Diarmuid Kelly from Tipperary is a chemical engineer project manager with CSL in Melbourne.

Diarmuid Kelly :: Chemical Engineer

When and why did you first come to Australia and what do you do here?

I got here in 2005 via south-east Asia and New Zealand and I’m a chemical engineer project manager with CSL in Melbourne.

What qualifications did you have and how did you find the process of having those recognised?

I did a degree in biotechnology in DCU and then a post-grad in chemical engineering in UL. I spent about three months looking for work in Sydney when I first arrived but then I moved to Melbourne and bumped into an old college mate and got work through him. I’m still with the same company, though my role has changed. I’ve had no problems in having my qualifications recognised.

Are there many jobs going in your industry? And what advice would you give to people seeking work?

There are not the same number of chemical engineers here as there are at home, so as a result there are quite a lot of Irish engineers working here at the moment. The Irish college courses relate to the pharmaceutical industry are geared to meeting the industry that exists, so you find a lot of engineers coming over here from Ireland who have experience, which is an advantage for them. Most of the people in CSL get jobs through word of mouth, so if you know some people over here who work in the area get in contact with them.

What is the biggest difference between working in chemical engineering here and in Ireland?

The pharmaceutical industry is much bigger in Ireland, which is a world leader in that area. I worked in Cork before and all the top pharmaceutical companies in the world have plants there. In Melbourne there are really only four major companies. In the industry in Ireland almost everyone you work with is Irish, but over here you have a broad, multi-cultural set up. I work with people from several different countries. It is way more multicultural.

How much should a chemical engineer expect to earn and how does that compare to Ireland?

It depends on your experience, but someone coming out from Ireland with, say, two years experience, would get anything from $60,000 – $80,000. It used to be that you got paid more in this industry in Ireland, but now there are a lot fewer jobs at home and more opportunities here. The dollar is also strong against the euro at the moment. All in all, chemical engineers from Ireland would probably do a lot better now in Oz than was the case five years ago.

What long-term opportunities are there here for engineers as regards jobs and visa prospects?

There are jobs because a lot of Irish engineers would have good experience. I was on a working holiday visa at first. Then I got sponsorship from my employer, which came through pretty easily. And since then I’ve got residency through employer nomination.

What do you for fun, and what are your most/least favourite things about living in Australia?

I play guitar so I like to catch up with mates and play some music sessions. I’ve also become a lot more active over here than I was at home. I run and play tag rugby. The hardest thing is that it’s so far from Ireland and so expensive to get home. The pluses outweigh the cons here though.