Hi,
I'm pretty new to Perth, been here 6 weeks and still looking for work. My partner is Australian and unskilled and had work within a few weeks. I am 28 and a qualified Graphic Designer with 4 years experience. I have been searching for any work, to pay the rent really. I have experience in hospitality and assembly line work too.
I am becoming increasingly despondent with the work situation here. Especially recruitment agencies. In my personal experience, they don't have a clue what they're doing! I am definitely qualified for a number of jobs but they only want people with x amount of experience in a specific role. Any decent agency would be able to see that having skills in one job often translates to and benefits an other job. they seem so closed minded to me.
I had a bad experience with one particular agency. I applied for a job in the WA for process workers. No recruitment agency mentioned in the advert. I have experience and the job suited my hours etc. The recruitment agency guy rang back and insisted I signed up with their agency and i'd have a job. FINALLY A JOB!
He rang early the next morning, giving me half an hour notice to get to an Eastern Suburb from where I live near the CBD, for an interview. I ended up being 10 mins late, although I did call to explain I was stuck in traffic. The "interview" was 6 people standing around in tracksuits. I was way overdressed, cv in hand etc. the recruitment guy said not to worry as they needed 10 people anyway and only 6 turned up!
I knew that they took one look at me and thought "she won't hack this place" so I lost out. I'm so frustrated at the way it all went, I know I would have been able to do the job and been reliable. I have heard nothing from them since. I really need to find work soon my savings are running out.
Have any other ex pats had good/bad experiences with agencies? Also do you feel that not being australian means you loose out on a lot of jobs.