lkh1980

Dos and Don'ts

It is never easy searching for a job from overseas. Here is a summary of the do’s and don’ts for overseas jobseekers in the Australian employment market place.

Do

* Do visit the various Australian job websites BEFORE deciding to emigrate to familiarise yourself with the job opportunities in your field.
* Do apply for your permanent residence visas. Very important. Prospective employers will ask about your immigration status and having your residence visas (or at least being in the application process) is a “prerequisite” for most Australian job vacancies.
* Do start applying for advertised job vacancies from OVERSEAS, but only 1 to 12 weeks before a possible start date or a visit to Australia.
* Do send a cold letter of application and C.V. to EVERY potential employer and recruitment agent in the region of Australia you intend settling in to let them know that you are available. Use www.yellowpages.com.au to locate details.
* Do prepare your C.V. in the Australian style and write a short but clear covering letter confirming that you have been granted permanent residence visas (or that you have been assessed as eligible and are in the visa application process).
* Do provide an Australian postal address and Australian mobile/email address in your C.V. where possible.
* Do visit Australia or arrive permanently (once your visas have been approved) to attend job interviews, as very few employers will engage candidates on a “sight unseen” basis.
* Do make a positive impression in the interview, be flexible and have copies of your residence visas and references available for employers to sight.

Don't

* Don’t apply for job vacancies OR visit Australia for job interviews more than 1 - 12 weeks away from a possible start date. Employers will not be interested.
* Don’t expect everything to work like home. Be flexible and willing to fit in with local ways of doing things.
* Don’t expect a job at the same level or higher than you had overseas. You may lack Australian local knowledge and may need to take a step back in order to advance later. Wait one year.
* Don’t expect the same salary or more than you had overseas. The cost of living and income tax rates are lower in Australia than many other western developed nations, so look at your NET INCOME not the gross amount
* Don’t expect a job offer in the first week. On average, it can take native Australians 1 – 8 weeks to find a new job.
* Don’t “over negotiate” the contract with your first employer. Be flexible and under-stand that employment law and contract terms may be different in Australia

kporte

I caught one last night but it's with an H. Does that count?

wednesfield wolf

Rule #1. ALWAYS check your applications for spelling mistakes.

vinny1275

Rossi

DO NOT send your cover letter or statement addressing criteria as a Word Doc. Convert it to a pdf.

I asked a colleague at work to have a look at one of mine and amend it if it needed it, before sending it to a government HR department.

He had altered the opening to "Dear F**face, Giz a Job" ......... of course I overtyped this with the correct name.
I got the interview and duly turned up on the day, and whilst chatting to the HR lady she mentioned that they ALWAYS have "show mark-ups" turned on when opening Word docs.
Needless to say - I was overqualified for the position on offer

RenShen

If you don't mind me asking, how are you qualified to give this advice? It seems to me to be very obvious and overly simplistic. I went through my job applications last night (applied for IN Australia since June) and I have applied for 45 jobs. I am qualified for all of them and my CV and covering letter is strong. Your post appears to suggest that its normal/possible to get a job before even arriving. If you look through many of the posts on this forum you will see that this is extremely rare.

lkh1980

This article is originally from a recruitment website. Apparently, you did not understand the advice! It has been keep emphasizing on , one shouldn't apply a job if he/she is not able to attend the interview!!

By the way, the article is just to share for those who really keen. Either take it of leave it....

I am not advicing anyone here, it is just an article to share. If I were you, I will just keep my mouth shut and ignore it if the article appears to be so doubtful to me.

Dreamy

You should have a link back to the original source material.

Otherwise it gives the impression it's your own advice.

lkh1980

Ok, got it, didnt mean to confuse all, will attach the link next time

RenShen

And if I were you, I would pay more attention to somebody who is actually in Australia experiencing what the job market is like NOW, not re-hash old advice from a recruitment company.

I did understand the advice, its so simplistic a trained monkey could understand it. I just disagree with it. And you were giving advice, the title of your thread makes that clear. Its reasonable therefore to ask how qualified you are to actually offer advice.

My reply to you was polite and your reply was rude. If you only want replies that totally agree with you, go and create your own forum with your own rules.

lkh1980

If you think the way you reply was polite, i'm fine....but I see the point of that it has confused everyone as a piece of advice from me.

I am also actively looking for a job now, I send far more applications than you do. Don't think you are the only one who is having all the sob stories... ..
and I dun owe you anything here by simply quoting an article which I think might be meaningful for job hunters like me.

Beachband

Nob Jockey....get a grip dude.
Wouldn't like you working with or for me with that turn of phrase.

RenShen

"I send far more applications than you do." Did you actually type that?? Well my Dad is bigger than your Dad. Where will that get us??

And mine isn't a sob story. I am having a bloody lovely time here on the Sunny Gold Coast. Hubby has got a cracking job and I am just looking for pin money for make up and lady's lunches. This may or may not be true but its got sod all to do with you.

And here is probably the best tip you will get on here (though you probably won't pay attention), if you are applying for a job, brush up on your people skills because at the moment, with your attitude you are facing a long spell of unemployment.

And I would have thought if you were looking for the best advice for jobhunters like you, it would be gratefully received from somebody experiencing the Australian job market.

Pollyana

Please provide details of the source of the material, as it is taken from somewhere else - these details are required for copyright reasons, otherwise the article will be removed.

Amazulu

Dude, the way you are coming across in your posts kind of explains why you can't find a job.