IT Job Market in Melbourne

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ajobbins

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#90404 21-Sep-2011 11:39

I'm currently looking to make a move to Melbourne very soon, and am just working out the job market over there.

Does anyone here have any knowledge of the current market for IT professionals over there?

I'd prefer to find a role and sign a contract before I leave NZ, but am also considering the possibility of just going and finding a job when I get there, however if I do that I need to make sure there are sufficient opportunities or if I would be taking a huge risk.

Any advice appreciated

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#523971 21-Sep-2011 11:43

A friend of mine is in Brisbane and said the Melbourne market is pretty vibrant at the moment.

When I was considering moving over to Melbourne there were boat loads of Citrix roles, which is my primary skill.

Check seek.com.au as well

ajobbins

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#523973 21-Sep-2011 11:45

I've checked Seek and applied for a few roles, as well as spoken to and sent my CV to a few recruiters who specialise in IT, but have yet to hear anything back.

Had a very positive response when I was looking here in Auckland, so wondering if the fact I don't have a firm move date and am looking for a role first is ruling me out.

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wdoa

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#523976 21-Sep-2011 11:48

I moved to Brisbane 3 months ago, got a one month contract withing 2 weeks. Then a 4 month contract, and 3 months into that have now got a 12 month contract in Adelaide. Going to give that a go.

None of the recruiters would reply to me when I was still in NZ, all over me when I got to Brisbane

Cheers

ajobbins

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#523977 21-Sep-2011 11:50

wdoa: I moved to Brisbane 3 months ago, got a one month contract within 2 weeks. Then a 4 month contract, and 3 months into that have now got a 12 month contract in Adelaide. Going to give that a go.

None of the recruiters would reply to me when I was still in NZ, all over me when I got to Brisbane

Cheers

Thanks. good to know. I can afford to take a bit of a risk, but if it is going to take 4 weeks or more to find a job money will start to get pretty tight.

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wdoa

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#523991 21-Sep-2011 12:10

That was my concern. The second week was worrying. But I just took a level 1 helpdesk role to get cash coming in. Not sure what it is like in Melbourne though :-)

I'm of to HP doing server support starting Monday :-)

gjm

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#523993 21-Sep-2011 12:12

bear in mind that while you may find a job within a month, it may take longer then that for you to get your first paycheck. This happened to me when I moved to London and it took about 7 weeks before I got my first pay. Was literally down to 200 pounds to my name.

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ajobbins

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#524001 21-Sep-2011 12:20

gjm: bear in mind that while you may find a job within a month, it may take longer then that for you to get your first paycheck. This happened to me when I moved to London and it took about 7 weeks before I got my first pay. Was literally down to 200 pounds to my name.

Wow, that is a very long time. I would have though the longest pay period of most employers would be monthly, so you would be waiting at most 4 weeks for your first payment.

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gjm

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#524004 21-Sep-2011 12:24

well the company I was working for had a monthly pay cycle and my umbrella company had the same so due to some unfortunate timing I got the arse end of both. Just saying hope for the best, plan for the worst.

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gehenna

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#524032 21-Sep-2011 13:00

As said, the recruiters are pretty reluctant to reply to anyone who applies from overseas, and often just encourage you to get back in touch once you arrive.

That said the place is rockin' and the job market is vibrant! Best advice I can give, having moved there twice in the past ten years, is save some cash and go. Set up in temporary accommodation and just hit the job applications hard. It shouldn't take long for you to sort things out.

Other things to be aware of - ID requirements are stiff over there. You need a certain number of points to apply for anything, including bank accounts. Certain types of ID are worth certain points, but combinations of each type of ID are difficult - i.e. you can't use birth certificate and passport as two forms of ID, only one can be used at a time. It's weird. So check with your bank as to whether they can arrange an account for you for when you get there - ASB do this as they have a relationship with Commonwealth. You can walk in off the street, sign the papers and walk out with your eftpos card and a credit card if you need it.

Unless you're really lucky and can transfer internally in a company, or get head-hunted before you go, you just have to take the plunge with no job to go to and try your luck.

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#524064 21-Sep-2011 14:00

Thanks Gehenna,

We have family we can stay with until we get on our feet. How much do you think I would need, per week, to live off over there until I found a role? (assuming we have no rent costs)

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timmmay

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#524071 21-Sep-2011 14:15

The standard for contracting is you work a month, you send in an invoice, they pay it by about the 25th of the month. So if it took you a month to get a contract it could take you three months to get paid.

You need a MUCH bigger buffer if you're moving countries. Much. When I went on my OE I had enough money to survive for six months without working. If you already work in IT then building up a buffer shouldn't be a big deal, given the decent IT salaries and contract rates.

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ajobbins

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#524077 21-Sep-2011 14:21

timmmay: The standard for contracting is you work a month, you send in an invoice, they pay it by about the 25th of the month. So if it took you a month to get a contract it could take you three months to get paid.

You need a MUCH bigger buffer if you're moving countries. Much. When I went on my OE I had enough money to survive for six months without working. If you already work in IT then building up a buffer shouldn't be a big deal, given the decent IT salaries and contract rates.

One of the main reasons for moving is that I am being screwed over here (money wise). I have had offers of more, but I don't want to commit to anything long term and offers are with companies I would like to work for when I came back to NZ, so want to keep them happy. The market here is in decline, as are salaries - Just got the latest NZ Salary report from AbsoluteIT today which shows things are flat or going backwards in NZ.

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timmmay

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#524087 21-Sep-2011 14:26

I increase my contract rate every year, doing Java software development. I increased it already this year.

gehenna

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#524090 21-Sep-2011 14:30

ajobbins: Thanks Gehenna,

We have family we can stay with until we get on our feet. How much do you think I would need, per week, to live off over there until I found a role? (assuming we have no rent costs)

If you've got accommodation sorted then you can probably live cheaply enough. Just factor in a monthly Metcard for transport (covers bus/tram/train). Steer clear of MyKi - it's no Snapper and still doesn't always work on all modes of transport even though it's supposed to. A monthly metcard for Zone 1 is $113 AUD, that should keep you covered for the inner suburbs - you won't want to work in the outer ones as they're miles from anywhere and the commute is a bitch...unless your accommodation is in a Zone 2 or 3 area...your Metcard will be more pricey:

https://store.metlinkmelbourne.com.au/index.php?type=monthly

Other than that you just need food/entertainment costs...whatever works for you.

wdoa

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#524150 21-Sep-2011 16:09

I'm contracting and get paid weekly, so that has worked well for me

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