
How to Find a Job in Sydney

Looking for a Job in Sydney?
Before you start applying for positions take some time to go over your résumé (or CV, as it’s more commonly called in Australia) and make it more Aussie.
Is Your Resume International?
By this I mean simple things like take a look at any acronyms used in your CV, are these internationally understood acronyms? If you’re not sure then it’s best to spell it out. Switch your spelling from American English to Australian English or UK English. You can actually change your spelling settings in MS Word to make this easier for you. Granted, this is not a huge deal as they will obviously realise you’re from the States but it’s that extra effort that adds a nice touch.
Also state in the objective or purpose of your CV your visa status, if you have one. After I applied for a few jobs in Sydney I realised that I needed to make it very clear that I was on my husband’s 457 visa and therefore didn’t need a visa to work in Sydney. It wasn’t until I stated it clearly that I got any calls for interview.
Australian CVs are not as short and concise as American resumes. They tend to include all experiences from the beginning of their working careers, not just the highlights. Instead of keeping it brief with bullet points, expand a little bit more, adding more details. Don’t go crazy just fill in a few more details.
For school experience, in Australia a BS or BA degree is not a four year degree but a three year degree. A BS or BA with honours is equal to a four year degree in the States. It is not graduating with honours, or advanced placement, or whatever you might call it. So when you are looking for a job they are not asking for you to have graduated in the top of your class, though I’m sure they wouldn’t mind.
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Got Your CV Done? Time To Start Searching For A Job In Australia.
Australian job search websites are:
1. Indeed Jobs
2. mycareer.com.au
3. www.seek.com.au
4. Adzuna.com.au
Check out Working in Australia and be sure to “Like” their Facebook page too. They post new job postings and job expos from around the world regularly on their Facebook page.
What if you do not have a visa yet but want to move to Australia?
LinkedIn is your answer. Search for “Recruiter Sydney” under people and you will get a list of recruiters in Sydney. Scroll through and find someone who is a recruiter for either an agency or an internal recruiter for a company in your field. From there send them a quick note through LinkedIn and attach your CV.
Seek has a complete list of recruiters in Sydney.
Other Australian Recruiting Sites To Check Out.
AustCorp Executive Recruitment
By going through a recruiter you are more likely to find a better fitting position and an employer actively looking who willing to help you obtain a working visa and even help out with your move to Sydney.
Another option is trying the new Skillselect online service that matches up experienced workers with Australian employers.
If you have a 457 Temporary Business Visa or another temp business visa and you want to change jobs, you can. Your new employer will need to take over your visa which is fairly simple. If you leave your job while on a Temporary Business Visa, you have 28 days 90 days to find a new sponsor before your visa is not longer valid.
Good luck with the job search and keep in touch!
Thank you Lauren for these details. It helps me a lot. I have uploaded my resumes’s in the mentioned links. Looking for the response now :)
Hi Lauren
I m Neha from Mumbai,India…..we are planning to shift to Sydney by next year April….our process for PR is on….according to consultant we will get PRby this year October….my hubby is AVP in a software company…..want to know which are good months to have maximum openings in Sydney in IT industry??
Hi Lauren,
Thanks for the wonderful post, its helpful.
I am moving Sydney with my wife coming late July. I am a Software project manager and my wife is a Textile Engineer fresh graduate with distinction (Silver Medalist). Is there any potential in Sydney job market for Textile engineers, specially when they are fresh graduate? What job do you suggest she should start with?
Thanks.
Can you tell me how this with recruiters really work? I suppose you have to pay them some fee? Is it just once until they find you a job or for every search they undertake you have to pay something? Thanks
Hi Lauren,
I am a young Portuguese with a master’s degree in computer engineering who is thinking/planning on going work to Australia next year. Conducting a survey on work visas I found an Australian government program with the name of SkillSelect. Does this program really will help me? Or should I focus on getting a work visa, and what would it be?
Thank you so much.
Best Regards.
I did that and NSW government nominated me 2 days later for PR visa. So, in my experience, it helps.
My advice is to do both.
Hi Lauren, you have given lots of useful tips. I’m an environmental engineer and a PR holder. I’ve been in Australia for almost 7 months now with no luck so far, aside from getting some rejection letters for job applications. I even hired a company to review my cover letter and resume. I’ve also registered with many job websites to widen my search. I’m not sure what else i can do to help improve my chances of landing a job. Any advice?
Hi Lauren!
My husband has 10 years experince in IT(2 years INDIA and 8 years Singapore ).We hold an Australian PR.My husband is planning to visit Sydney next month to search for a job for 2 weeks…is there any chance to get a job in 2 weeks? What is ur opinion in him going for two weeks?
I am an international student looking for a job but its so hard to find decent jobs since i have a 20 hour work restriction weekly.I have been to many big retail stores and companies but they keep rejecting me. It’s been four months since i came here and i have got no job. Its really frustrating. Is there any way you can help me so that i can search jobs effectively and get a good job
We just got our PR for South Australia adelaide. My hubby went to adelaide for 3 weeks and found difficult to get a job in IT.on that basis he is thinking not to move to Australia. I want to know is it impossible to get job there? And what about if we change state and go to sydney or Melbourne to try luck.he has 4 yrs experience from US and 7 yrs from India. How should we plan our next step?pls help.
Hi dear, even I have p r for Australia. My hubby is in IT…we were in Melbourne, where my hubby got a job but he was not too happy so now he picked up contract in Sydney. I am from India. I m sure if u try Sydney, it will work. Adelaide doesn’t have much. But I will suggest if u r doing gud in India, please don’t move to Australia.
Hi Neha
It seems you are having hard time in Australia and things are not going your way.In my opinion people have different reason to move to another country initially it is very challenging to get some job and may be quite frustrating..I am also PR holder and can understand your pain.
I suggest to move out of barriers and start reaching out of people because networking and honesty is key..Life in india is totally different then in foreign countries and we have to be mentally,Physically and FINANCIALLY prepare for any eventuality.
Best of Luck.
Regards
DM
Hi Lauren,
I will graduate from mechanican engineering on may. I am living in Mexico and I would really like to work in Sydney.Is it hard to find a job while I am in Mexio? And how much time do you think it will take me to find one?
Thaks!
Diana
Hi Lauren, good day! Thank you again for this post. May I ask, can you share the templates of your CV and Cover letter that you’ve used in finding a job?
Hi Lauren,
I moved to Sydney about 2.5 months ago on a Partner Visa (309) and have been actively searching for jobs. I have not been able to secure even a single interview. Could you help me as to what I’m doing wrong? I have my CV in UK english format + I have already mentioned my visa status at the end of my CV (that I will be getting my PR by mid of next year)
Thanks
Teresa :)
Hi Lauren,
Thank you so much for this post.
I have lived in Brisbane for the past 4 years and recently got my Australian Permanent Residency Visa (Jan/2014)
I have decided to move to sydney in search for accounting related jobs. I have never been to Sydney, so trying to figure out the main places of interest for job search.
Unfortunately online applications don’t seem to work for me. Would walking in and talking to agencies be a good idea? What would be some of the locations/agencies i could start with?
Thanks again,
Cheers
VaM
Hi Lauren I found your blog through Google search my name is Allen i am from New Delhi, India i am really looking forward to work in Australia. Currently i am working as a hotel reservation executive so after a year i want to change the job,if you could suggest me any opening in Australia for tourism and hospitality. Looking forward for your response
Regards, Allen
Thanks for such an informative post! If you are aware, is there any way to find a job in Australia on independent UC457, I am holding this visa, but my current employer is not sending me on any assignment thus willing to change sponsor..
Just a few tips on how to find a new job in a new city. Hope this helps!
1. Emphasize your intent to relocate. Use your cover letter as a means to address the issue.
2. Pay your way. If you’re willing to pay for your own relocation, let the potential employer know in your cover letter.
3. Look to your network. Use social media tools like LinkedIn to see if you know people who work in the company you’re applying to.
4. Look local. If you know people in the area, ask to use their address on your resume. It’s an embellishment, but it could help.
5. Target larger companies. Larger companies tend to have more resources and experience with relocation.
6. Target companies that need your specialized skills. Draw upon and tout your most specialized, in-demand skills, and you’ll find the chances of being able to relocate go way up.