I have been granted permanent residency in Australia (i.e. I can live and work there). I intend to relocate from Ireland in October. Ideally I could have a job line up before I go, as it's a high-risk and potentially expensive move if I have to support myself and family for a period of unemployment.
Is it possible / likely that I could secure employment before I go? What are the best ways that I could go about doing this? Should I just start applying for jobs on the Australian jobs websites? Should I contact recruiters directly? (this isn't exactly appealing because recruiters tend to ignore you if it makes their job difficult)
For what it's worth, I have a BSc in Computing (Software Development), with 8 years experience in .Net development. I'd prefer Melbourne if possible.