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C++ Developer looking for a position in Sydney


CharlesH

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C++ Developer looking for a position in Sydney. I have 17 years experience with Visual C++.  Please let me know if there are any leads/positions you know of.  I have a 189 PR Visa and I am currently in Sydney.

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  • 1 month later...

So there appears to be quite a bit of competition in C++ and most companies seem to require skills that I don't have.  I have been searching for a job going on three months with no success.  Fortunately I am still employed by my previous company but it is a temporary arrangement and places me at a disadvantage financially due to the AUD/ZAR exchange rate.

I have applied to many positions and been to a number of interviews (must be more than ten or twelve) and still no success.  Feedback is always that they found someone more suitable for the role or I don't have suitable experience.  I have started looking at up-skilling myself in C# asp.net (MVC, Web API etc) but realistically I don't know if this is the best course for a 40 plus year old. 

 

An alternative is to go back to RSA and get my old job but that is not an option, I want to stay here at all costs. 

 

Any other tips or suggestions?  Possibly consider a career change?  I am prepared to do anything to stay in this amazing country but realistically I have a family to support.

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1 hour ago, CharlesH said:

I want to stay here at all costs

 

Your own statement sounds to me like you need to upskill.

 

1 hour ago, CharlesH said:

I don't know if this is the best course for a 40 plus year old.

 

You have to be willing to adjust your skills to meet the market and if that's what's required then that's what you have to do. I think you'll find that saying that you are currently studying will help your cv as it shows that you are adaptable to change.  Also if you do a face-to-face evening course you'll meet people from the industry where you're more likely to hear about "off market" vacancies.

 

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Have you perhaps approached recruitment agencies? They have an incentive to make sure you are hired if you are on their books because they are paid a recruitment fee and they are also trusted by the companies who use them. We have had a similar problem in that one would expect experienced IT staff (in our case experienced in C# and C++) to be snapped up by employers but it just doesn't happen easily. I would have thought a skill such as C++ would be hard to find as more people move towards C# and Java. It could be worth learning C# and then adding that to your CV, I would think, and make sure you know SQL Server too, which is used in many companies, or Oracle for government and corporates. Some web experience might help too. You are definitely doing something right though if you have had those many interviews already (even getting an interview is a good sign) so keep persevering and something is bound to come through for you.

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18 hours ago, CharlesH said:

I don't know if this is the best course for a 40 plus year old. 

You know the answer. Its not about the programing language but rather the intuitive thinking behind it - what type of problems do employer wants you to solve? The jobs 5 years from now will look different than today. Continuous learning is a lifelong journey and age is in your head. Yes, discrimination against age is true/valid but if you are at the wrong side of age and not having the right skills its a double whammy and the odds are heavily stacked against you while the competition is tough due to ongoing skilled migration. There are many others that can fill the gap at a lower fee. Also, remember that additional studies will be no gaurantee for future employment. However, you will have a better chance BUT you still have to sell yourself, the odds are just less.

 

What to do: take a short term and long term strategic view. What skills do you need immediately to be employable or remain employable? Have you discussed that with potential employers and project managers? Does your view align with theirs - not then pivot? Do you really need to upskill? Is certification mandatory? Can you join weekend startups where you can volunteer your expertise and gain the knowledge that way? (Look at Meetups in your area) What online courses are there that will give me you those skills? Look at Udacity, MIT open courses etc

 

Longterm view: What does it look like. Cloud services, AI, machine learning, deep learning etc

How can I differentiate myself from the potential pool of available talent? How big is this future pool? Will my new talent be more attractive in a regional area?

What uni courses do I need to take? Should it be preferable post-grad and where can I gain that part-time? A post-grad paper means more than a certification. Will my current employer contribute to this new learnings and will there be a tax benefit? 

 

In May 2017, of the estimated 15.9 million people aged 15 to 64 years in Australia studying, 10% are above 40 yrs

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/6227.0

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It sounds as if you have only recently arrived in Australia, so it must be tough for you. With the situation being what it is in South Africa I would suggest trying to stick it out here. I just thought to add:

 

You don't mention how you are finding the jobs. Besides applying through Seek.com.au, which has the largest amount of job adverts (there are 237 adverts today in the Sydney area with C++ in the advert, and the skill does seem to be quite high paying in some contract roles, e.g., this advert for a NSW government role via a recruitment firm: https://www.seek.com.au/job/37388986?type=standard), you could try to approach IT companies directly. Many IT companies have career pages so search through career pages of IT companies. Some of them invite you to submit an expression of interest. Dialog Information Technology is a company many South Africans have found jobs with, though not sure if they are specifically looking for C++, but I know they have hired people with C# skills and you could try them; they seem to be good with getting back to people. And then as mentioned earlier, you could check with recruitment firms too.

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So I may possibly have a possibility in Brisbane.  Things look very positive for a permanent position.  I was flown in for an interview and they are very interested in appointing me.

However, we are in Sydney, the kids are in school here, and we signed a 12 month lease on a rental, and we have made a few friends here.

 

So the breaklease is going to be a problem, potentially as we do not have a breakfree clause, so we will continue paying until another tenent is found (plus any agent marketing fees etc).  If we can find someone to take over and the landlord agrees then we will be okay.  But until then, what do we do?  All move to Brisbane and keep paying the lease here?  What if we can't find a tenant?  I go to Brisbane on my own and rent a cheap room?

 

Or do I say no thank you to Brisbane and continue looking?

 

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

  

 

 

 

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On 10/8/2018 at 2:37 AM, Avatar said:

It sounds as if you have only recently arrived in Australia, so it must be tough for you. With the situation being what it is in South Africa I would suggest trying to stick it out here. I just thought to add:

 

You don't mention how you are finding the jobs. Besides applying through Seek.com.au, which has the largest amount of job adverts (there are 237 adverts today in the Sydney area with C++ in the advert, and the skill does seem to be quite high paying in some contract roles, e.g., this advert for a NSW government role via a recruitment firm: https://www.seek.com.au/job/37388986?type=standard), you could try to approach IT companies directly. Many IT companies have career pages so search through career pages of IT companies. Some of them invite you to submit an expression of interest. Dialog Information Technology is a company many South Africans have found jobs with, though not sure if they are specifically looking for C++, but I know they have hired people with C# skills and you could try them; they seem to be good with getting back to people. And then as mentioned earlier, you could check with recruitment firms too.

I have been here for two months.  I don't plan to give up yet!

 

I have used seek, indeed, ora, the government's jobseeker.  The thing is they are getting a large number of applicants and so competition is tough here.  I have been represented by several recruitment firms but I am one of many applicants from other agents.

 

Thanks for the links and companies, I will try them.

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Hi, my husband had the same situation as you. He had his SA company giving him contract work, but it covered only a third of our budget, we used our savings to cover the rest. We enrolled in school, bought appliances, and signed rent (in Melbourne). Then my husband got a job offer in Brisbane a week after we signed the rental agreement. After much consideration, we turned it down.... and then it took 6 months to find something in Melbourne. He ended up working at a startup, which is growing fast and doing government work. We are very happy where we are. We are glad things worked. The stress of the 6 months though.... wow. We used every cent we had. In retrospect perhaps moving would have been a faster start to get local experience and then move into something "bigger". Sometimes things happen for a reason even if it's not planned. You could rent a small room and sus out a suitable place and school and your wife can wait out the rental until a new renter is found. The kids will adapt. You will make new friends. Go where there is work and where you have an offer. More work will come. We are 2 years in and suddenly opportunities are arriving from everywhere. Life is funny that way!

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Whew, what a difficult decision! I think I’d follow the job if it happens. How likely are you to get your house rented to someone else? If it’s a popular area you might be able to line things up so your kids can start school in Brisbane in 2019. It won’t be easy to manage, but do-able. You could look at flatmates dot com dot au to get an idea of room rentals for yourself in the meanwhile. I’d say you should get away with $170pw all inclusive for yourself. 

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11 hours ago, CharlesH said:

Or do I say no thank you to Brisbane and continue looking?

 

Never say no to Brisbane! 😂😂😂

 

We've met plenty of saffas that made the move from Sydney to Brisbane and they all wished they'd done it sooner.  This is other people's experience so don't shoot the messenger.

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I'd say make the move to Brisbane, unless you have your heart set on Sydney. We moved to Tasmania because a job opened up here for us, but I don't want to live here because it's too cold for too long (about 6 months of the year), and I prefer more facilities and choices. We are currently trying to move to Brisbane where we first landed. If you move to Brisbane then just make sure you live in an area where it doesn't flood. Hope it works out for you. And if you don't take the job then please tell me where it is so my husband can apply for it (he programs with C++ too and C#, but I have a feeling he will get a job soon) 😉

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CharlesH, just to add again that where one lives is important because it's one's day to day life; it's where you will be each and every day; so I suggest that where you are most comfortable living should be a big factor in your decision making. We moved to Tasmania because we found a job here. In hindsight I now wish we had never moved away from Brisbane. The culture here is quite different from Brisbane and it's too cold. One might not think the weather would be a huge factor in where one lives, but it has become that for me. I never want to grow old here; if I am cold now most of the time and it feels horrible to me then imagine how I will feel twenty years later. So now I want to move back to Brisbane. I have realised I would prefer very hot weather three months of the year to being cold six or more months of the year. And there are other personal factors I won't go into that I have experienced here and it wasn't like that in Brisbane. Basically where one lives is important, especially so one's children can be settled long term. I know that sounds obvious, but it is something to keep in mind before you move. Surely the job market in Sydney is bigger than Brisbane. Personally I would choose Brisbane over Sydney, but you need to decide if you would or would you come to regret that decision as I have. But I would take the chance. Brisbane is lovely and it's nice that it isn't as crowded as Sydney.

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Agree about the weather. I was bone cold for 4 years in Adelaide. As soon as we got PR we moved to Brisbane within 6 weeks. Yes, it can get unbearably hot but it’s much better than freezing.

 

I also like Brissy over Sydney, because it’s much cheaper than Sydney, traffic is easier, etc etc.

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I’ve been in Bris for 3 months and it’s fantastic. Relaxed and so much to do and enjoy. I’ve experienced what bad weather does to you. I lived in the Netherlands for four years and it broke me down piece by piece. Don't underestimate the the power of good weather on your lifestyle and general well being and happiness. 

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Agreed with Avatar... don't underestimate the impact the weather/environment you live in will have on you. I lived in Perth for a while, then made the mistake of moving to Melbourne expecting it to be similar to Perth culturally and weather wise (with a colder winter). 

 

I gave Melbourne a fair chance though but I think my expectation gap probably ruined it for me. I tried to create the life I liked, visited the beaches (100+km out of the city and ICY water) and rode my bike...  but after Perth, I didn't feel like I really experienced anything resembling a proper summer there in the months when it was supposed to be warm. So I moved back to Perth and I haven't looked back. I'll take my backwards paradise of beautiful beaches, balmy summer nights and blue skies over Melbourne's miserable grey skies and frigid winds any day. 

 

Avatar.. if you're unhappy in Tasmania don't delay. Move back to where you were happy. You only get one very short life. 

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Thanks Donovan83. I appreciate your thoughts. I have stayed for far too long here in Tasmania. We do only live once and need to make the most of it. Thanks for your thoughts about Melbourne, and I am glad you were able to move back to Perth. Perth is somewhere I have considered too but when I think of Brisbane, I get the sense that it's moving back home for me. We know a few people in Brisbane. Someone we know turned seventy there this year and I regret not being around for her these last years too. I just hope we can move back soon. Thank you.

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Thank you everyone for their thoughts and advice.

 

I have been offered the position (just waiting for the formal paperwork).  We have decided to make the move.  I've been to Brisbane twice now and really like the slower pace compared to Sydney.  I also think from a property affordability point of view it is a better move.

 

We have had miserable weather in Sydney since we arrived here in early August - if this is what Melbourne is like then no thank you!

 

We love the outdoors and Brisbane seems like the perfect place for us.   I much prefer hot to cold.  

 

Now the big issue is to find another tenant to take over the lease.  I have not yet informed the agent (waiting for the formal offer). In our contract we do not have a break free clause (if I had know about this at the time of signing I would have opted for it).  Basically we can try on our own to find someone to take over the lease (if the landlord approves the new tenant).  If not then we have to pay any marketing costs incurred in finding a new tenant and obviously have to keep paying until one is found.  Our thoughts are for me to go over on my own in about a month and if we can find another tenant  the wife and kids join me when school closes about a month later.

 

So if anyone knows of anyone who may need a place around December let me know. It a 4x2 bed house in Glenwood, NSW (BIC, ducted A/C, double garage plus NBN installed) within the catchment of Parklea Public and Glenwood High (both excellent schools). In a quiet cul de sac and 5 minutes walk to Celebration T-way on the city express to CBD and the upcoming Norwest Train Station.  Pets allowed upon owner's approval - we have a 6 year Labrador staying with us.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Just an update. I accepted the position and start at the end of November. We managed to find someone who is prepared to take over our lease but only at the end of January. 

My wife and kids are going to stay behind until the kids finish the school term which gives me some time to find a place.  The only challenge is that we will be going into the festive season so rental agencies will be closed.  Luckily I can stay with a friend in Brisbane while I look for a place.

 

It is going to be tough as in all probability I am going to spend Christmas alone.  It kind of feels like starting over again - for us and the kids (having to go to a new school yet again).  We managed to divert our Movecube to Brisbane but it will have to go into storage for a month or so.  But we have a lot to be thankful for so no complaints.

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@CharlesH Congratulations on your new position, it sounds like everything will fall into place!

 

However, a tough break to be alone for Christmas, don’t you have any alternative with flying back for a few days ?

 

Also wanted to ask which area of Brisbane you’re looking at?

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@Bonny, could possibly fly back but we want to keep expenses to a minimum as the move is quite pricey.

Looking at Wellington Point as we have a friend living there.

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On 11/7/2018 at 3:13 PM, CharlesH said:

@Bonny, could possibly fly back but we want to keep expenses to a minimum as the move is quite pricey.

Looking at Wellington Point as we have a friend living there.

Oh ok. I would make a plan to be with family. It will be worth the plane fare, I would think. You can even drive, but it’s probably cheaper to go Tiger Air ;)

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