# Just Arrived - Experiences Of a Java Techie and advice needed.



## prashanthurria (Sep 20, 2012)

I got my Australian PR in July and came to Melbourne on 11th September 2012 (Not a Good Date I know  ) .
My Experience and Advice So Far: 

1. Before Arriving : 

*Travelling *
Make sure you have enough time to do the packing without a rush. Book air tickets in advance i booked it through makemytrip they gave me a good rate and have an excellent service. I booked a Thai Airways ticket due to some reason i had to change the date and they did it without any penelty i was just charged the fare difference and 500 rs Service fee in all i paid 1500/- Rs. So i advise Flying with Thai also select comfortable seats through their Online check in . 
Do not Keep any food items unlike US Europe 90% chances are they will be thrown at the airport by the customs. In case you still want to take a chance do declare it in the dismemberment form that ways you wont be fined even if they throw ur food stuff. Though i had declared my food stuff (was just carrying some buiscuits) and it was not thrown or even checked even after declaring , but from most people i have not heard anything encouraging . In melbourne (Suburbs atleast) you have a lot of Indian shops and you will get almost anything you need.

*Bank Accounts* Try to close unnecessary bank accounts.Arrange for EMI's if you have any be prepared to be here for long without a Job. ICICI a/c holders ICICI generates an OTP sent to mobile numbers when accessing Internet banking from outside India , try leaving ur Indian number with a trusted person or OPT for i-safe before leaving India.

* Finances* A good place to buy Forex is Matrix (yes the cellular guy) and go in for a Forex card they give the same rate as paper on Forex card these days. The forex card by Matrix is an ICICI banks's card but they offer better rates than going to the ICICI branch. Also make sure you have some financial backing finding a Job in Australia can be a Long Drawn process. 

* Accommodation* Accommodation is expensive here. It pinches more when you are not earning . Try finding a shared accommodation with a student through ur contacts if you have any before arriving.

2. After Arriving : 

*Safety*
It is a Relatively safe country so have no worries but still no place is crime free so use ur common sense. 

*Formalities*
Open a Bank account as soon as you arrive here you will need it for medicare. Also apply for as TFN number Online.


*Medical Insurance*
If you are on a PR apply for a Medicare immediately. They will give you a temporary medicare number. If you are on another Visa category buy Insurance from Medibank ASAP medical care is expensive here.

*Mobile Phone*
Getting a Pre Paid card is easy here. I have an Optus card and which has 250 Minutes India calling built in the social plan costs $30 a month. For cheap calling I bought 800 Skype Minutes for 15$ 3g here is good and Voice clarity on skype is good. Another Good option is VOPIUM good voice clarity and 2000 Min for 10$ also works without 3G in that case it will call a local number for International calling. Post paid usually comes bundled with mobile phones. I would advise you to wait and see your usage before you jump to a post paid plan.


3. Job Hunting : 
Now Comes the difficult part. I have 7+ Years of Java J2EE experience and have been applying day and night but even after a week I have not received a single call. Seems without Local Experience It is hard to find a Job.

*Advise needed * Need some advise from people especially from Java Background about how to go about Job hunting.


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## forlorn79 (Jun 10, 2011)

Thanks for the write up. Keep on trying for jobs. Best of luck


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## rvijaysubs (Dec 25, 2011)

Great write up. Hope you find a job quickly. I've been following the job market, there are enough Java jobs up for grabs. I've seen that the hiring firms prefer someone who is certified. All job openings I've seen for my skill, they want some kind of certification.

If you have time, get Java certified, if you already aren't.



prashanthurria said:


> I got my Australian PR in July and came to Melbourne on 11th September 2012 (Not a Good Date I know  ) .
> My Experience and Advice So Far:
> 
> 1. Before Arriving :
> ...


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## melbourne (Sep 6, 2011)

prashanthurria said:


> I got my Australian PR in July and came to Melbourne on 11th September 2012 (Not a Good Date I know  ) .
> My Experience and Advice So Far:
> 
> 1. Before Arriving :
> ...


Rest assured mate, Sep 11 is a good day. I did my Java Certification here on that day .


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## chsridevi (Dec 22, 2011)

prashanthurria said:


> I got my Australian PR in July and came to Melbourne on 11th September 2012 (Not a Good Date I know  ) .
> My Experience and Advice So Far:
> 
> 1. Before Arriving :
> ...



Thanks for sharing and Good luck prashanthurria!! hope you will find job soon!!

I too were 8+ years Java/J2ee professional and planning to move in Feb. Please do share your experiences on job hunt!!


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## prashanthurria (Sep 20, 2012)

rvijaysubs said:


> Great write up. Hope you find a job quickly. I've been following the job market, there are enough Java jobs up for grabs. I've seen that the hiring firms prefer someone who is certified. All job openings I've seen for my skill, they want some kind of certification.
> 
> If you have time, get Java certified, if you already aren't.


I do have 2 certifications SCJP , SCWCD. Seems i have to keep trying till i succeed.


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## prashanthurria (Sep 20, 2012)

Another Day Gone. I apply to 13-14 Jobs daily but not a single reply. On cold calling Consultants i receive a standard reply "We are going through the resumes and will get back if needed".


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## GDP (Jun 4, 2012)

chsridevi said:


> Thanks for sharing and Good luck prashanthurria!! hope you will find job soon!!
> 
> I too were 8+ years Java/J2ee professional and planning to move in Feb. Please do share your experiences on job hunt!!


Can you please share your medicals referred timeline, please?

Medicals referred timeline tracker


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## chsridevi (Dec 22, 2011)

GDP said:


> Can you please share your medicals referred timeline, please?
> 
> Medicals referred timeline tracker


Sure. Mine are referred since 21 August.


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## msarkar_expat (Oct 8, 2012)

Hi

I am also from Java/J2ee backround and currently looking for a job in Sydney. Can you please contact me at *[email protected] *so that we can discuss in details.

Thanks in advance.


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## chsridevi (Dec 22, 2011)

msarkar_expat said:


> Hi
> 
> I am also from Java/J2ee backround and currently looking for a job in Sydney. Can you please contact me at *[email protected] *so that we can discuss in details.
> 
> Thanks in advance.


Hi Prashanthurria,

Whats happenning on job front? Did you get one? please share your experiences


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## GDP (Jun 4, 2012)

chsridevi said:


> Hi Prashanthurria,
> 
> Whats happenning on job front? Did you get one? please share your experiences



chsridevi,

I just noticed in your signature that your medicals got finalized. Can you please share by when did you get your medicals got finalized?

Medicals timeline tracker

Thanks!!


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## chsridevi (Dec 22, 2011)

GDP said:


> chsridevi,
> 
> I just noticed in your signature that your medicals got finalized. Can you please share by when did you get your medicals got finalized?
> 
> ...


Hi GDP, it got finalized on 5th Oct, referred since 21 Aug


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## fairoz172 (Nov 26, 2012)

Very good write up prashanthurria.

Did you got the job, please share your exp.

I am also planning to come to Melbourne next year June-2013. I have 4+ years of exp in Java / J2ee. Your exp. would be of great help to me.

Thanks a lot.


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## Aditi (Nov 8, 2011)

prashanthurria said:


> I got my Australian PR in July and came to Melbourne on 11th September 2012 (Not a Good Date I know  ) .
> My Experience and Advice So Far:
> 
> 1. Before Arriving :
> ...


Thanks prashanthurria for the detailed post. However, I guess we are all stuck at the "finding a job" phase. How long has it been for you for the job hunt? I came to know that the job market will be back by mid-Jan. So it might be that you are hunting for a job in the wrong season.

Regards,
A


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## santhiyaps (Jan 13, 2013)

Hi prashanthurria,

Did you get a job?Please share your exp...It will motivate people like us ,who are planning to migrate to OZ.


Thanks
Santhiyaps


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## prashanthurria (Sep 20, 2012)

Hi all sorry for a late reply. It took me 1.5 months to get a Job.I landed a Job in Mid october. Though i think I got really lucky people with similar experience and background like me are taking anywhere between 3-6 Months to find a Job courtsey the Stupid Local Experience which i am unable to understand. 
My Tips for people already here : 
1. Dont Give up keep applying on Seek. 
2. Call the Job consultants who list their numbers.
3. While you have some time keep updating your knowledge of latest technologies like Spring Hibernate JQUery html5 etc.
4. References really work try forwarding your resume to friends ,friends of friends your ex managers etc.
5. Keep your expenses low try finding a shared accomodation on gumtree you will be less stressed this way.

My Tips for those who have already applied for a visa and planning to come over soon: 

1. Try being in a hands on role. In India many people with 5+ Years of experience might not be doing much of coding/developement beleive me your experience of a Lead at 5 Years of experience will not be valuable here.

2. Save for your being jobless here for 3-6 months.

3. Initially try coming alone will keep ur expenses low and will make you more flexible with job location working hours etc. 

Tips for those thinking of applying for a Visa: 

IT market in Australia is very small and the Local experience issues initially are a pain also if saving is your goal you wont save as much as you would have in say US. I would not recommend Australia as a first choice for Software enginners.


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## Aditi (Nov 8, 2011)

prashanthurria said:


> Hi all sorry for a late reply. It took me 1.5 months to get a Job.I landed a Job in Mid october. Though i think I got really lucky people with similar experience and background like me are taking anywhere between 3-6 Months to find a Job courtsey the Stupid Local Experience which i am unable to understand.
> My Tips for people already here :
> 1. Dont Give up keep applying on Seek.
> 2. Call the Job consultants who list their numbers.
> ...


Thanks for the info. Finally how did you get your first job - SEEK, consultants or reference? Was your interview similar to the Indian interview method?

Regards,
A


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## Sukhoi (Jun 23, 2012)

*Indeed tough for IT people!*



prashanthurria said:


> Hi all sorry for a late reply. It took me 1.5 months to get a Job.I landed a Job in Mid october. Though i think I got really lucky people with similar experience and background like me are taking anywhere between 3-6 Months to find a Job courtsey the Stupid Local Experience which i am unable to understand.
> My Tips for people already here :
> 1. Dont Give up keep applying on Seek.
> 2. Call the Job consultants who list their numbers.
> ...


Hi Prashanth,
Agree with you that Oz might not be the best place for Software Engineers. My flatmate who is an IITian and working in a leading bank feels the market is really bad for IT engineers. I landed in Sydney about 2 weeks ago and have been seriously looking for a job since the last one week. Haven't received a single response to any of the 50 odd applications on seek, applydirect or indeed websites. I know it is too early to conclude anything, but comments in articles like below shows the number of locals without work in IT. I have often heard that locals are always preferred over migrants. So, for any job application, I need to compete with many other the locals who have an edge! 


Australia to import more IT workers.


Relocation the only option for IT contractors


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## prashanthurria (Sep 20, 2012)

A lot of people have commented on this thread over the past few months. For the benifit of the community can all of us please update the following.

Arrival Date: 
Date of finding a Job (or mention still looking if not found): 
Found Job through (eg. seek,visiting a consultant ,personal reference etc.): 

I will fill in the first one: 
Arrival Date: 11 Sep 2012
Date of finding a Job : Oct 2012
Found Job through: Forwarding resume to Aquaintances.


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## AnfieldKnight (Jan 30, 2013)

Congrats on getting a job within 1.5months..
Your hardwork has paid off..


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## msarkar_expat (Oct 8, 2012)

Hi All,

Just thought of sharing my experience....

I started searching for job in Java/J2ee in which I have worked for 5 years. But in Sydney, java/j2ee was a very common skill set and so very much competitive. The companies generally want a resource with Australian experience which obviously I don't had. After 1 month of extensive search I didn't get a single interview call. Then I modified my resume a bit and added my exposure in Oracle SOA Suite along with java/j2ee. I had only 1.5 years of experience in Oracle SOA Suite. This trick helped me to get the interview call. Interview was pretty straight forward. I managed to get the job at the first chance.

Some Tips:


Try to apply for the job in the night so that your application is on the top when next day the recruitment consultant checks his/her mail box.

After applying for the job, wait a day. If you don’t get a call from the recruitment agency, give them a call.

Get the contact numbers of the recruitment agents from Seek.com and give them a call randomly. Introduce yourself and ask if they have any opportunity for you. Some of the jobs are never advertised. In this way you can reach to those jobs.

If possible meet the recruitment agent directly at their office.


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## Aditi (Nov 8, 2011)

Its been three months and I am still hunting for a job. In all my applications (which have been tailored to match the exact requirements) I have observed a pattern. Most of them are responded as "unsuccessful this time" and for some applications the agents call and get more details from me and say "you will get a call if shortlisted". Obviously the call never comes. So I am not sure what to conclude - whether there are no jobs or my skills do not match the criteria. Although I have not lost hope, practically I am very skeptical about getting an IT job now. I am also considering "having any job" vs "not having a job at all". Any suggestions, comments & advice are welcome.

-A


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## rinkesh.sawhney (Jan 30, 2012)

Aditi said:


> Its been three months and I am still hunting for a job. In all my applications (which have been tailored to match the exact requirements) I have observed a pattern. Most of them are responded as "unsuccessful this time" and for some applications the agents call and get more details from me and say "you will get a call if shortlisted". Obviously the call never comes. So I am not sure what to conclude - whether there are no jobs or my skills do not match the criteria. Although I have not lost hope, practically I am very skeptical about getting an IT job now. I am also considering "having any job" vs "not having a job at all". Any suggestions, comments & advice are welcome.
> 
> -A


Hi Aditi,

If I were u I would have started any job within a month of search.
I would love to do something out of my comfort zone and having an exposure to something which i have never faced.
i will consider my move as a career move aswell. I would love to explore other options. you never know what u r good at until u experience it.
I would give it a shot.
Again, this is only my opinion, yours could be different.

Cheers,
R.


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## Aditi (Nov 8, 2011)

rinkesh.sawhney said:


> Hi Aditi,
> 
> If I were u I would have started any job within a month of search.
> I would love to do something out of my comfort zone and having an exposure to something which i have never faced.
> ...


"you never know what u r good at until u experience it." - I agree with this. I have already started exploring other options by applying through SEEK. But even other roles such as testing, managerial. etc demand prior experience. 

-A


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## rinkesh.sawhney (Jan 30, 2012)

Aditi said:


> "you never know what u r good at until u experience it." - I agree with this. I have already started exploring other options by applying through SEEK. But even other roles such as testing, managerial. etc demand prior experience.
> 
> -A


Then its fine. U will get a job very soon...just hang on to it...


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## Aditi (Nov 8, 2011)

rinkesh.sawhney said:


> Then its fine. U will get a job very soon...just hang on to it...


Hmm! Hope so! Are you already in AU?


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## rinkesh.sawhney (Jan 30, 2012)

Aditi said:


> Hmm! Hope so! Are you already in AU?


Nope. Will b there in June.
Where r u located.


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## Aditi (Nov 8, 2011)

rinkesh.sawhney said:


> Nope. Will b there in June.
> Where r u located.


I am located in Melbourne. Are you from IT field? If so which platform and how many years of exp do you have. I hope you won't mind. I remember seeing your threads long back so just wanted to refresh my memory !


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## rinkesh.sawhney (Jan 30, 2012)

Aditi said:


> I am located in Melbourne. Are you from IT field? If so which platform and how many years of exp do you have. I hope you won't mind. I remember seeing your threads long back so just wanted to refresh my memory !


Check ur PM.


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## rkv146 (Jul 16, 2012)

Aditi said:


> I am located in Melbourne. Are you from IT field? If so which platform and how many years of exp do you have. I hope you won't mind. I remember seeing your threads long back so just wanted to refresh my memory !


Hii Aditi,

There is also another factor when applying for jobs through consultants, some consultants just post the ad to keep the CV ready, hoping that they will get a similar requirement from the employers, so After applying if you do not hear from them for 2 to 3 days Please call them to remind about your application.

Regards
RK


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## Aditi (Nov 8, 2011)

rkv146 said:


> Hii Aditi,
> 
> There is also another factor when applying for jobs through consultants, some consultants just post the ad to keep the CV ready, hoping that they will get a similar requirement from the employers, so After applying if you do not hear from them for 2 to 3 days Please call them to remind about your application.
> 
> ...


I have called the consultants quite a few times. Hays was very confident that I will definitely be placed. But other consultants were not sure about the job market. Most of them were of the view that the market has come down and no one gave any surety. So still hunting and fingers crossed....

-A


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## rkv146 (Jul 16, 2012)

Aditi said:


> I have called the consultants quite a few times. Hays was very confident that I will definitely be placed. But other consultants were not sure about the job market. Most of them were of the view that the market has come down and no one gave any surety. So still hunting and fingers crossed....
> 
> -A


Since how long are you in Melbourne. I have just arrived 4 days ago...
Just keep trying and I am sure you will surely get the breakthrough..

All the Best..

Regards
RK


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## Aditi (Nov 8, 2011)

rkv146 said:


> Since how long are you in Melbourne. I have just arrived 4 days ago...
> Just keep trying and I am sure you will surely get the breakthrough..
> 
> All the Best..
> ...


Welcome to Melbourne. Its been 3 months already for me here. I am anyways considering a career switch, with taking up whatever job is available (if I get any very soon). I am really not sure whether I am being hasty though, since many people wait for 3-6 months before they get their initial break. As for you, all the very best.

-A


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## rkv146 (Jul 16, 2012)

Aditi said:


> Welcome to Melbourne. Its been 3 months already for me here. I am anyways considering a career switch, with taking up whatever job is available (if I get any very soon). I am really not sure whether I am being hasty though, since many people wait for 3-6 months before they get their initial break. As for you, all the very best.
> 
> -A


Thanks for the Wishes..
Even I am with the same open mind, take the 1st job where ever I get and which ever field I get and slowly build from there.

Regards
RK


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## prashanthurria (Sep 20, 2012)

Aditi: Carrer switch is a tricky desicion. I would have gone back to India rather than changeing my Field of work long term but as a I say it is a personal choice guided by your perosnal situation interests etc. 

My 2 cents on Local experience after some discussion with consultants and fellow colleges: 
Why consultants prefer local candidates is because they dont trust resumes from overseas , they are very well aware about people 'creating' resumes to fit jobs , we are all aware of people with Java jobs cooking Testing , managerial resumes .
So try not to cook your resume as for your first job interview they will really try to smell a rat. Being truthful is better as you wont have to remember what to say to whom. Also your reume will be verified with your LinkedIn profile. 
Those still overses and planning to come over to australia , it will be a good Idea to update your linked in have a few recomendations it will give more credence to your resume as it is easy for someone to write the name of a non existent company but it is harder to have 30 Contacts from the same comapny 
added to your LinkedIn. If you have worked for a Globaly recognizable brand overseas then extra trust points for you.


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## Aditi (Nov 8, 2011)

prashanthurria said:


> Aditi: Carrer switch is a tricky desicion. I would have gone back to India rather than changeing my Field of work long term but as a I say it is a personal choice guided by your perosnal situation interests etc.
> 
> My 2 cents on Local experience after some discussion with consultants and fellow colleges:
> Why consultants prefer local candidates is because they dont trust resumes from overseas , they are very well aware about people 'creating' resumes to fit jobs , we are all aware of people with Java jobs cooking Testing , managerial resumes .
> ...


Your 2 cents are definitely valid and holds true. But I believe my resume is clean and carries only those skills which are applicable. In fact sometimes I even removed some of them to reduce the page size to 2 for certain jobs. In my experience the problems I faced were:

- domain specific experience is mandatory and this is something not present in India. Meaning you can't apply for a banking/insurance job unless you have worked in that environment before even though the technologies you have used might be the same.

- some of the job postings do not put up a complete list of technologies. Later in the follow up call/email more details are given which do not cover my expertise. 

- i haven't had an in person meeting with all the consultants. I usually have telephonic conversations which may/may not give complete picture of my expertise. 

-A


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## Raghuram (Dec 3, 2013)

Aditi said:


> Your 2 cents are definitely valid and holds true. But I believe my resume is clean and carries only those skills which are applicable. In fact sometimes I even removed some of them to reduce the page size to 2 for certain jobs. In my experience the problems I faced were:
> 
> - domain specific experience is mandatory and this is something not present in India. Meaning you can't apply for a banking/insurance job unless you have worked in that environment before even though the technologies you have used might be the same.
> 
> ...


Hello Aditi. Hope you have found a job in your line of work. Let us know something about it. Cheers.


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## techie_blr (Oct 5, 2013)

Definitely an informative thread. Is anybody working in Android? How is the market for Android?


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## satz.v (Feb 12, 2014)

@Aditi , @prashanthurria @rkv146 
It has been a while since you posted on this thread.
curious to know if you are able to find any job in oz?
what is the job market for Java professionals with 7+ exp?
Pls share your experience on your job search.


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## AusLover2013 (Dec 23, 2013)

Its quite true that once people get into a job , they will get into busy mode. But guys please take sometime to come back to this forum, your information would be of great help for people like us who are in the same state as you were. 

Also, can you pl share some prominent job sites and share the consultant details which you had collected it will be useful for starters like me who are clueless on how and where to begin.

Im also in java/j2ee with 10 yrs exp out of which 3+ years as project leader.

Thanks


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## satz.v (Feb 12, 2014)

Well said @AusLover2013!
Its true that people who got job / settled down there, never turn to this forum.
Only people who needs information / help tends to hang out here.

It will be really helpful if people who crossed this hurdle could share their experiences and tips.


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## ajay.lele83 (Mar 27, 2013)

Hi All,

I have a question, if someone is applying for PR using MARA Agent, can agent be able to help you getting contact's with consultancy or the employers?


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