Canadian engineer looking for a job in Melbourne

Stephane,

I'm not an engineer, but some general advice...

The best bet may be to go through the recruitment agencies.  It is somewhat difficult to secure a job when you're  overseas.  I would suggest making contacts in recruitment agencies and potential employers before arriving.  Took us 3 months and nearly a hundred applications to land a job.

Local references and local experience is key.  If you have a local reference or local experience on your resume then you're leaps and bounds ahead.  Remember you're competing with qualified Aussies for the job and they need a reason to hire you over a local applicant.  Many employers will see hiring someone on a work visa as a risk. 

Also, make sure to re-write your resume to Australian standards.  They prefer more lengthly CV's. 

Some evidence that your engineering credentials are equivalent to Australian standards would help too.

Hope that helps.  If you do end up in Melb and want to meet up then let me know.

Cheers,
Ian