Site manager work with the big companys

[bakersdozen]

Hi everyone

 

Does anyone work or had a go with their CV's at some of the corporate construction companys in and around Perth , trying to get some feed back what the crack is out there,had a look at some of the web sites and looks promicing about job discriptions, salarys etc ,but I want to find out with people who are already mixing it with the big boy's and what is the quality of contractors like , spoke to a estimater who now lives in Brisbane and recons they are a few years behind the uk.

 

Again any feed back would be appreciated

 

Thanks

[bensdad]

Go back about 8 years and that's where it's at in Perth!

[bensdad]

In my experience most companies are not interested until your living here.

[bakersdozen]

Thanks for the reply ,yep thats what I've been told and to tell you the truth I would'nt waste mine or their time time till i'm on the ground and amongst it , have you worked there at all ?

[bensdad]

I'm here now working for a mid tier developer it's an eye opener that's for sure but money is reasonably good and so are working conditions. I'm a qs it's a bit different but you get used to it.

[bakersdozen]

Hello Mate

 

Did you find it easy finding work when you arrived ? as a QS back in the uk your wages are a bit more than what our poor SM wages are lol how do they compare, QS's are always out the door earlier than SM's (sorry cant help that) you mentioned working conditions what they like compaired to the uk ?

 

Regards

 

Rob

[jonleannejack]

Go back about 8 years and that's where it's at in Perth![

 

You say 8 years Bensdad, thats a long time. What elements are behind H&S, methods ? Are the smaller contractors further behind ?

[derham]

I've been here for four weeks and not managed to get a single interview. I've got a foremans job arranged for a 5 week period on $40 an hour. I've got a good cv and worked at a senior level but it seems it goes for nothing here. Spent nearly £30k to get here and I am earning less money than I was on in the UK. Didn't expect to walk into a top job but a temp role I was doing 15 years ago was not what I was expecting.

[bakersdozen]

I've been here for four weeks and not managed to get a single interview. I've got a foremans job arranged for a 5 week period on $40 an hour. I've got a good cv and worked at a senior level but it seems it goes for nothing here. Spent nearly £30k to get here and I am earning less money than I was on in the UK. Didn't expect to walk into a top job but a temp role I was doing 15 years ago was not what I was expecting.

 

Hi derham

If you dont mind me asking whats your background ?

[colinmacl]

The construction industry is not what any of us migrants expect here!

[bakersdozen]

The construction industry is not what any of us migrants expect here!

 

Hello Colinmacl

 

What do you mean mate ?

 

Regards

[bensdad]

It is quiet over here there's no other way to say it. There is work about but it's the normal catch 22 employers want wa experience first.

 

I have found the agencies next to useless , the jobs on places like seek IMHO do not exist.

 

I basically went on every construction companies website and searched through their vacancies and scanned the adverts in Saturdays wa paper. I was lucky saw an advert the first weekend I was here applied and after 3 interviews convinced them to give me a start.

 

I was a regional qs back in the uk and now I'm just a project surveyor and its like my career has started again, however I'm paid very good money the working conditions are great and the office I work in is very easy going.

 

H & s here is way behind the uk , like scaffold requirements etc, however other than the feeling that my career has stalled somewhat I love it here.

[jonleannejack]

It is quiet over here there's no other way to say it. There is work about but it's the normal catch 22 employers want wa experience first.

 

I have found the agencies next to useless , the jobs on places like seek IMHO do not exist.

 

I basically went on every construction companies website and searched through their vacancies and scanned the adverts in Saturdays wa paper. I was lucky saw an advert the first weekend I was here applied and after 3 interviews convinced them to give me a start.

 

I was a regional qs back in the uk and now I'm just a project surveyor and its like my career has started again, however I'm paid very good money the working conditions are great and the office I work in is very easy going.

 

H & s here is way behind the uk , like scaffold requirements etc, however other than the feeling that my career has stalled somewhat I love it here.

 

Sounds like it is going good for you, that is good to hear. Yeh seems like we will all have to start again, I feel like I am taking a massive gamble as I am secure with loads of prospects where I am at. Had to laugh with regards to scaffold. I went on google earth to view my temp accommodation, it had the house getting built. Couldnt believe it, the place looked like a bomb had hit it, joiners were fixing the trusses. No scaffold to perimeter, let alone crash decks internally. All i could make out was an untied ladder for access. They had a toilet in the front garden with one of the name of one of WA biggest house builders on the side. Is that the norm on single storey residential.

[bensdad]

Yep sure is on a single storey no scaffold at all even when roofing! Site amenities are 1 toilet that's it lol. I was on site the other day just up the road from where my house is getting built there was a joiner hanging over the edge of a parapet doing a capping detail. No site boundary fences, houses are left open so anyone can walk through until the roof is on windows in a doors on.

 

Kids run riot on some estates, when the ground bearing slabs are being prepped all the reinforcing is just laid in place no caps or anything. Health and safety is better on the large commercial sites but its virtually non existent on housing.

 

You can see why due to the way it's set up. Example there must be thirty house builders in Perth so you buy your plot of land then choose the builder you want to build. So every build is its own mini development which is obviously hard to manage for health & safety purposes.

 

It's a real eye opener that's for sure!

[colinmacl]

Bensdad pretty much summed up what i would have said. I am an electrician who arrived over 2 months ago. I had my own company in the UK employing 12 men and i am very experienced in my industry. I arrived here and have to do a years gap training then sit a trade test at the end of it. Found work very hard to get although i have a job now and have to start right at the bottom again. And what he says about seek and agencies is spot on!! I think we are lured here to keep the economy going by bringing over our life savings to spend in the shops, car dealers etc and to buy or rent property! Don't get me wrong i am glad i came and the lifestyle is great but its been a lot harder than i ever imagined it would be and it will be for at least a year or two

[derham]

I am a joiner to trade. Became gf in 96, sm in 98, pm in 2000, cm in 2004, c director in 2006, ran single projects to £10m and was a senior sm on the biggest o&g project in Europe (civils & commercial projects) and still can't get anything here, I was offered a cm role before I came here, should have taken it.

[jonleannejack]

Yep sure is on a single storey no scaffold at all even when roofing! Site amenities are 1 toilet that's it lol. I was on site the other day just up the road from where my house is getting built there was a joiner hanging over the edge of a parapet doing a capping detail. No site boundary fences, houses are left open so anyone can walk through until the roof is on windows in a doors on.

 

Kids run riot on some estates, when the ground bearing slabs are being prepped all the reinforcing is just laid in place no caps or anything. Health and safety is better on the large commercial sites but its virtually non existent on housing.

 

You can see why due to the way it's set up. Example there must be thirty house builders in Perth so you buy your plot of land then choose the builder you want to build. So every build is its own mini development which is obviously hard to manage for health & safety purposes.

 

It's a real eye opener that's for sure!

 

Thats nuts mate, cant believe they dont even put a bit of Heras up. If you did that in the areas I work you will either be robbed, vandalised or be open to all sorts of claims. Do they have the same claim culture we do out there. A reluctant when in Rome do what the Romans do I suppose.

[jonleannejack]

I am a joiner to trade. Became gf in 96, sm in 98, pm in 2000, cm in 2004, c director in 2006, ran single projects to £10m and was a senior sm on the biggest o&g project in Europe (civils & commercial projects) and still can't get anything here, I was offered a cm role before I came here, should have taken it.

 

 

You seem to have acheived alot Derham, hope you get sorted eventually. I suspect you will. Apart from work, how you finding Perth

[derham]

You seem to have acheived alot Derham, hope you get sorted eventually. I suspect you will. Apart from work, how you finding Perth

enjoying the great weather.

[Guest john sproule]

Hi .im a chipie by trade and been carrying building work for 30 years .i have obtained building registration here and spent t

At least 2 hours a day over the last 8 weeks looking for both manual and managerment jobs its also on its arse here.i I had 1 interview and told you nead wa experiance.i was offered more work in uk than here 3 months ago when I returned

[WelshKiwis]

I agree from reading several threads, it seems to be who you know, not what you know in Construction. We are originally from Wales, and we moved to New Zealand 6years ago. We are now moving to Perth in March to live close to family which has recently emigrated there (thats the plan anyway !). My husband is a Site Manager. He has worked on several of the bigger jobs in NZ, and there are quite a few of his colleagues who have made the move across the ditch for the $$$$. Most of them have got their jobs by word of mouth. They also said alot of the bigger companies have their own internal recruitment team and do not advertise via Seek etc. It could be worth you contacting these directly. As with NZ, the Aussie companies seem to prefer tertiary/degree educated managers; which hubby says is something different to the UK where they seemed to put more consideration on experience / working your way up.

I suppose we are lucky in that he can fly over to Perth for an interview if needed. It's still 7hrs ! but obviously closer than the UK. He is open to doing a FIFO position for a while, and he has been told these are easier to come by than positions in the CBD at the moment. I have heard FIFO is a tough life, but the $$$ is good and you could be lucky and get a decent roster. This could be something to consider for a short term.

We have a friend who has recently moved to Port Hedland for a SM role. He has also moved his family there. He gets paid $3500 per week after tax . . . and the company he works for covers his rent !

 

Good Luck !! I am sure you will get something.