International Work out of University-Preferrably Australia

Jmoore1 · Aug 11, 2011

Hi all, I am going to pursue my engineering career in australia after graduation and was hoping to get some recommendations/help.

I am currently finishing a 16 month work term at a very large oil and gas company. I worked as a project engineer for most of the duration finishing a 1 million+ project as the lead project engineer. I also have a bulk of experience in reliability engineering, front end engineering (minor turnaround projects), and a moderate amount of materials/corrosion engineering.)
I have two very good reference letters from both my direct supervisor and another strong engineer at the company (both in projects) as well as 3 other references from construction/planners.
There is currently a visa specifically for engineering grads in australia, however I have heard it is still difficult to get a job as an out of country grad as they are looking more for experience.
I am bringing my significant other along (she will have no problem getting a job) but I am hoping I can get a job prior to graduation so I have some security before I go over there (if not ill probably end up going anyways)

Is it easy to transfer experience between engineering organizations? and any tips on getting an international job, applying as a non graduated engineer (I have 8 months of school left and will graduate in april)

Any advice/help would be greatly appreciated as I am trying to start on this as early as possible to make it easier down the road, and I know the whole visa structure etc, but am more concerned about jobs, and whether I would be considered for career jobs (versus temporary jobs with worthless experience) as an international.

Thanks!

patprimmer · Aug 11, 2011

The only sector I know of in Aus that is employing right now is the mining sector. The mines tend to be in remote locations with very hot and extreme weather, but they pay well.

How well known and respected the uni you got your degree from will be a significant factor.

Regards
Pat
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Jmoore1 · Aug 11, 2011

My degree is from a university recognized by the australian government and the engineering organization there.

There is a large group of companies that come to my university every year to recruit engineers to australia, estimates say there are over 100K engineering jobs in aus right now.

patprimmer · Aug 11, 2011

Just be careful that government recognition and professional body recognition does not necessarily equate to industry or potential employer respect.I am not saying you will have a problem, just warning it might be possible.

Regards
Pat
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hokie66 · Aug 11, 2011

If the companies are recruiting engineers for Australia at your school, then why not start there? I think that is your best bet prior to graduation.

csd72 · Aug 15, 2011

A few bits of useful info.

I am an Australian who has worked in the US and the UK.

There is a shortage of experienced engineers, so if you can show that your pregraduation experience makes you much more than a raw graduate then you have a chance.

The important thing to check (which I believe you may already have done) is that your degree is deemed equivalent in accordance with the washington accord or sydney accord. It is important to realise that a masters in the US may only be equivalent to a 4 year bachelors in Australia.

As others have said, your best bet is probably the mining industry although this does not necesarily condemn you to a landlocked desert area in the middle of nowhere. There are oportunities in mining based in tropical Queensland, Coastal South Australia and areas of Western Australia that are commutable from the city of Perth.

If the sponsorship avenue does not work then you may consider trying to get a holiday working visa and then try to get sponsorship while working on that.

Good, luck. It is often hard work but is always a rewarding experience working overseas.

SWmechE · Aug 15, 2011

Jmoore,

Another option to look into is trying to get a position with one of the big EPC's. I'm pretty sure all of them have projects/offices over there (mining) and your previous experience may show well with them. Depending on what your plans are this may or may not be for you but if you did get a position with them then you could potentially get expat pay $$$$$.

tickle · Aug 20, 2011

My company has just been searching for engineers, mechanical and process, and we found there was a lot of graduates looking for work. Experienced engineers were rarer and were typically applicants from interstate and often new immigrants searching for their first job in Australia. Your experience in oil and gas will differentiate you from other grads, and if you had been available you would have asked to attend an interview. Our company does not sponsor visa applications.
The growth in coal seam gas to LNG, introduction of shale gas and carbon capture / sequestration is going to require lots of engineers. The jobs are in Perth, Adelaide, Darwin and Brisbane as opposed to Sydney and Melbourne.
Some companies may offer you a job prior to graduation, but I have my doubts. I think you would have more chance of getting a job if you were in Australia.
A lot of the major oil and gas companies have a stake in the coal seam gas main players, but I am not sure if it is anything more than financial, it may be worth investigating this further.

juleselec · Aug 20, 2011

I'm an Australian from Perth and worked there in oil/gas for 8-9 years, but I've been in Europe for the last 9 months so I may not have the most current information. Nevertheless:

The bigger companies tend to follow a "try before you buy" approach where undergraduates do 12 week vacation employment placements (i.e. a paid internship) and if they are happy with their performance, they are the first to get offers for the graduate program. I don't know what the general percentage of hires are, but I remember that most of the grads we hired (at a large consulting firm) were former interns. Therefore one approach is to apply for the vac student placement programs which practically all the big companies offer. This could lead in to a grad position.

Already having oil/gas experience should hold you in good stead. Make sure you put that front and centre in your CV and cover letter. You also sound like a native english speaker, also good.

Like others have said, Perth and Brisbane are your best bets for oil/gas work, possibly Darwin as well. Melbourne may still have some bass strait and refining work, but is likely limited in scope. The big jobs are being or will be done out in the NW shelf of WA (e.g. NR2, gorgon, browse, etc).

You'll more than likely be stuck somewhere in the desert or offshore for long periods of time (most of us have done our time somewhere remote). This won't be much fun for your SO, though you could potentially negotiate to stay in the design office. However be warned, you'll probably get no respect if you never go to site, or worse, be labelled as unflexible and relegated to doing donkey work.

Jmoore1 · Aug 22, 2011

Tickle, my general understanding of the engineering grads there is with what your saying. I have one strong chance at a pre-graduation job and that is with a friend at work here who worked with a coal seam drilling company out of Brisbaine. He highly recommended this company as to their management style, advancement, training etc.

That being said, Its far from a gauranteed bet. But it seems that my best chance is to get there and get a job from there. This was my plan anyways, and if I dont get a job Ill just end up having an extended vacation until I wind up broke and then come back here to the oil and gas sector where I wont have trouble finding a career job.

One of my main reasons of going to Australia is an after grad vacation, and if I end up with a great job and career there I would stay. So if I do end up at a company expecting me to work in the deset on shift work, etc, I would not be staying there long but I would of course make this clear up front.

Im hoping my flexiblity will end up helping me, as I am not going there with the intention of HAVING to have an engineering job, and would find it of great benefit but dont require it. I would be almost as happy going for 4 months and coming back broke as I would be finding a Job. The extra security would help though.

All in all, I have 2 great references from my bosses here, and lot of exposure to an extreme variety of things, FEED, DE, HAZOPS, Expedition, Design, Change management, field work, Materials, corrosion, mechanical, process, and have succesfully completed a million + dollar project as the lead project engineer. I always interview extremely well, and am great with working with people, but Ill never be able to be at a job where Im simply a paper pusher, donkey worker, or simply the guy that people give stuff they dont want. I may have been spoiled at my internship where I was given a depth of responsiblity with little experience but Ive been able to handle it with ease and learn on the job.

I beleive I may be beginning to blather so ill end there.

Too bad I cant get any classes on carbon capture, renewables etc. But FEA, energy conversion, and high level business engineering electives might help!

juleselec, appyling for these internships to me seems like the best method (apart from a friends reference as an insider), not just for getting in, but seeing myself whether I want to stay there, as Im not one to stick around long after I find myself unmotivated to stick around the company, and my current internship has proven infinitely valuable in knowing the type of company and environment I want to work for and can thrive in. I however, have no idea where I can find these, at my school we have specific job application sites where only members of our university can find so im not sure if this is the same in Aus and I may be relegated to mass application as most job sites have postings for experienced engineers and not recent grads (Even here where it is very easy to find a job upon graduation, the only place to find (or the best by far) is through our universitys and not the regular job sites). So any leads on where I can hunt these down would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for everyones help so far !

patprimmer · Aug 22, 2011

Working in a country gives you a much closer view of the people and the culture than you get from a tourist bus.

Regards
Pat
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csd72 · Aug 23, 2011

Pat,

Australia has a culture?

I leave the country for a few years and you go and get cultured!

Looks like me, my stubbies, singlet top and and my VB carton hat have some work to do to sort this out.

patprimmer · Aug 23, 2011

I didn't say what kind of culture or if it was incubated in a Petri dish

Regards
Pat
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