VagabondShoes

Hello there; new to the forum and also to OZ and would like to explain my situation and hopefully get some good advice from you good folk...

I made the journey to Oz 2 months ago and have a year's experience in programming on top of a Bachelors and Masters degree from Glasgow university.

The problem is, my first name is very ethnic sounding (my grandfather who I never met was half Kurdish and my mum decided to give me his first name) and I think it may be the reason why I am hardly getting any interviews during my job search here - I'm now living in Sydney and it hit me that this might be the reason for an unexpected number of ignored applications.

This hit me when a recruitment agent I spoke with yesterday told me that this may actually be the reason.

I know nothing about Kurdish culture and do not look remotely Kurdish! apart from my grandfather's ethnic roots, my whole family is white/Scottish and Irish.

The bad news is, under new(ish) legislation, for those not born in Australia, you must wait for three years before legally being able to change your name in NSW, damn it! (I want to make my middle name my first name), which leads me to the good news...

The good news is, I have a very english/anglo sounding middle name (the same as my surname) and should/can I legally just give this as my first name when making job applications? I would not want an employer to feel as though I have deceived them.

Geezer123

I don't think you're name is the problem. Glasgow university will null that.

The lack of opportunities for Programming in Australia probably is.

Australia isn't like New York where you can do a 1 week programming course and suddenly command a 100,000 a year salary.

Australia is still a working class paradise and professionals will pay the brunt of that.

Give it more time...be aware though that your talent and skills won't be appreciated as much as they will in the UK and US.

Pom_Chch

Hey, I work with a young Chinese guy who uses the name Jay as his first name. He does have a Chinese name but a lot of youngsters his age of the same ethnicity do the same thing and have an "English" sounding name as well. He reckons it's partly because his name is hard to pronounce, but what you mentioned could be part of it as well.

I am in New Zealand btw, not Oz, but I guess the same still applies. Good luck

Beoz

Programming? You mean coding? Try India these days.

bcworld

What visa do you have?

Swerv-o

My Canadian mate hates his first name (and with good reason) and simply swaps his first and second name around for job applications. He's never had any problems with it.

He has had problems with the RTA, but that's a separate issue. No harm in trying it and see how it works out.


S

Amazulu

utter rubbish

spouse of scouse

About 10 football field's worth, I'd say.

spouse of scouse

Having conducted a lot of interviews across many disciplines, someone's name didn't matter a toss - what did matter was their grasp of English appropriate to the role, which is something you don't have a problem with. Even with my best non-discriminatory hat on, I wouldn't interview someone whose written application for a direct customer contact role began something like "my missions which I feel for my heart is to do say yes all times for to all peoples, if they be ugly things no problem" (a true job application).

Having said that, there's no problem with using your middle name on your resume and at interview. If your references/referees use your first name, you may want to explain to your prospective employer that you use your middle name, prior to references being checked. Also, you'll need to put your legal (full) name on employment commencement documents such as tax and superannuation docs. Best of luck.

Geezer123

It will always be a blue collar paradise. Hardly anything professional exists there.

spouse of scouse

You're not making any sense.

Beoz

Actually kind of correct. Lots of local tradies earning a fortune not being pressured by Asians who can't put their van on a ferry and drive it over. Lot of traditional white collar jobs being offshored like programmimg and accountancy. Australia will hopefully be smart and develop those white collar jobs into world beating services and charging under educated Asian neighbours through the nose, which is kind of already happening.

Tr1boy

Uneducated Asians? I've lived in Korea, spent 6mths in Japan and had countless SLT meetings in China. Uneducated is not the first term that springs to mind.

For those of us that have lived in Oz for a long time, we've seen this cycle and the rhetoric trotted out many times. He's what will actually happen. A few sharp minded and forward thinking Aussies will build a better mousetrap in the wake of changing economics. They will then try and sell the new model of doing business to some short sighted Snr Mgt.

Frustrated at getting nowhere, they will then be head hunted and given an offer to move overseas where the waiting nations get a massive head start on the market. I've seen it happen in pharma, engineering medical and agri science.

Australia has always had great inventors and 'outside the box thinkers' but is always hampered by stuck in the mud decision makers.

Beoz

Whilst Asia produces degree riddled citizens they aren't taught to think outside the box. Their culture doesn't permit it either.

Do agree on the senior management thing in Oz. Protecting their own turf. That only has a certain mileage. Lots of Aussies overseas these days plying their trade in bigger markets. They will return home and those senior management without passports will be toast.

Things are changing. There is no choice

Tr1boy

disagree with your first sentence. I've lived in 2 Asian countries and am married to an Asian so have a 'pretty good' idea of what the culture is, or isn't. Unless of course you are talking about India et al when you say 'Asian'.

Don't get Mrs TB started on that particular rant

My point is that Australia has a long and not so proud history of letting it's best and brightest disappear overseas, particularly when it comes to innovation. That won't change overnight.