Richard’s Time in Australia – Four years later

anniversary, australia, recruitment,

March 4, 2021

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Richard’s Time in Australia – Four years later

Four years ago, Richard Christer joined our team and answered our questions about his time in Australia (original Q&A here). Upon his anniversary last month, we had another chat with Richard to see how he likes Australia and the recruitment industry now.

Q: What main cultural differences have you experienced in Australia vs South Africa?  

There are many differences between Australia and South Africa, but obviously, the main difference is that South Africa is a developing country, whereas Australia is a first world country. The stability and safety in Australia and the lifestyle that accompanies that is the marked difference.

Q: What are some of the local sights you have been able to visit? Which is your favourite?

Since being in Australia, we have done a fair bit of camping, travelling north from Brisbane to places like Double Island Point for beach camping and then South of Brisbane to places like Byron Bay in Northern New South Wales. My favourite place is Moreton Island which is a mere 45-minute ferry across the bay. Moreton Island is incredible and watching the sunset over the Glass House Mountains is as beautiful as anywhere in the world.  

Q: How do you like living in Brisbane?  

Brisbane is a great city to live in, there is plenty of action! As a huge sports fan, I have managed to catch lots of live sports at Suncorp Stadium and The Gabba cricket ground. The city isn’t too big, so we don’t face the difficulties that larger areas do. Typically, you can get anywhere in the city in under an hour. With that said, many people from VIC and NSW are moving up to Brisbane searching for Sun, Sea and cheaper property prices. With Brisbane recently announced as the preferred bidder for the 2032 summer Olympics, there is more fun on the horizon.

Q: What do you like about working in Recruitment?

Having an appreciation for the way companies and projects are structured and how individuals come together as a team to solve problems and achieve their goals is what drives me in Recruitment. I like being a part of that process. Understanding and identifying what is needed in a particular role or vacancy and aligning that to a candidate experience and preference are what I like about working in Recruitment.

Q: How are you finding the current employment market for Civil Engineering and Surveying Recruitment Australia?

It’s a great time to be in Recruitment, particularly in the civil infrastructure sector. It’s a hectic time in Australia, with many major projects being delivered and many more in the pipeline. Our biggest challenge is finding enough experienced and skilled professionals in the civil construction sector to keep up with the demand. There are worse problems to have.

Q: What impact has Covid-19 had on your recruitment process?

State border closures and restrictions have impacted the movement of individuals for work opportunities. As such, we have had to look ‘closer to home’ for required skills to mitigate the risk that comes with border closures. Covid19 has also done its part in restricting skilled resource from entering Australia from abroad, so naturally, the candidate pool has diminished in the last six months.

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If you are a Civil Engineer, a Construction Professional or a Surveyor who would like to be part of the infrastructure boom in Australia or New Zealand, register your CV here or search our jobs.

ConsultANZ Recruitment Australia  –  We consult our Clients on their hiring needs and our Candidates on their career prospects.

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