Leaving the country of birth and arriving in a new place to start a new life is a big decision in itself. But the strugglers of new migrants to settle in a new place and work for a brighter future are never ending. From accommodation to language barriers and finding a job, there are various issues that they tackle on a day-to-day basis. Those who are highly skilled in their professional field suddenly feel they can no longer find a job in their area of choice. Some persist until something in their profession comes their way, but many end up changing their profession and opting for some other job that is more readily available and often below their skill level.
Part of the problem is the difference in work culture, recruitment process and attitude towards jobs in the country. There is a lot of help available to new migrants but the information is often, either not clear or easily available, or there is lack of awareness as to how to access the support system.
Suman Dua is a career consultant who assists new graduates and migrants in acquiring a job in their own profession. She shared some important tips with SBS Punjabi’s listeners on how to go about finding and applying for a job in Australia. She highlights the importance of writing a good and affective resume and also the volunteer work or internship in area of choice in gaining the job in the profession of choice. Here are some of the tips discussed by Suman Dua with SBS Punjabi.
Make it easy for employers to understand your resume
The first thing to do is to make it easy for employers. Any sort of stereotyping comes out of ignorance. Put context on your resume. In a paragraph above where you list each job, include succinct lines about the places you’ve worked, the markets you’ve worked in, or the competitiveness and demands of the working environment. Make some comparisons to well-known Australian companies. Depending on what you do, it may help if you start your job search with organisations that are similar to places where you’ve worked previously. There are lot of good professional templates that you can find free on Google and may want to use them.
On all your applications make sure your spelling, grammar, phrasing and expression are more than perfect. Potential employers will see your name, country of origin and can make assumptions about your communication skills. Adopt local expressions. Even if your English is text book, often an employer can hear someone’s accent by the way they write and the expression they use. So if you have any doubts about your English, ask someone who was born here to review your resume.
Talk in detail with recruitment agents
You will find that many recruitment consultants are very helpful and they can guide you with what they would like to see on your resume. You might have not mentioned something that they are looking for but you do have that skill. So talking to consultants and attending network opportunities will help. The more you go out and meet more people you will feel more confident and also learn about Australian culture.
Practice Interview skills
You will find lot of you tube videos and plenty of resources on google to help you with the type of questions that are usually asked in an interview. You can do mock interviews with someone you know so that you feel confident before you do a real interview. Australians are often less direct in their questioning style than other cultures. Also slow down. Body language contributes to a great deal of meaning in communication. All you have over the phone is your tone and your words.
Internship
You may choose to do an internship in your field of study to get some local real world Australian work experience. An internship is a carefully monitored work or volunteer experience in which an individual has intentional learning goals and reflects actively on what he or she is learning throughout the experience.
Fair Work has defined lawful unpaid work to include work trials, volunteer work, work experience and internships. It also includes a vocational placement as defined under the Fair Work Act 2009. Unpaid work is lawful if it is a genuine work experience, vocational placement or volunteering arrangement. For more information, please visit www.fairwork.gov.au
If you are looking for an internship please visit www.smartcareersaustralia.com.au.
Temp work
Register with agencies for temp work. Often consultants are less fussy with finding someone with the perfect background if it’s just for short term assignments. These can lead to longer assignments, particularly if you’re reliable. This is a great way to build up your networks. Again you’ll need to be pleasantly persistent with the agency and keep in regular contact. Often speed is the essence in filling temp assignments and if the consultant knows you are easily available, you’ll be the first person they think of when they’re trying to fill an assignment. They’ll love you more and want to help you if take on the harder to fill jobs.
Meet the locals
Create some networks through volunteering, sport or hobbies. First make some friends, then ask around for who may know of a job. Many jobs are found this way, where someone hasn’t been a perfect match on paper, yet the employer has gone on the recommendation someone. It saves them money on recruitment and advertising. Be warned with this approach, though. Asking people for a job immediately when you meet them can be off-putting. The friendship is the most important thing. An offer to help you will often come afterwards.
Do some quality research. Find some people in your profession whom you can ask for advice on how your overseas experience translates, and where you should start your search. In my experience few people do this. Yet explaining how your skills translate is a great way to overcome the objection “no local experience.” By doing this you’re showing some great research and networking skills that even many locals don’t have.
Write down your goals
According to a research if you write down what you wish to achieve you are more likely to achieve the results. I see many migrants changing their career path after moving to Australia as they can’t wait anymore for the right opportunity. I would just like to say why you would want to change your career when you have spent so many years and money to achieve that skill. So write down your goals and work towards them and stay positive.
Finally be patient. You’re not alone in your experience and taking it personally will impact your self confidence.
