Working in Melbourne
In the gold-rush era of the 1850s, Melbourne was the second wealthiest city after London in the British Empire. While these mineral riches may have lost status as the key driver for the present day economy, Melbourne still glitters, and it embraces a history of welcoming migrant workers from around the world.
Melbourne has an exceptionally multicultural workplace; it’s a location where any expat employee can find themselves working in a team with colleagues from Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand and India.
Expats who wish to work in Melbourne will need an employer sponsor, a skilled visa or a business visa to work. Once these documents have been secured, expats will need to have a Tax File Number (TFN) which is a unique number issued by the Australian Tax Office to individual taxpayers.
Many opportunities exist in regional Victoria for those expats willing to live in the smaller towns and cities that have a more urgent demand for skilled employees.
Manufacturing and the professional, scientific and technical related fields are the biggest employers throughout Melbourne and Victoria, followed by the retail sector, the food industry, financial services, telecommunications and construction.
Education is a big employer of expats, across all sectors, particularly in secondary and tertiary education. There is also a huge demand for engineers, particularly specialists in dams and hydropower, tunnel design and maritime.
In 2010, the State Government of Victoria was running recruitment seminars in the U.K. for engineers and IT professionals. There is also always a skills shortage within the healthcare sector, particularly for frontline healthcare professionals. Expats qualified to work in any of these fields will have an easier time finding a job opportunity and also should try and negotiate a favourable salary package given the current state of demand.
Energy, capability and a positive attitude are the key personal qualities that will endear an expat to their new work colleagues in Melbourne, far more so than impressive qualifications or assumed status. Australian workplace culture reflects the relaxed informality of everyday Australian life. There is no standing on ceremony, and relations between management and staff are informal although still business-like.
Expats who have worked in intensive and formal environments, like Asia or the Middle East, may take some time to adjust.
Melbourne is considered a safe place for women to work, particularly for those who may need to catch public transport home on their own, after working late in the office.
Melbourne workers may not get to go to work on a ferry across the harbour, like their Sydney counterparts, but they will find that commuting to work is a far more pleasant experience than it is in London, New York or Tokyo.
Expats in a job that involves travel, whether in the region, the nation or the hemisphere should expect long hours getting to anywhere as Melbourne, Australia’s second city is even an hour’s flying time south of Sydney.
Melbourne’s workers lose both their work ethic and inhibitions for one particular event, held every first Tuesday in November.
Sports-mad Melbourne is the only city in the world that gives its workers a day off for a horse race. Many workers take annual leave from the Friday prior to the Melbourne Cup and only return to work again after race day.
Prospective expats should consider that they are taking a job in Melbourne for sound reasons, such as a promotion or a chance to gain new skills. Moving for lifestyle reasons or because the money is better, or to get a foot in the door to then look round for something better, may not provide the employee with sufficient long-term motivation to finish their expat assignment, especially in what is regarded as a long hours work culture. Around a quarter of all working Australians spend more than 50 hours a week at work. Standard office hours are from 9am to 530pm, Monday-Friday.
Melbourne has an exceptionally multicultural workplace; it’s a location where any expat employee can find themselves working in a team with colleagues from Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand and India.
Expats who wish to work in Melbourne will need an employer sponsor, a skilled visa or a business visa to work. Once these documents have been secured, expats will need to have a Tax File Number (TFN) which is a unique number issued by the Australian Tax Office to individual taxpayers.
Job opportunities in Melbourne
Many opportunities exist in regional Victoria for those expats willing to live in the smaller towns and cities that have a more urgent demand for skilled employees.
Manufacturing and the professional, scientific and technical related fields are the biggest employers throughout Melbourne and Victoria, followed by the retail sector, the food industry, financial services, telecommunications and construction.
Education is a big employer of expats, across all sectors, particularly in secondary and tertiary education. There is also a huge demand for engineers, particularly specialists in dams and hydropower, tunnel design and maritime.
In 2010, the State Government of Victoria was running recruitment seminars in the U.K. for engineers and IT professionals. There is also always a skills shortage within the healthcare sector, particularly for frontline healthcare professionals. Expats qualified to work in any of these fields will have an easier time finding a job opportunity and also should try and negotiate a favourable salary package given the current state of demand.
Business Culture and Workplace Etiquette in Melbourne
Energy, capability and a positive attitude are the key personal qualities that will endear an expat to their new work colleagues in Melbourne, far more so than impressive qualifications or assumed status. Australian workplace culture reflects the relaxed informality of everyday Australian life. There is no standing on ceremony, and relations between management and staff are informal although still business-like.
Expats who have worked in intensive and formal environments, like Asia or the Middle East, may take some time to adjust.
Melbourne is considered a safe place for women to work, particularly for those who may need to catch public transport home on their own, after working late in the office.
Getting to and from work in Melbourne
Melbourne workers may not get to go to work on a ferry across the harbour, like their Sydney counterparts, but they will find that commuting to work is a far more pleasant experience than it is in London, New York or Tokyo.
Expats in a job that involves travel, whether in the region, the nation or the hemisphere should expect long hours getting to anywhere as Melbourne, Australia’s second city is even an hour’s flying time south of Sydney.
Workers in Melbourne get the day off for horse race
Melbourne’s workers lose both their work ethic and inhibitions for one particular event, held every first Tuesday in November.
Sports-mad Melbourne is the only city in the world that gives its workers a day off for a horse race. Many workers take annual leave from the Friday prior to the Melbourne Cup and only return to work again after race day.
Accept a job for the right reasons in Melbourne
Prospective expats should consider that they are taking a job in Melbourne for sound reasons, such as a promotion or a chance to gain new skills. Moving for lifestyle reasons or because the money is better, or to get a foot in the door to then look round for something better, may not provide the employee with sufficient long-term motivation to finish their expat assignment, especially in what is regarded as a long hours work culture. Around a quarter of all working Australians spend more than 50 hours a week at work. Standard office hours are from 9am to 530pm, Monday-Friday.
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