

But I don't know anyone who has been out of work for more than 1-2 weeks in Sydney.

I agree with a previous poster who said that temp agencies are the way for whv holders. Although now I am on a 457 defacto sponsorship -being honest - I have worked for some of the biggest national and multinationals in Australia on temp assignments that probably wouldn't have employed me otherwise- the shortest I've had has been a month, my last one was 10 months and my current one has been 2 months which is going permanent in January

In Sydney - I can recommend Hayes, Julia Ross, SMF Recruitment and Office Team.

Labour Hire companies are similarly good for tradesmen. My bf has been sponsored by one for 2 years. He may be out of work 1 - 2 days every few months in between a job finishing and the next one starting but he works 6 days a week at the moment.

I have gotten jobs without really having to put in a whole lot of effort. I certainly wasn't knocking down doors or walking the city with printed cvs, I made a few appointments with temp agencies. I can also say that I quit my last temp job in July to go home for 6 weeks and came back with nothing lined up in early September and was working the 2nd day I was back.

The main thing is that you cannot be picky if you are facing running out of money! I seriously question how in 7 weeks, have some of your group not been able to get work of any kind!?

Best of luck OP - regards the car situation. the 7 of you will get to somewhere on one way flights a hell of lot cheaper than it will cost for a car and all the expenses they come with!
Just to give you something to think about - I recently had 2 new flatmates move in who made the move from Melbourne to Sydney (4 weeks ago) - they got to Sydney on a Monday. By the Friday, both had jobs (she temping -office admin) and he (got an electrician's job) - they both had nothing at all lined up when they got here. And he has since been sponsored - within a month of starting!

Sirsok

whoa thanks for all the responses!we all came out a bit niave however my own situation has changed dramatically in the past few dayss....i broke away from the group and unfortuntely my girlfriend and moved to sydney where i have a great job oppurtunity with a friends fathers company on the terms i get a abn number?id imagine the price of this is worth it?

Pisco Sour

Sirsok wrote: »

i broke away from the group and unfortuntely my girlfriend

Sorry to hear that.

Sirsok wrote: »

and moved to sydney where i have a great job oppurtunity with a friends fathers company on the terms i get a abn number?id imagine the price of this is worth it?

You dont have to pay for an ABN. Just make sure that this company is paying fairly. A lot of dodgey companies (mainly call centres) pay people under ABN's as contractors rather than employees as a way of paying them much less. This is fully illegal. Happened to me, and I got my money back off the feckers when I threatened to go to the Ombudsman on them.

If it is construction you are working in then working under an ABN is common and fine, but I'd be wary in a lot of cases. Just do your research.

zweton

amybabes wrote: »

I really wonder sometimes when I hear stories like this about how people cannot get work!!

I agree that is has gotten more difficult since I arrived three years ago - due to increased competition for jobs and employer's becoming more picky about visa status. Also - I can only speak for my experience with Sydney but you will find that the work dries up slightly between around now and February/March. I think this is due to the increased number of "backpackers" coming to Sydney for Christmas/the summer periods, and also a lot of companies really shut down for a month between Christmas and the end of January or only put skeleton staff on.

But I don't know anyone who has been out of work for more than 1-2 weeks in Sydney.

I agree with a previous poster who said that temp agencies are the way for whv holders. Although now I am on a 457 defacto sponsorship -being honest - I have worked for some of the biggest national and multinationals in Australia on temp assignments that probably wouldn't have employed me otherwise- the shortest I've had has been a month, my last one was 10 months and my current one has been 2 months which is going permanent in January

In Sydney - I can recommend Hayes, Julia Ross, SMF Recruitment and Office Team.

Labour Hire companies are similarly good for tradesmen. My bf has been sponsored by one for 2 years. He may be out of work 1 - 2 days every few months in between a job finishing and the next one starting but he works 6 days a week at the moment.

I have gotten jobs without really having to put in a whole lot of effort. I certainly wasn't knocking down doors or walking the city with printed cvs, I made a few appointments with temp agencies. I can also say that I quit my last temp job in July to go home for 6 weeks and came back with nothing lined up in early September and was working the 2nd day I was back.

The main thing is that you cannot be picky if you are facing running out of money! I seriously question how in 7 weeks, have some of your group not been able to get work of any kind!?

Best of luck OP - regards the car situation. the 7 of you will get to somewhere on one way flights a hell of lot cheaper than it will cost for a car and all the expenses they come with!
Just to give you something to think about - I recently had 2 new flatmates move in who made the move from Melbourne to Sydney (4 weeks ago) - they got to Sydney on a Monday. By the Friday, both had jobs (she temping -office admin) and he (got an electrician's job) - they both had nothing at all lined up when they got here. And he has since been sponsored - within a month of starting!

amy, did they move from melbourne because they could not get jobs or just did not like the place?

danotroy

jank you have gone very quiet on this thread. 2 threads you attacked me on and now you wont explain yourself?

hussey

danotroy wrote: »

jank you have gone very quiet on this thread. 2 threads you attacked me on and now you wont explain yourself?

Mod Stop being so dramatic, he did not 'attack' you, he said 'cry me a river'. This thread is not about you.

Okay so back on track folks, let's not get into petty arguments

amybabes

zweton wrote: »

amy, did they move from melbourne because they could not get jobs or just did not like the place?

They didn't LOVE Melbourne but they'll say themselves, they hit it at the wrong time - April - September so the Winter months basically.

They left as the original plan was to spend the Summer in Sydney and move over to regional WA at the end of February on Regional Sponsored visas. But they got lucky in Sydney so the plan is to stay here now.

Both were working in Melbourne up until when they left. But did both say that there seems to be alot more work in both of their fields in Sydney as they had multiple job offers each within the first week.

danotroy

hussey wrote: »

Mod Stop being so dramatic, he did not 'attack' you, he said 'cry me a river'. This thread is not about you.

Okay so back on track folks, let's not get into petty arguments

apologies.<snip>