Need Some Advice on Picking a City etc

SplitCartridge

I'm considering moving to Oz for a year with the misses. Probably from November on.

I'm finding it hard to get the information that I'm looking for. I'm trying to pick a city. I'm not looking for somewhere to party all year round. I'm looking for somewhere coastal, and where I won't find it too hard to find some work.

I'm currently working in sales in Ireland. I have a few years experience in sales and retail and I'd be hoping to get something simple to keep me going preferably in retail. I have a small amount of bar experience also.

Can anyone tell me from experience where I'd (generally) find it easiest to get some work in something relating to my skills, and if there are any cities that are generally cheaper to live in than others.

I've another question also that some of you guys could help me with. Is there any Australian mobile phone network that offers an unlimited data package?

I think most of my other questions have already been answered on this forum. Hope ye can help. Cheers.

Laura Steph

Hey SplitCartridge,

I'm currently based in Brisbane the past six months and to be honest, work is scarce on the ground at the moment. I did a four month internship with the hope of acquiring retail work after it finished. 5 weeks later, I'm still looking.

I'm not sure about other cities but with a tough federal budget being announced a few weeks ago and job loses in mining and manufacturing/industry, many people are coming back from regional areas to the cities looking for work.

I can't get any retail/administration/barista/deli work and I have over 7 years experience in retail. In my experience, I find once they hear you're here on a WHV (working holiday visa), they have no interest training you or taking you on, given the six month work limitation with one employer.

I'm not trying to paint a picture of doom and gloom but unless I get something in the next two-three weeks, I'm going to have to go home. I even did barista and safe food courses in the hope of finding something.

If you're considering bar work, register for the RSA qualification that will allow you do so when you get over. Be warned, school and college kids will be on holidays from early December so you'll have to compete with them too.

In regards to unlimited data, I'm not sure but if you check out Optus, Vodafone and Telstra are the main network providers, but like back home, there are other networks similar to TescoMobile etc.. just do a google search and you'll come across the various network providers/packages.

All the best regardless of your decision,

L.

SplitCartridge

Laura Steph wrote: »

Hey SplitCartridge,

I'm currently based in Brisbane the past six months and to be honest, work is scarce on the ground at the moment. I did a four month internship with the hope of acquiring retail work after it finished. 5 weeks later, I'm still looking.

I'm not sure about other cities but with a tough federal budget being announced a few weeks ago and job loses in mining and manufacturing/industry, many people are coming back from regional areas to the cities looking for work.

I can't get any retail/administration/barista/deli work and I have over 7 years experience in retail. In my experience, I find once they hear you're here on a WHV (working holiday visa), they have no interest training you or taking you on, given the six month work limitation with one employer.

I'm not trying to paint a picture of doom and gloom but unless I get something in the next two-three weeks, I'm going to have to go home. I even did barista and safe food courses in the hope of finding something.

If you're considering bar work, register for the RSA qualification that will allow you do so when you get over. Be warned, school and college kids will be on holidays from early December so you'll have to compete with them too.

In regards to unlimited data, I'm not sure but if you check out Optus, Vodafone and Telstra are the main network providers, but like back home, there are other networks similar to TescoMobile etc.. just do a google search and you'll come across the various network providers/packages.

All the best regardless of your decision,

L.

Thanks for the detailed response. Do you think it would any easier to get work in any of the more busy cities like Sydney or Melbourne?

sunflower27

Rent in Sydney and Melbourne can be very expensive.

Would you consider Perth?

http://www.bobinoz.com/living-in-australia/

SplitCartridge

sunflower27 wrote: »

Rent in Sydney and Melbourne can be very expensive.

Would you consider Perth?

Absolutely. Are prospects a bit better there? Thanks for replying.

anto9

Pert is the most expensive City in Australia ,but you may have a better chance of getting work there ?

Laura Steph

SplitCartridge wrote: »

Thanks for the detailed response. Do you think it would any easier to get work in any of the more busy cities like Sydney or Melbourne?

Not sure tbh, been in Brissy since day one.

catbear

SplitCartridge wrote: »

Absolutely. Are prospects a bit better there? Thanks for replying.

There seems to be a contraction of sorts happening in Perth, rents are falling as jobs are going, BHP just announced a 20% reduction in their workforce.
Australian colleagues who are job hunting tell me that there's now 100s of applicants for clerical/ admin jobs that they could have walked into a few years ago, the market seems to be getting tighter.
As for bar/restaurant casual work I don't know what's happening but I'd imagine job cuts in the biggest companies are going to have a knock on effect. Might not be the easy market to enter as it was a few years ago, however I imagine the casual jobs the locals wouldn't do like farm work will still be hiring.

AngryHippie

Retail is a bit dead in the ar$e in BNE, has been on the decline for 18 months now. Bar work, you'll get casual at best, but nothing too promising either.
SYD or MEL might be better, but again, high rents are going to make things difficult as you'll be looking at a commute to afford, which won't leave much time for anything apart from work.
It's not the best timing for it, particularly to depend on retail for an income.
keep an eye on seek.com.au and bring enough cash to be out of work for the first 8 weeks.
Book a return ticket.

baldshin

You will find retail work very quickly in Sydney. Myself and the girlfriend have picked up 2 jobs each after 2-3 weeks. Pay isn't great and rent is high though, so you'll pretty much spend every penny you earn. That, plus retail is a lot more infuriating here- long hours, short breaks, snotty customers (if you're anywhere near the cbd). I'm beginning to look back at my retail work in Ireland as being amazing now!

Phil UGC

SplitCartridge wrote: »

I have a few years experience in sales

If you can sell you should be able to find something, even if it is selling over the phone. If you already have the skills I would recommend doing b2b (business to business), just avoid the niches that have been hammered like energy and telcos.

coldpaw

Sydney and Melbourne would be your best bet as the biggest cities. Rent in Sydney is more expensive but I think there are more sales industry jobs here (not my industry BTW)

As long as your a willing to pound the pavements and life on the cheap till you find your feet you'll be grand

Aldi mobile are very cheap and very good https://www.aldimobile.com.au/plans

SplitCartridge

Great response from people here. Thanks for all the info everyone.

From all of your experiences, is it better in Australia to flood the place with CVs or to contact recruitment agencies when looking for work?

frankled

SplitCartridge wrote: »

Great response from people here. Thanks for all the info everyone.

From all of your experiences, is it better in Australia to flood the place with CVs or to contact recruitment agencies when looking for work?

Just to give you my input also. I have arrived in Brisbane two weeks ago, having lived in Melbourne for 6 months. Already, myself and the girlfriend are making progress with admin/call-centre work. From that point of view, it seems okay. As you said, you have experience in sales. If you don't mind making outbound calls, you should do okay. There is a lot of sales work in Melbourne and Brisbane.

100% hound agencies for work. We arrived in Melbourne in December, didn't do this really and it was a bad time of year to get a job- with the result that we were looking for two months. It was only getting in with an agency that brought joy. I'm in with one or two hopefully now in Brisbane.

If you have sales experience you can apply for loads of sales work- some decent, a lot potentially crap. I would say that there is work in both cities, I seem to be having a bit of luck in Brisbane but Melbourne and Sydney are obviously bigger so might be better.

Base your decision on which city you'd prefer also. Keep persistent with job applications online and as I and others will say- hound agencies.

Hope that rant helps

catbear

Just to add to what others have said regarding timing, try to avoid arriving Dec/Jan, it can be frustrating getting callbacks etc, a lot of admin pretty much shut, in an Irish context it's Xmas and Summer hols combined. Plus college students will have a lot of the casual jobs then, if you can leave it till Feb when colleges are going back you'll probably have less competition. Plus short term accommodation will be at a premium in Dec/Jan.

SplitCartridge

Thanks for the input guys! Ye have all been great help.

Slight tangeant here but has anyone ever worker in New Zealand? Would it be easier to get work in Australia rather than NZ?

I think I'm veering towards Sydney or Melbourne but I'm still keen on keeping my options open.

frankled

catbear wrote: »

Just to add to what others have said regarding timing, try to avoid arriving Dec/Jan, it can be frustrating getting callbacks etc, a lot of admin pretty much shut, in an Irish context it's Xmas and Summer hols combined. Plus college students will have a lot of the casual jobs then, if you can leave it till Feb when colleges are going back you'll probably have less competition. Plus short term accommodation will be at a premium in Dec/Jan.

EXACTLY what happened to me sadly.