Architectural Draftsperson/Graduate Architect/Interior Designer/Cad Technician/BIM Modeler in NSW

OZingwithOZomeness · May 2018

Welcome Ka-Same Field in Architecture and Interior Design

This thread hope to receive various work-related stories, experiences, tips, job openings, and life in Sydney Australia as an Architectural Draftsperson, Graduate Architect, Interior Designer, Cad Technician, Cad Designer and the likes.

Share niyo lang po if halimbawang may recent job opening sa inyong company, a friend of yours need some applicants sa company nila or anything na makakatulong sa ating lahat na the same field lang po tayo. This will help especially sa mga bagong immigrant and sa mga bagong makikipagsapalaran sa Sydney na nasa field ng Architecture and Interior design. If may mga tips rin kayo kung paano mabilis makakuha ng interview and ano ba dapat ang mga bullet points na nasa CV or portfolio para mag-stand out ang application, anything po to help us all.

As a new PR in Australia under NSW, I will be thankful to those who can share their experiences, job hunting strategies, tips, or struggles and especially success in NSW under our beloved field kasi I don't have the experience in Australia and just planning to move within this year. Hopefully this thread will also gain us new friends, new colleagues, new sport's buddy, new gym buddy, new business partner, new petmalu lodi, new bff, etc etc na mga pinoys living and working in NSW.

Thank you and hope to receive your stories kabayans and ka-field.

This is our thread!!!!

OZingwithOZomeness · May 2018

@kaidenMVH @curiousmom @gracee04 Hope we can have Pinoys under our same field na nasa NSW who can share their experiences and success na rin.

If may mga kakilala kayo under our same field who is living and working comfortably na sa NSW they can share their stories dito for us.

athelene · May 2018

@OZingwithOZomeness Thank you for starting this thread! Na-excite ako lalo tumuntong sa Australia hahaha! Kailan po uli ang BM nyo? Sana magkaroon din tayong lahat ng pagkakataon na magmeet-up in-person sa Sydney upang mapag-usapan ang mga ganitong bagay.

As an incoming student in Sydney, sana nga ay may makapagbigay ng tips kung kumusta ang buhay at trabaho as archi sa NSW. I've been searching through job portals for part-time architecture/interior design jobs in Sydney but so far I can't find any, only full-time jobs are advertised and mostly recruitment firms pa (not that I'm against them or anything, it's just hard to tell which company I would be recruited for). And those full-time jobs usually require 3+ years of local experience (which we don't have), so it's quite difficult to find opportunities that would be suitable for new migrants.

Graff · May 2018

Goodluck guys sana marating ko rin ng mararating nyu...

OZingwithOZomeness · May 2018

@athelene welcome po. Oo nakakaexcite na halong may kaba because of the unknown. Let's hope madaming mga kabayan natin na same field with us na makita itong thread na ito at makapag share ng stories nila or tips and at the same time makapag offer rin ng extra help, na yung tipong "ay may opening po sa company A, naghahanap sila ng ganito" yung mga tipong ganun. hehe

About naman dyan sa recruitment firm and agencies agencies, so far sa mga kilala ko wala naman silang bad reviews. Ang importante lang ay hindi tayo maglabas ng pera na magbayad sa kanila kasi mostly ang mga companies naman sas OZ ang nagbabayad sa kanila para mag headhunt ng possible employees, so ok sa akin pag ganun basta walang involve na babayaran ang recruitment firm na yan or mga agent hehehe. You can ask naman the agent or recruitment firm kung anong company ang nirerefer nila para ma-research mo na rin if ok ba, if malaki or mid scale etc. Na-experience ko na rin kasi yan na may kumontak sa akin na headhunter, nagtanong if naghahanap ba ako ng new opportunity kasi may isang company raw na naghahanap ng designer, so tinanong ko ano name ng company, sinabi naman at nagustuhan ko kaya eto currently working sa company na iyon and good thing wala ni piso ako nilabas hehehe. I believe same with OZ, importante lang maging aware at mapangahas tayo sa pag research ng possible opportunities. Goodluck sa ating lahat.

OZingwithOZomeness · May 2018

@Graff Naku sir, mararating at mararating niyo if we find ways to do it. Kaya I believe kaya niyo yan sir basta don't stop dreaming and working in achieving it. Malapit na rin ang chance niyo sir just have to push pa to reach it. Abangan ko ang journey niyo sir.

athelene · May 2018

@OZingwithOZomeness Ah oki. Wala po kasi akong experience with any headhunter kaya hindi ko alam ang process nila. So far kasi sa job portals ko nahanap ang previous jobs ko, well actually sila ang nakahanap ng profile ko at ni-contact nalang nila ako for interview schedule. Hindi pa naman extensive ang work experience ko as of now kaya siguro wala pang nagccontact sakin na headhunter hehehe. Pero sige, magiging vigilant ako sa mga agents na humihingi ng recruitment fee, salamat po!

OZingwithOZomeness · May 2018

@athelene First time ko rin makontak ng headhunter, na headshot nga ako eh hahaa. Kasi sa mga job portals and job ad websites rin ako naghahanap ng work at iba through referral, pero mas ok parin na madami tayo options. Skeptical nga rin ako sa mga recruitment firms na yan dati kasi alam ko may nilalabas na pera pero dahil sa first-hand experience ko na wala ako nilabas na pera (current job) at yung mga friends ko na nasa OZ na dumaan rin sa recruitment firms na walang nilabas na pera eh nagkaroon ako ng another option, which is ok naman. Di naman kasi lahat ng recruitment firms eh yung applicant ang sinisingil kundi yung nagpapahanap ng empleyado hahaha.

Basta pag may nilabas na na pera para bayaran ko ang agent with my own pocket, ay aayaw na ako, unless sobrang worth it talaga haha.... pero either job portals or recruitment firm/agency-agency basta walang involve na singilan ng pera para mag ka work doon tayo hehe. Goodluck to us.

kaidenMVH · May 2018

ok naman ang head hunter. past two jobs ko dito sa SG, head hunter pa na based sa Hongkong yun tumulong sakin. actually nun nagbalak ako lumipat sya din ulit tinawagan ko hehehe, pero pinasa nya ko sa colleague nya kasi medyo unethical daw kasi sya nagpasok sakin dun sa previous job ko. wala din pera involved.

athelene · May 2018

@kaidenMVH Ah okies. How do you get in contact with them anyway? Through LinkedIn lang ba sila nahahanap? hehe

kaidenMVH · May 2018

athelene said:
@kaidenMVH Ah okies. How do you get in contact with them anyway? Through LinkedIn lang ba sila nahahanap? hehe

sa Linkedln nila ako kinontact.

layao2002 · May 2018

Advise ko lang sa inyo guys, Focus more on your CV, portfolios and cover letters and then apply directly to archi firms.

OZingwithOZomeness · May 2018

@layao2002 Maraming salamat sa advise niyo. May ask lang ako, nag hihire ba sila ng on the spot or parang pinas lang din na we will call you? hehe

Malaki ba ang difference between if dadaan sa agent at direct sa employer? kasi may friend ako na dumaan sa agent and ok naman yung napuntahan nyang company.

layao2002 · May 2018

@OZingwithOZomeness Im not in sydney so i'm not sure kung gaano kabilis hiring process nila dun.

Sa experience ko at sa share ng iba, never sila nag hihire on the spot. Interview is never a formality, so gusto ka muna nila kilalanin. They love to chat so get ready at hindi lahat ng interviews are formal... Once nga i got interviewed at a bar while having drinks with the 3 directors. Sa sobrang laid-back nila dito, some of them hindi ka pa tatawagan ng ilang araw after ng interview at kailangan mo pa i-followup.

I never tried applying through recruiters. Competition is high tapos you are trying to impress a recruiting agent na hindi naman architect or related sa field natin. All they do is match skills lang word for word. again, nothing wrong applying through recruiters. iniisip ko lang mas malaki chance ko if magaapply ako directly sa Archi firms.

dun ako nagfocus. I researched what projects they do, director names and their email formats. All my cover letters were customized each firm and addressed and emailed directly sa mga directors. Then create a kick-ass portfolio (i did mine for 2-3 months) and use it to impress them.

I got 5 interviews in less than 2 weeks of applying. all of them are not in job portals. My friends told me na swerte lang daw yung timing ko pero alam ko na pinaghandaan ko talaga yung pagpunta ko dito. so my advise is paghandaan nyo din lalo na nasa sydney kayo. Market is bigger so mas maraming hiring, pero isipin nyo din na mas maraming competition,, not just pinoys...all other migrants and locals as well.

OZingwithOZomeness · May 2018

@layao2002 Maraming salamat sa info and tips. Paghahandaan talaga namin kasi di pwedeng ma tenga ng matagal na walang work lalo pa eh may mga life goals rin tayo. hehehe Malaking tukong itong tips mo for us na makikipagsapalaran sa OZ for the first time. Hopefully like you makakuha rin kami kaagad ng interview kaya need talaga paghandaan,

chemchemVal · May 2018

Good Day everyone! ang laking tulong po na may mga ganitong forum... Hihingi po sana ako ng advice sainyo. Fresh grad po ako dito sa Pilipinas. Gusto ko po sana makapg work agad sa Australia pag uwi ko po. Marrrecognize po ba ng Australia ung credential ko po? Ano po kaya dapat kong gawin para po mas madali ako makahanap ng trabaho po? Civil engineering grad po ako (pasensya na dito po ako ngpost). PR po ako. Thank you po

OZingwithOZomeness · May 2018

@chemchemVal I assume eh parents mo ang nag include sayo kaya ka PR na while studying in Pinas? tama po ba?

Marerecoginze ng OZ yang credential niyo po kasi may equivalent naman yung academic natin sa kanila. kahit nga mga tesda graduate lang maraming success stories sa OZ, kaya tiyak ako na marerecognize ang credential mo, pero as fresh grad kahit saang bansa eh talagang mag uumpisa ka as fresh grad in terms of salary and siguro sa kob title na rin depending on how you sell your skills and kung ano pa maiooffer mo.

Ang advise ko lang is paghandaan mo yung CV, portfolio and cover letters mo. take time na gawing impressive ito. then importante rin yung email mo sa CV mo is wag jologs hehe maliit na bagay lang pero malaki impact na yan, wag yung [email protected] hehe meron kasi iba na yung highschool at college jolog emails eh nadadala sa pag apply haha. i suggest gawa ka ng bago if wala kang professional email add na datingan,

Then, tyagaan lang talaga sa pag apply through job portals or make a linkedin profile to gain connections.
sa perserverance sa job hunting talaga nagkakatalo at wag madismaya if wala ka pang nakukuhang interview or di ka pumapasa sa interviews. push lang ng push hanggang matanggap ka sa first job mo as professional.

sensei · June 2018

to pique your interest:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-20/linkedin-labour-market-testing-457-tss-visa/9883386?section=business

OZingwithOZomeness · June 2018

The Department of Home Affairs have made a legislative change to the points test pass mark for 489, 189 and 190 visas. The points test pass mark will increase to 65 points from 1 July 2018.

mycroft_holmes · January 2019

Hello po arki/drafter peeps. Pwede po humingi ng links ng local code of practices and building codes / regulations / standards na ini-implement sa Australia? Mag start na po ako mag basa basa. Thank you po.

blue5teel · April 2019

Good day po sa inyong lahat.
Gusto ko lang po maconfirm kung Interior Designer ang aapplyan ko for state sponsorship ay sya din po bang ipaassess ko? Kasi recently po nagpassess ako as archi draftsman para mkapag apply din sa ibang state. iniisip ko kung pwedeng gamitin un same assessement result ng archi draftsman since sa VETASSESS din naman ipaassess un ID & Archi Draftsman .

Thanks po sa inyo.

OZingwithOZomeness · April 2019

@blue5teel hindi po pwede. kung ano po yung pina assessment po yun po ang dapat applyan niyo na occupation for state sponsorship visa. Now if in the future ma grant po kayo ng state sponsorship visa, yun na po yung time na pwede kayo mag shift kahit anong work na gusto niyo.

ali0522 · August 2019

@layao2002 hi po ask ko lang kung hardcopy po yung portfolio nyo? or e-file po?

janeth · April 2020

Hi guys mag ask Lang po sana ako Baka po May hiring na pwede husband ko architect po sya dito sa Phil for 15yrs and we are planning to there in Australia...thanks

Cerberus13 · June 2020

Hello kamusta po ang industry/sector natin during this time? May employability prospect pa ba?

athelene · August 2020

@mycroft_holmes said:
Hello po arki/drafter peeps. Pwede po humingi ng links ng local code of practices and building codes / regulations / standards na ini-implement sa Australia? Mag start na po ako mag basa basa. Thank you po.

You can get a copy of the NCC from https://ncc.abcb.gov.au/

@barryco said:
Hello kamusta po ang industry/sector natin during this time? May employability prospect pa ba?

I think meron naman, although mas ramdam siguro sa smaller companies (the lighting design firm where I was hired for casual work had work stoppage and couldn't give me work to do ) than bigger companies. With the travel ban still in effect though, employers are focusing their recruitment efforts to those already in Australia or within a certain state (and with work rights). I've seen job ads specifying applicants be already in the state where the company is based.