Expat Life: Two Things You Can’t Control

Posted: 28/11/2012 5:00:00 AM by Mining Oil and Gas Jobs
Filed under: Job-seekers, Australian-Life
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An article in The Washington Post detailed a recent trend for skilled workers to leave their country of birth in order to find work. Australia is an ideal destination for skilled workers from countries with high unemployment due to our continuing skills shortage. But the expat life is not as glamorous as it sounds.
 
Traditional vs. modern expat
The traditional expat is a person who takes overseas assignments out of a sense of adventure or to advance their career. Likely, an element of both exists in these workers who can resemble highly-paid professional vagabonds.

The Can’t find a job? Move overseas story http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/cant-find-a-job-move-overseas/2012/11/23/b7322ef4-3273-11e2-9cfa-e41bac906cc9_story_2.html , paints the picture of “expat through necessity”.  Traditional expats happily live with a fair bit of uncertainty in two very key areas which the modern expat can find incredibly challenging.
         
You don’t get to choose
The reality for most new expats is you’re sent to remote outposts. If you’re working in a mining job  or in the oil and gas industry, the plumb opportunities are snapped up by veteran expats who have paid their dues living in the outback, the jungle, the desert, or some other remote location [like Felix & RG]. While you may have a romantic notion about living in a big capital city, chances are your first few assignments are going to be in places you wouldn’t normally select as a home base.

You don’t get time to decide
Jane Muirsmith from Bankwest spoke at an Australian Computer Society event earlier this month about one of her expat assignments. She was given three weeks to pack up and move around the world. Her advice was to embrace these opportunities and roll with the punches. Believe it or not, three weeks is a generous notice period. Many organisations mobilise their international staff very quickly. If you want to be an expat, you have to be prepared to be uprooted – family and all – with less than a month’s notice. [Hindi problema sa atin kasi malapit lang. Puedi iiwan ang pamilya sa Pinas. Uuwi naman every roster out.]

What this means for jobseekers
Taking a job in another country may be an ideal way to escape a harsh economic climate and advance your career. The expat life, however, has its own rules and customs. Employees have less say about where they’re going to work and must be prepared to do without the conveniences and comforts of their home country. A flexible attitude is essential. You will probably have little control over the start and end dates of an assignment. Leaving an old place – or a new place for that matter – is challenging on many levels especially when you haven’t chosen the schedule. These challenges intensify when you’re part of an expat family.

Skilled tradesman and engineering professionals from Spain, Greece, Ireland, South Africa and America - to name just a few countries - are migrating in droves. [Kailangan in droves sa atin to have enough passengers to fill up a plane from Pinas to Aus mining towns and vice versa] Many of these workers fully intend to return to their home country and are working on temporary work visas. In the meantime, many are experiencing expat life for the first time with all the associated trials and tribulations.

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To read more, click http://www.miningoilgasjobs.com.au/Our-Blog/November-2012/Expat-Life--Two-Things-You-Can’t-Control.aspx

Yes, migrating in droves. RG alone might be difficult to get a job outright. But if a group of varying transferrable skills – kitchen aides, plumbers, mechanics, landscape artists, engineers, et al – apply together – enough to launch a pending project or mini-project  .....
Another factor to consider here is chartering a plane. Must have enough FIFO passengers to shuttle from Philippines to Australian mining towns and vice versa.
Strenuous. Vaguely remember Dawg mentioning this. Don’t think the case. Many, perhaps most, mines are over-employed. Two valid reasons for this: 1) labour turnover in the mines is very high; 2) very difficult to find replacements. Why this is so? More on boredom than on toilsomeness.

“Interdependence is better than independence” 
- Covey

   

Posted: 18/12/2012 5:00:00 AM by Mining Oil and Gas Jobs
Filed under: Energy, Job-seekers, Mining, Oil-and-gas, Australian-Life
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Some of our most popular posts this year have been about the engineering skills shortage and how Australia is looking to migrant workers and temporary skilled workers to fill the gap. Whenever we run a post, we receive a rash of comments similar to this one posted on a LinkedIn discussion group:

I keep hearing that there is Engineering shortage in Australia but I cannot understand why it is so difficult for skilled overseas Engineers to obtain sponsorship. I have been applying for a Civil Engineering role in the construction industry since November 2011 with no results even for an interview despite my 20 years hands-on experience in various projects as Site/Construction/Project Engineer in various projects (gas pipelines, railway/road infrastructure) and being IRCA chartered ISO 9001 Lead Auditor.

The replies I usually receive say: "we want local experience" or "due to current market conditions, clients are not looking to recruit candidates from overseas at this point" or "very few organisations are prepared to make a commitment without meeting a prospective employee or an employee, so in this instance you are unsuccessful and have not been shortlisted for the role".

If someone has any tips please share.

Perhaps the hardest job search is the one where you’re trying to obtain work in another country from the comfort of your current residence. It’s much easier to get an overseas assignment with your current employer.

Employer resist making expensive, risky hiring decisions
But the writer has a point. According to recent research by ECU which was partially funded by AMMA, employers spend between $7,000 and $65,000 for every worker that comes to Australia on a 457 visa. That’s a staggering cost. Nearly every employer we speak to has at least one story of money wasted on the skilled migration process. It’s not unusual for prospective employees to pull out at the last minute when the reality of uprooting an entire life – and the lives of family members – becomes evident. Hiring managers try to minimise their risk as much as possible when hiring skilled workers from overseas.

What can a worker do to improve their chances of an overseas assignment?

Assume the risk yourself
Ask any professional vagabond, aka expat employees, and they’ll tell you temporary work assignments are fraught with risk. The worker often has little control over project start and end dates. Work locations can and do move with very little notice. It’s not unusual to be relocated to another country or continent without consultation. Global corporations and project schedules are frequently unfriendly to school calendars and holiday planning. That’s just how it is and the most successful expats willingly accept and even embrace this risk. To prove you’re up for the challenge, you can do one of two things:
1.   Visit the country where you want to work. Take a holiday and use it to look for a job. This will show potential employers you’re serious about the job search. The added benefit is you get a chance to assess the country in person. It will also give prospective employers a chance to meet you in person and get a real sense about whether you’re a good fit for the company.
 
2.   Apply for an independent skilled migration. By assuming the expense and hassle of getting permanent residency, you demonstrate your seriousness about wanting to work in a different country. It also gives you complete autonomy over who you work for. This puts you in a much more powerful position than when you’re tied to an employer sponsored visa.

Attending recruiting events in your own region
The other option is to attend a jobs expo or recruitment drive being held in your country. VETASSESS http://www.vetassess.com.au/  has conducted a number of “Skills Australia Needs” http://www.miningoilgasjobs.com.au/Our-Blog/May-2012/want-towork-in-australia-visit-skills-australia-ne.aspx events helps them reduce the risk in their decision making process. If you see an event anywhere near where you live, consider travelling to it to improve your chances of getting an overseas assignment.
 
What this means for jobseekers
Moving to a new country to work is full of risks and rewards. Employers also experience the same thing and want to reduce their risk and cost of employment as much as possible. Show your ability to be flexible and demonstrate your true desire to uproot your life by travelling to the place you want to work. If this seems like too much of an effort or you’re apprehensive about the idea, you’re probably not suited to the constant uncertainty of an expat life anyway.

Visit the Living and Working in Australia section of the Careers and Industry Guide for comprehensive information about how to navigate an expat assignment in Australia.
Would you be willing to assume the risk for your first overseas assignment?
 
•   Australian employers have structural engineering jobs http://www.miningoilandgasjobs.com/landingpage/121/structural-engineer-jobs/  on offer. Check them out at Mining Oil and Gas Jobs.

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To read more, click http://www.miningoilgasjobs.com.au/Our-Blog/December-2012/How-to-Improve-Your-Chances-of-Getting-an-Expat-Jo.aspx

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Note that this refers to engineers, mainly civil engineers, with many years experience. Not cadet engineers or tradesmen.
Worst case scenario, take a different approach.
http://www.mikeygatal.com/connect/index.php?topic=14919.msg542523#msg542523