Job Hunting Tips in Australia?

Hi

Read your article my wife highlighted.

We're from Singapore too and we just got our WA sponsored visas late last year with relative ease.

But now getting job is proving to be a little more difficult.

Do share any tips you'd have for getting job there.

We are planning to move late this year of earlier next year.

Cheers!

Sheikh





Dear Sheikh,


Unfortunately I didn't have much job seeking experience to offer good advice. Out of all the Singaporeans I came to know here in Perth, I was the only one who found my job in the most in an uncanny manner so it might be hard for others to replicate. So I can only offer my 2 coconuts worth from my observations of what the others did. I hope there are some reading this who are willing to contribute your secrets in completing your respective perilous quests of landing yourselves a job. For an inspirational story about job hunting, read the story of one of my mates here.


Before I go about this, I have to comment about your comment about job hunting is proving to be more difficult here. I am not sure on what basis you come to this conclusion but take it from me, just discard this mental barrier and focus on what you have to do because it does nothing for you except to hold you back further and prove yourself right.


I'll share with you the standard items.

  1. Job links - You've gotta take a look at the list our Singaporean daughter Seianko compiled here. Among the list, you'll find leading job websites such as seek.com. That may be a good place to start off if you have nothing on the plate now.

  2. As you did not suggest what kind of jobs you will be looking for, it is difficult to pin point some avenues closer to your targets. Obviously, many 'simpler' jobs will not even be listed on the Internet. You may find some on the local newspapers or sometimes only on community newspapers. If you are looking for a high level job, companies may even bypass the Internet and rely on headhunting agencies instead. So, be sure to target a particular industry or sector so that you can start researching the most probable sources to find job links.

  3. Be assiduous. When you are jobless in a new country, your job is to find a job. Go ahead and take a few days or even weeks off to enjoy and adapt to the new environment if you wish but once you are ready, get your head down and treat job seeking as your day job. From this day onward, it's shape up or ship out. Set up a job seeking time table and stick to it religiously. Be disciplined, accept no compromise.

  4. "Aussify" your CV. Try reading this to get an idea.

  5. Write a customised cover letter for a particular job. While this is a really annoying chore, consider it as a courting process. A guy who uses the exact approach for every single girl he encounters will end up with only his right hand on Christmas Eve night. Unless your marriage was arranged, you know exactly what I am talking about. So apply the same nimbleness to your job hunt.

  6. Cold calling. My friend Stephen got his new job by calling his old school where he received his training for a chat. It gave him an opportunity to find out the situation in his school as well as a chance to update his potential employer his current status and qualifications. Stephen found out that there was no vacancies by the end of the call. In a couple of weeks' time, Stephen returned to Singapore for a visit and received a call from the training centre. He was told that they were expanding and needed someone as the role of a trainer/lecturer. An interview was scheduled as soon as he returned to Perth and he clinched the job. It isn't uncommon to do cold calling in Australia. Some even turn up personally in companies to hand their CVs over the counter. These 30 seconds impressions may last longer than we expect.

  7. Approach companies directly even when no vacancies are listed in their websites. If you are experienced in a particular field and can offer plenty to their company, tell them explicitly in your cover letter. Or better, email their COE and give him a critique about his company's products and give suggestions to improve their product or services. Meet up for a chat if there is an opportunity.

  8. Networking. Different strokes for different people so choose your poison - joining religious groups, cults, brotherhood, bikie gangs or just go fishing, whatever that you feel comfortable with. Hey but once you are in, don't forget to ASK. If you are too shy, just wear a T-shirt declaring, "No Job to Tithe" God will deliver.

  9. By default, nobody will call you for an interview. Thus, never fail to contact the human resource department of the companies if you have not received a response within a week or two. This is a common practice in Australia. Don't worry about appearing like a pest because employers will rather take in an enthusiastic pest than a self entitled gentleman.

  10. Tell everyone you have a conversation with that you are looking for a job. Yes - even the cashier at the supermarket if you will. You never know who knows who and when someone is looking for someone.

3 comments:

  1. Cannot be picky when it comes to job hunting especially for the first job.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This site is also good must visit
    Jobs

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your tips was very effective because I found a job in Australia since that place was my number one target to migrate. I found my Australian Careers in Jobstar website. You can also find different kinds of jobs there.

    ReplyDelete