Down Under Live Expo - Help!!

[SteveandKirsty]

Quite right. I had a friend who was a civil servant and went to an Expo where he was told that it would be easy to secure a job and then the visa would be a formality. He took voluntary redundancy on this basis. He's now still in the UK having discovered that jobs don't grow on trees and there isn't a leprachaun holding a crock of gold at the end of the rainbow.

 

Can see where you are coming from but with all due respect, anyone who really thinks that is being a tad naïve in any case...

[Guest The Pom Queen]

It was not long ago that registered migration agents were barred from attending immigration department expos, presumably because registered migration agents, unlike recruiters, education agents, immigration oficers and prospective employers, are required to tell clients and prospective clients the truth.

This is a very valid point, maybe you are doing it all wrong, you need to tell them how easy it is, sign them up, take all their money then just shrug your shoulders when the visa is denied, it doesn't matter you've got your money :no:

Its ridiculous isn't it, surely they also need to be telling the truth and not leading people down the garden path

[Guest The Pom Queen]

The reason I was defensive is because you asked who was the full list of exhibitors at the show and this is an unusual question asked covertly by rival exhibition companies from time to time, it certainly hasn’t been asked by anyone ever who just wanted to find out more information about the show.

 

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REALLY!!! No one has ever asked you what or who is going to be at the show, I'm sorry but I find that really hard to believe. I, for one asked that question when we attended one many years ago. Most people have a catalogue printed and ready for publication as to what exhibitors are attending.

Like someone else posted, you wouldn't dream of paying to go to the cinema or a concert without knowing what you are going to see, especially if you have a long commute on top.

[Danmon]

I went to an expo in London but only because I knew that there was a company in my field who were there. If there were no companies there that would take on someone with my skill set then I wouldn't have gone. I met the company reps with my CV and ended up having a theory test and interview there and then. Shortly after I was offered a job and relocation package.

 

In that respect the Expo was excellent as I don't think I would have stood a chance if I had just emailed them. Being able to speak to someone face to face was a lot better for both me and the company. If they weren't there or I didnt know they were going to be there I wouldn't have bothered going just on the off chance...

[Ardita13]

REALLY!!! No one has ever asked you what or who is going to be at the show, I'm sorry but I find that really hard to believe. I, for one asked that question when we attended one many years ago. Most people have a catalogue printed and ready for publication as to what exhibitors are attending.

Like someone else posted, you wouldn't dream of paying to go to the cinema or a concert without knowing what you are going to see, especially if you have a long commute on top.

 

 

That was exactly why it rang an alarm bell for me! You wouldn't buy tickets to a concert without listening to any of the band's music before you went!

 

Thanks so much to everybody for all your responses to my post! My partner and I did end up going to the expo in the end, mostly because we wanted that feeling of 'doing something' positive towards moving, as mentioned by other people here.

 

We drove for two hours to get there and, frankly, it was rather disappointing. We didn't find the seminars particularly informative, they were basically advertising presentations from people trying to sell you services, (money transfer, migration agents etc). There was one solitary medical recruitment lady there, and we had to queue up for at least 45mins to speak to her. She was friendly and helpful, but the information she gave was easily available on the internet. I walked away feeling that I could have called her company office the next day, from the comfort of my home, and had a very similar conversation without having to queue up for ages.

 

I think there is a feeling that if you don't go to one of these expos, you might be missing out on some vital nugget of information that will help you move to Australia. The truth is that, with excellent information/advice available on websites like this one, and from the official aussie government sites, you can work it all out for yourself and save the time and money.

 

On the upside it did give my partner and I, who are usually very busy, a day dedicated to discussing our move, planning our timetable and thinking it all through, which was very helpful (although if we had the time over again, we would set the day aside and stay at home together with cups of tea, our laptop and PIO!).

 

Thanks again to everyone for your responses and advice

:-)

[Guest The Pom Queen]

That was exactly why it rang an alarm bell for me! You wouldn't buy tickets to a concert without listening to any of the band's music before you went!

 

Thanks so much to everybody for all your responses to my post! My partner and I did end up going to the expo in the end, mostly because we wanted that feeling of 'doing something' positive towards moving, as mentioned by other people here.

 

We drove for two hours to get there and, frankly, it was rather disappointing. We didn't find the seminars particularly informative, they were basically advertising presentations from people trying to sell you services, (money transfer, migration agents etc). There was one solitary medical recruitment lady there, and we had to queue up for at least 45mins to speak to her. She was friendly and helpful, but the information she gave was easily available on the internet. I walked away feeling that I could have called her company office the next day, from the comfort of my home, and had a very similar conversation without having to queue up for ages.

 

I think there is a feeling that if you don't go to one of these expos, you might be missing out on some vital nugget of information that will help you move to Australia. The truth is that, with excellent information/advice available on websites like this one, and from the official aussie government sites, you can work it all out for yourself and save the time and money.

 

On the upside it did give my partner and I, who are usually very busy, a day dedicated to discussing our move, planning our timetable and thinking it all through, which was very helpful (although if we had the time over again, we would set the day aside and stay at home together with cups of tea, our laptop and PIO!).

 

Thanks again to everyone for your responses and advice

:-)

I'm glad you went otherwise you would have always wondered if you had missed a job opportunity or something.

[SteveandKirsty]

We went to London DUL on Saturday. It was pretty much as expected really. We did get info that we were looking for and that was about moving costs and questions, money transfer etc - yes we can do that at home by phone and/or email but not all in the one place. The show was evenly divided between Canada, NZ and Oz but couldn't help but think that Oz had fallen from "number one" to "number three" in the space of a year. I couldn't really understand why the Victorian State government were there touting for skilled migrants when I presume they have a long list anyway, and, they are actually looking for regional Victoria yet under the "Melbourne" banner - a kind of come and live in Geelong or Ballarat and commute into Melbourne....

 

John Weir (who runs the show?) did give a good and balanced talk of the pros and cons of UK-v-Australia as I don't doubt there were many there who do not or would now know. We have to remember the likes of us who have found our way here are already veterans and as such the show does serve a purpose - and judging by the number of people there on Saturday at least, remains popular.