Highlights
- International student finds a job to stay afloat after being stood down
- Recruiters advise temporary visa holders to remain flexible and look for jobs that pay the bills
- Besides healthcare and food and supply chain, there are many industries that are still hiring
March 13, 2020, started as the “worst day of my life", says Karan*, an IT student from India who was stood down by his employer, leaving him jobless for at least until the crisis subsides.
The 24-year-old who is pursuing an undergraduate degree was working as a digital lead for a fledgling data analysis start-up based in Melbourne.
“I received a call from my boss informing me that I had been stood down alongside 12 other employees. Overnight, my world changed- a future that seemed bright a few hours ago had just been taken away from me and that too for no fault of mine,” says Karan.
He adds while he was grappling to lookout for a new job, the Australian government announced that those facing substantial hardships should find their way home.
“This further increased my woes, as I can’t go back to India and become a burden on my aged parents who survive on my father’s pension and my measly income.
"But all was not lost, not at least my hope," says Karan.
“So, without pausing, I started cold calling. I called up call centres, recruitment agencies, local stores, Coles and managed to secure two interviews in a matter of hours,” says Karan, who finally managed to secure a job with a local grocery store in his neighbourhood.
He claims he has taken a significant pay cut, but he at least now has a job and right now that's all he needs.
"The salary isn’t much, the work is hard. But it’s a job that would pay the bills and that’s all I need right now."
‘Get a job that pays the bills’
Thousands of Australians have lost their jobs, been stood down or have lost their work hours in a span of a few weeks. And as more and more businesses shut down forcing mass layoffs, the early data indicates that the unemployment numbers are only going to rise.
Vivek Gupta, an experienced career coach based in Sydney says international students and temporary work visa holders who are facing substantial hardships need to adopt a “proactive approach” towards job hunt to survive in these unprecedented times.
“Don’t be afraid. Just pick up the phone and call nearby grocery stores, online retailers, call centres, delivery services and even an uncle you met socially and just ask for any work,” says Mr Gupta.
He adds that at this point, it does not matter if a job matches your skillset, what matters is a job that pays the bills.
“Just grab what you get so you have enough money to support your basic needs such as food and shelter,” adds Mr Gupta.
‘Focus on industries that are still hiring’
Fred Molloy, Managing Director of Konnecting, a recruitment and immigration consultancy says it’s a difficult time particularly for temporary visa holders in Australia, as most of these are either casual, part-time or rely on temporary employment arrangements.
“Areas, where displaced temporary workers can focus to find work, include food delivery, supermarkets, smaller grocery stores, supply chain-related warehouses, primary agriculture (fruit picking), telecom support services, cleaning services, pharmaceuticals, labouring/construction and healthcare support.
“There are also still IT/online tech jobs as businesses still need support in this space as most employees work from home and need the IT infrastructure to do so,” says Mr Molloy.
Here's a list of industries that are still hiring:
Supermarkets and local grocery stores: Coles needs 5,000 casual workers and Woolworths is looking to fill 20,000 positions and ALDI is also hiring to meet the recent surge of demand. While many local grocery stores are also looking for casual employees.
Delivery services: Domino’s Pizza is calling on thousands of Australians to join their delivery workforce, as often the skills in the tourism, events and hospitality industries are easily transferable. Uber Eats, Deliveroo, and Menulog are also hiring casual workers.
Call centre and customer service: Telstra is hiring more than 1,000 temporary call centre jobs to people across the country. Health insurer, Medibank is also hiring phone operators.
Cleaning: A lot of jobs are available in this sector, as more and more businesses are spending money and resources to keep their workspaces clean to ensure the safety of their employees.
Education: Some popular online tutoring platforms are also hiring employees to provide support to students who are learning from home.
Healthcare: There is a surge in demand for nursing, aged care and health care workers across the country.
Useful links:
www.dese.gov.au/covid-19/jobs-hub
Coronavirus symptoms can range from mild illness to pneumonia, according to the Federal Government's website. Symptoms can include a fever, coughing, sore throat, fatigue and shortness of breath.
If you develop symptoms within 14 days of returning from overseas, you should call to seek medical attention.
If you don’t have symptoms but you have been in contact with a confirmed COVID-19 case, you should also call to seek medical attention.
If you believe you may need to get tested, call your doctor, don’t visit. Or contact the national Coronavirus Health Information Hotline on 1800 020 080.
If you are struggling to breathe or experiencing a medical emergency, call 000.
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