7 weeks looking for work, what to do?!!

good.times!

hiya,

i arrived in sydney 7 weeks ago and have been actively trying to get work ever since! i am a newly qualified chartered accountant but have told recruiters i'm willing to do anything from data entry, admin work ect!

i've been in with 12 recruitment agencies now and all i've got is a one day temp job last week!!

does anyone have any advice on what to do next? are the jobs jus going to PR first? is it even worth looking anymore on a WHV?

anyone else in the same situation?

thanks

m@cc@

good.times! wrote: »

i've been in with 12 recruitment agencies now and all i've got is a one day temp job last week!!

Firstly, that's far too many recruitment agencies to have been in with. You should try to stick to 4 or 5 otherwise an agency is not going to try it's best to find you a job if it knows that your willing to take up the first opportunity with another agency (of course you are, but they don't need to know that).

Are you applying for data entry/admin work? If so, you should be gearing your CV towards these jobs. Whatever accounting roles you've had, not relevant, just list the duties you had in that job that would be relevant to a person hiring you as an administrator.

www.freespirit.com.au

They basically send out your CV to recruitment agencies that might be interested in your skills.


You will find it tough to find a job at this time of year as I'm sure you can see, Sydney is packed for the summer and that means competition.

Good luck with it all.

myhorse

My take is that you should be looking for cafe work/labouring/shop work (not sure of your gender so adapt accordingly).
If you secure one of those positions you have some form of income and can still be applying for a position more suitable to your qualifications with out the pressure of saving running out at a fast rate.
I will give you one great bit of advice - look rural! seriously search out agencies that deal with remote ares/small country towns there are jobs there in your field (I posted about it before). Better still take a map of the state you are in - locate a few rural towns,larger ones, - google to see if they have an online local paper - and check the jobs sections. You will find jobs there that dont get on to seek/my career etc or get handled by the major recruitment companies. also if you did get a position there you could find regional sponsorship waaayyyyy easier to get than getting sponsored by a company in the major cities (just a thought)

The more skilled the job the harder it will be to get on a whv for obvious reasons. Am sure there are people who can tell me otherwise on here but you are experiencing what the majority will/have experienced.
(read the sweepers sticky on the whv at the top of the aus/nz page).

I was thinking before to see if we could have a section on here where people could post casual temp positions they may see around (i.e. waiter needed in Bondi etc) these would be the type of jobs that businesses wouldnt take an ad out for rather just put a notice up in their window. Kind of job that would be handy while looking for something or even just to have some work. Maybe this is something as an online community we could look at (obviously be out of date very quick but could be of use)

solas geal

Hey,

If you havent already, apply to the T+O+M recruitment agency, they are excellent. I, and 4 of my friends, have been placed by them. One was a newly qualified accountant and two others only 6 months out of contract. Hays also aren't too bad at getting roles. I just started new role three weeks ago and I also had another interview at the time so there are roles, I think you have been very unlucky. My friend also just got placed four weeks ago.
It is coming into a quiet time now (everyone goes on hols) so you need to move fast. Also, I don't agree with the previous poster who said it's too many recruiters - it's not. All recruitment firms in Oz will contact you before sending out your cv so you've no fear of doubling up. Plus some of them get jobs that others don't so if you don't register with them you're not gonna get that job. I registered with about 12 too and it has worked for me, I have got two 3 month contracts since i arrived. Also, keep giving them a call every week or so cos sometimes they forget about you!
good luck!

good.times!

thanks for all the advice guys!

in response to getting cafe work ect all ads i've looked at specify that i need at least 2 years experience which i don't have! the last time i waitressed was when i was 16 bout 11 years ago at this stage!! and I'm sure there will also be plenty of people applying that have more relevant experience than me!

I will definately adapt my resume for admin jobs I was jus worried about having 2 different resumes out there incase someone ended up having 2 different ones with my name and wondering what was going on but if you reckon that'll help i'll give it a go.

I'm going to stay in Sydney til the new year because all of my friends are coming down over christmas and I want to meet up with them after that I will definately look into the rural jobs ect

I have registered with T+O+M and Hays but no luck as of yet with either, can I jus ask solas geal were all of your friends Big 4 qualified or small to medium practice? as I am small practice trained and also wondering if that's going against me too?

thanks guys

Norinoco

Hi OP, just sent you a PM.

As I said, maybe you should get a friend to look over your CV. The format could not be right for the australian market or you might be giving way too much information in it ... nothing worse than waffling in a CV.

Delorian

I've had more success with getting interviews here in Wellington by going directly to companies. Recruitment agents, even though they seem nicer and better here, to me appear to be the same old scheisters I'm used to from back home.

Find e-mail addresses and send your CV even if there is no jobs going. Keep your eyes open while walking around the city and take down the names of companies to later look up online. Talk to lots of ppl in bars and cafes.

irelandsown

I spent 3 months looking when I came over last December. I went through nearly every recruitment agency in Sydney and then I found my saviour:

http://www.applydirect.com.au/

Cut out the middle man and go straight to the Employers. I got 3 interviews in a week and am now sponsored on a 4 year 457 visa.

Best of luck

ballooba

good.times! wrote: »

in response to getting cafe work ect all ads i've looked at specify that i need at least 2 years experience which i don't have! the last time i waitressed was when i was 16 bout 11 years ago at this stage!! and I'm sure there will also be plenty of people applying that have more relevant experience than me!

If you don't apply then you'll never know! :-)

good.times! wrote: »

I have registered with T+O+M and Hays but no luck as of yet with either, can I jus ask solas geal were all of your friends Big 4 qualified or small to medium practice? as I am small practice trained and also wondering if that's going against me too?

There are quite a lot people chasing the accountancy jobs, the fact that you have a command of the english language is a major bonus to you though. Try Hudson recruitment also.

CiaranC

In a similar situation myself. Looking for contract IT Desktop Support work in Melbourne. Im getting loads of interest from agencies, but it doesnt seem to be progressing past meeting with them. Dunno are they all spoofers or what.

I usually pick up work in a kitchen to keep myself going when travelling, but they all seem to just take illegal asian workers\here, so its not happening. Money is rapidly running out and Ive no ticket home, haha

Bootras Bootras

I am also in the same boat. I have been in Oz since May and up to now have been travelling around doing whatever work is goin.

But now I want to get a job in financial services in Melbourne and I have made little progress in three weeks. Having read this I am going to register with as many agencies as possible and getting on the phone to them as much as possible.

Up to this I had been using Seek.com.au every day. Plenty jobs but I need to get a meeting with agencies and put some pressure on them.

When it comes to details on the working visa are you best to say that you only want a job for 6 months or should you say you are looking for something with a view to sponsorship?

Xavi6

To all those using agencies - stop now. They are a bunch of cowboys and will tell you all sorts of tall tails to get you on board. I went through two different ones when I first got here and all they cared about was their commission. They put your CV in for jobs you have no chance of getting but fill you with false hope. My advice is to do it all yourself. Approach companies directly and cut out the crap in between.

brendansmith

Xavi6 wrote: »

To all those using agencies - stop now. They are a bunch of cowboys and will tell you all sorts of tall tails to get you on board. I went through two different ones when I first got here and all they cared about was their commission. They put your CV in for jobs you have no chance of getting but fill you with false hope. My advice is to do it all yourself. Approach companies directly and cut out the crap in between.

True, they are so full of sh!t.

I have been to countless agencies and they bring you in for interviews and thats the end of it.

Granted some of them maybe decent but in general they dont care about you getting a job unless employers are crying out for your skill and you can get them money.

CiaranC

Hmmm, that leaves us a bit stuck then. I dont see any employers advertising short term contract work directly, but I see lots of agencies advertising 1-6 month contracts. Im not interested in permanent employment with a view to sponsorship.

Since my last post, an agency has put me forward for a position in KPMG. Ive an interview tommorrow.

brendansmith

Best of luck mate

macca1983

Xavi6 wrote: »

To all those using agencies - stop now. They are a bunch of cowboys and will tell you all sorts of tall tails to get you on board. I went through two different ones when I first got here and all they cared about was their commission. They put your CV in for jobs you have no chance of getting but fill you with false hope. My advice is to do it all yourself. Approach companies directly and cut out the crap in between.

That is ridiculous advice and completely wrong. Agencies are cowboys, complete dickheads, full of BS and i should know as i've had more experience than most working with them, but the fact is that they do have jobs and employers do use them. Register with as many as possibly to obviously increase your chances - just best off not to pay much attention to them until they tell you that you have an actual interview - the rest is just crap.

Coileach dearg

Xavi6 wrote: »

To all those using agencies - stop now. They are a bunch of cowboys and will tell you all sorts of tall tails to get you on board. I went through two different ones when I first got here and all they cared about was their commission. They put your CV in for jobs you have no chance of getting but fill you with false hope. My advice is to do it all yourself. Approach companies directly and cut out the crap in between.

This is good advice and I agree 100% with it but say you see an ad on seek.com.au and you don't know who the client is. What do you recommend the best strategy to find out what the client is?

It can be difficult because once you apply for the ad on seek.com.au, the application is picked up by the recruitment agency. Then, you go for an interview with the agency and often they won't tell you until the last minute who the client is. By then, they will have contacted the client to arrange an interview.

Mr Benevolent

In the same position here, been looking about 8 weeks. Booked my ticket home yesterday, at least I'll be entitled to the dole in Ireland and won't have to worry about rent.

MrMatisse

Maybe hang on for a little while pick fruit and have the craic out in a working hostel before you head back to the misery.

JONJO THE MISER

Confab wrote: »

In the same position here, been looking about 8 weeks. Booked my ticket home yesterday, at least I'll be entitled to the dole in Ireland and won't have to worry about rent.

Its funny myself and confab came out on the same flight to Aus and im nearly booking my ticket home as well, no work to be had althought im giving it 4 more weeks and living on less than $5 dollars a day on food:(.

JONJO THE MISER

Really-Stressed wrote: »

Maybe hang on for a little while pick fruit and have the craic out in a working hostel before you head back to the misery.

Yeah thats what im going to try to do next week, anything but head home to be on the dole, to be honest id be quiet happy to be making $40 per day at the mo.

unreggd

Come to Brisbane!

Plenty of jobs and cheap accommo up here

Stupid Sydney!............

CiaranC

Got no money to get to Brisbane.

Another week or two and Ill be heading home myself at this rate.

good.times!

we should all try stick it out til christmas anyways! it's less than 4 weeks away at this stage

try fruit picking or anything in january jus to keep ticking over, there's no point in going home unless we've absolutely no choice!

there's absolutely nothing at home!

good.times!

irelandsown wrote: »

I spent 3 months looking when I came over last December. I went through nearly every recruitment agency in Sydney and then I found my saviour:

http://www.applydirect.com.au/

Cut out the middle man and go straight to the Employers. I got 3 interviews in a week and am now sponsored on a 4 year 457 visa.

Best of luck

thanks a million, went on the website over the last few days son fingers crossed something might come out of it

FreeAnd..

I suppose someone shoiuld have warned you all that this is a quiet time of year, things don't generally pick up until Feb either. Jan is the deadest month as its the middle of Summer holidays and is extremely quiet

Zambia

I was diving with a young bloke last week who said hotels in the whitsundays places like Airlie Beach and Hamilton island had high staff turn arounds. With almost all the staff being very young, very easy on the eye to.

Try and find out where they are hiring from? Chances are they may be looking for staff coming into the Summer season and school hols. Worst they can say is no?

Mahatma coat

Look at it like this


Where would you rather be flat broke sleeping in a ditch?

if the Answer is Ireland you have some serious issues to be dealing with.

CiaranC

Yay, got a job! I wont starve (yet, anyway).

brendansmith

CiaranC wrote: »

Yay, got a job! I wont starve (yet, anyway).

Go on?

CiaranC

Working in IT at KPMG. Short contract, ****e money, but a job.