Engineers and Computing (IT) Professionals migrating to Australia

The Australian immigration department treats engineers and computing professionals differently. There is a 5 year experience requirement for computing professionals. There is no work experience required generally for engineers.

Engineers involved with computing often become confused with what their occupation really is. This is particularly true of engineers who have  undertaken post graduate studies in computing.

Do you know what you are?

I am not talking about your sexual persuasion here. That’s your own business. You may be able to choose whether to migrate as an engineer, a computing professional, or (heaven forbid) as a manager.

Australian Standard Classifications of Occupations

Occupations are listed in the Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) dictionary. To assist with searches on the Skill Matching Database Australian Standard Classification of Occupations (ASCO) codes are listed on the link below.

http://www.immi.gov.au/skills/skill-code.htm

There is overlap in some categories  and the definitions are not all that clear. For example: you may be able to apply as either an analyst or a manager. Or you may apply for a visa in one category and be granted a visa in another. This is no drama - so long as they both have the same points for visa classification for general skilled migration purposes.

As there may be different points allocation for visa assessment you need to have a look at the options you have and their impact.

Check qualifications assessment requirements

The requirements for skills assessment differ for Engineers Australia and the Australian Computer Society. Go to their websites and get their qualifications assessment handbooks before you commit. Go to these websites.

http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/

http://www.acs.org.au/

NOTE:  The requirements for immigration and professional accreditation are separate. Check out the requirements for both.

The bottom line is you may have a choice !

Engineer, IT, ICT or computing professional. Assess your classification and the Australian ASCO codes when preparing to migrate.

Engineers - Are you really Ready to Migrate to Australia?

The Ready to Work Checklist for Engineers to Australia

Landing a job quickly after arrival in Australia is the key to successful migration. Here is a useful checklist for you to assess how well prepared you are to start life in a new country. A negative answer to any of the items listed is likely to mean delays in getting a job.

The equation goes something like this:

No work = spending savings = no fun

Kick start your new life by preparing properly

This is taken form Project Australia: Land that Engineering Job in Australia.

©Ian Little. 2008 All rights reserved, no part of this may be reproduced without permission rights from the publisher. Contact us www.tribuslingua.com.au

Tips for Migration to Australia

So you are planning to migrate to Australia and think there is not much difference between Australia and the UK and you will get a job easily in Australia?

Take this test: Talk to an Australian about football. Once you have sorted out the name of the game, the pitch, the ball, the number of players in each team, the referee, the linesmen, the goal umpires, the rules, and why everyone hates Collingwood, you may get an inkling that things are not quite the same on the opposite of the globe.

Understanding how Australian business and Australians are different, before you hit the ground and discover you cannot see a kangaroo for miles, is critical to successful migration. The key to successful migration is to land a job quickly. This requires an understanding of the lingo and rules of the Australian game.

Job hunting methods used in other countries just don’t work in Australia.

In the Australian Jobs Pack for engineers and international students migrating to Australia the examples are from engineering, but the principles apply to all occupations. Doing your homework before you pack your bags can make or break your migration experience. The premise is simple – treat your migration as a project, your Project Australia. The Projects objective – Land a Job in Australia

You don’t have to be an engineer to be a project manager, but you do have to be disciplined enough to make a plan and follow it. Here is how to do it.

Step 1

Develop a schedule and a budget. The plan has to include absolutely everything; starting from where in Australia do you want to live and visas, through to costs for settling, Australian registration, job hunting costs. Is your occupation on the Australian occupations in demand lists for skilled migration? The budget is linked to the schedule. Blowing out your schedule will blow out your budget.

TIP – Work out who will impact on or be impacted by your migration. Make the most of all who will assist you, and work out how to handle the negative influences.

Step 2

Get your qualifications assessed by the appropriate Australian authority. Do this while you are still working. Being unemployed, or working in an unskilled job waiting for accreditation of qualifications, costs you money.

TIP – Be ready to start work the day you arrive in Australia.

Step 3

Develop a plan to get a job in Australia. If you land in Australia and pick up the local newspapers and browse the internet you will only be looking at about a third of the job vacancies. Your plan could be to be sponsored by a State, region or company.

TIP – Try and get a job before you take off. You can try UK companies and exporters who have offices in Australia. Or the opposite – get a job with a UK branch of an Australian company and transfer to Australia.

Step 4

Australianise your CV. Australian CVs are different from US and UK CVs. Australian employers want to see what you have done – not so much on qualifications, position or status of company. Create a base CV which includes all your skills to be a base to work from for job applications. This is your database of experience and skills.

TIP – Pay attention to the ‘soft’ skills. Because Australian business is structured differently than in the UK, you may not be able to find an identical job to the one you have. Having a strong understanding of all your skills will help you identify a wider range of job opportunities.

Preferably do all of the above before you get on a plane.

Step 4

Develop Networks. This is a big challenge. Australians are big networkers. You are a novice playing an away game. You need to use your internet searching skills to find people in your line of business. For engineers, this is pretty easy as starting from the Engineers Australia website you find many affiliated specialist engineering organisation and when they have functions.

TIP – Networking is a two way game. You have to share information with others.

Step 5

Research potential employers. This is your market research. Crawl all over their web sites looking at every single page. Also look through business and financial sites. Look at their competitors; know why they are different, or at least why they think they are.

TIP – Look at the Chairman’s half yearly report. This gives the most up to date information on the latest projects won and company developments.

Step 6

Target your job applications. Every employer and every position is different: every job application should be different. From your base CV ‘database’ you create a view of you to match what the potential employer is looking for.

TIP – Use the words and phrase in your application that a company uses in its communications. Get them thinking ‘This person talks the talk, I think they can walk the walk!’

Step 7

Know the answers before they are asked at the job interview. There are a number of Australian websites which provide a range of typical questions Australian employers ask.

TIP – Be able to talk in the finest detail about any of your work experience, and how relevant it is to the job you are applying for.

Project Australia is an essential tool for overseas qualified engineers looking for work in Australia. The multimedia Jobs Pack covers a range of data including the demographics of the Australian engineering industry and organisations; the labour market; an overview of visas; accreditation; planning; the hidden job market; creating CVs; addressing selection criteria and job interviews. A specific chapter has been devoted to international students. The principles contained in Project Australia are simple: apply project management skills to develop your future Australian career and follow a detailed plan. The book, DVD and CD take the reader incrementally through this planning process highlighting a comprehensive collection of resources and references.

The Australian Jobs Pack for Engineering Migrants and International Students, consisting of a book, DVD and CD, is available online and is supported by an on-line blog where questions are answered by the Author.

For further information:

Project Australia

P.S. The reason everyone hates Collingwood FC is because they have a black and white strip, like Newcastle United FC.

CDR Writing Style for Engineers Australia - An Example

A competency demonstration report (CDR) requires migrant engineers applying to Engineers Australia to write three career episode reports (CERs). Here is an example of writing style for a career episode report (CER). This example is taken from Engineers Australia website.

The purpose of the CDR is to demonstrate:
• how you have applied your engineering knowledge and skills;
• that such application meets the competency standards of the relevant occupational category in Australia.

Your CER is to be printed on A4 sheets, in English, in narrative form, using the first person singular and should describe the specific contributions you have made.

This example is taken from the Engineers Australia Handbook - Chartered Status A HANDBOOK FOR APPLICANTS. You can download an electronic copy of this handbook from the Engineers Australia website.

APPENDIX D

EXAMPLE OF CAREER EPISODE REPORT
(For additional example CERs please refer to http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/)
Professional Engineer

The elements claimed in the above example are for a chartered status application.  The competency elements for qualifications assessment for migration are given in the Migration Skills Assessment Handbook.

Members of Engineers Australia are able to access further examples of CERs from the Engineers Australia website : http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/

Be Professional - that’s part of being an Engineer in Australia

I meet many newly arrived migrant engineers in Australia. Many fail to make a good first impression. They put themselves at a disadvataage before they have even spoken by presenting poorly.

Every time you go to an event to meet other engineers you may meet a potential employer - Prepare properly.

An Australian employer wants an engineer who will make his company look good. Some one who will impress customers.Here are some things you should do every time you are going to a networking event or making a cold call or job interview:

Dress

As a professional engineer, you should look like a professional. A suit (and tie for men) is standard dress even in hot parts of the country. An exception is construction sites where you can be more practical. But look smart. Be clean, with tidy hair, and be clean shaven (unless you have a beard). You are selling yourself; look your best. If in doubt, dress up.

Behaviour and body language

You are on show the moment you walk through the door. If you are offhand or rude to the receptionist, others will see and will not be impressed. When you enter a room, smile and look everyone in the eye. If you are carrying a briefcase, have it in your left hand; you need to be ready to shake hands with people as you meet them. Shake hands firmly with both men and women.

Smalltalk

Generally employers will want to put you at ease. They will ask questions like “Did you find our office okay?” Answer with a sentence such as “Yes, thanks. The instructions given were good. It took longer than I had expected due to the traffic.” Everyone will feel awkward if just you say “Yes.” Be prepared to talk about the weather, a common subject to open conversations. The next most popular subject is any current major sporting event involving Australians.

Read the newspaper or watch the TV news so you can talk about poplar topics. It takes surprisingly little knowledge to hold a conversation by making broad statements and asking general questions. For example, Australians love cricket, but it is a complex and mysterious game to many people. However, if you know the Australian cricket team has just won or lost a match, you can always comment: “Did you see the cricketers win/lose yesterday? They seem to be playing well/not so well at present.”

Such smalltalk, or idle conversation, is an important sign that you will be able to talk with colleagues in the workplace. Practice smalltalk. It puts you at ease and creates a good first impression.

In Australia it is important to make a good first impression.

Understand Engineers Australia Code of Ethics when preparing CDRs

In preparing competency demonstration reports (CDR) when applying to Engineers Australia for qualification assessment, it will help if you are familiar with ENGINEERS AUSTRALIA - CODE OF ETHICS.  Australian employers will expect you be understand and follow the behaviours in the code of ethics, even if you are not a member of Engineers Australia. The code of ethics reflects the expectations of Australian employers and the Australian public.

Obtain full details from Engineers Australia website : http://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/

Here is an extract from their handbook.

The members of Engineers Australia are committed to the Cardinal Principles of the Code:

• to respect the inherent dignity of the individual
• to act on the basis of a well informed conscience
• to act in the interest of the community, and
• to uphold its Tenets.

The Tenets of the Engineers Australia Code of Ethics are:

When preparing your CDR and when applying for jobs on Australia, you need to be able to demonstrate you understand ethical standards. This is done through your actions. The important word assessors and employers want to hear is “I”.  Your CDR will includes many statement similar to “I did it like this.”

Engineers Migrate Australia Pack Video Clip

Attention Engineers! Everything you need to know about migrating to and working in Australia. Play sample Video clip …

This is a video sample from Project Australia - The Engineers Career Pack featuring Ian Little author of Project Australia.

Learn more about the Project Australia Engineers Careers Pack (Migrants and International Students)

Ian Little and Ailis Logan interviewed in The Australian Newspaper

“Other Side of Think Local” September 20th 

Demanding ‘local experience’ doesn’t guarantee the best person for the job, writes Karalyn Brown

‘BILL Gates wouldn’t get a job in Australia because he has no local experience,” says Ailis Logan, the founder of Tribus Lingua, a consultancy assisting skilled migrants find jobs. Logan is only half joking. She believes that Australian employers value local experience much more than their counterparts in Europe and the US.

For the many overseas professionals enticed here by the lure of a bountiful job market, the difficulty of finding a job without local experience is no joke.

What does “no local experience” really mean? Are we so parochial that we’d reject Bill Gates if he sent us his resume? Do we run our businesses in a uniquely Australian way? Many of us will go overseas to work, valuing the career and life experience we bring back — yet we appear to view the experience that others bring here with suspicion.

Ian Little, the author of Project Australia: Land that Engineering Job in Australia, suggests our geographic isolation has contributed to our conservatism. As the senior engineering manager at engineering giant Worely Parsons, he’s hired many overseas professionals. He believes that a lack of Australian experience is actually the biggest barrier any newcomer will face. Employers appear worried about the communication skills of skilled immigrants.

Poorly written resumes from overseas professionals may fuel employers’ doubts about immigrants’ communication skills. Little and Logan say they see many bad resumes from recent arrivals. This makes it harder for employers to assess overseas experience. Logan recommends that newcomers provide context around places they’ve worked, including the challenges and drivers of the businesses they’ve worked in. It can be difficult to read a resume in isolation of preconceived ideas about a nationality.

It would be naive to suggest that people never discriminate, but Little certainly doesn’t believe many Australians are inherently racist. When it comes to hiring he thinks Australian employers are just risk-averse. “People will still encounter difficulties when they want to switch industries,” he says. “Employers don’t realise how tough times are, and they need to get flexible.”

But even if everyone spoke English, misunderstandings about meanings can be common. Logan suggests our easy-going expressions can easily confuse newcomers. “Australians appear casual, but are not casual at all,” she says. “‘Come in for a chat’ can mean a formal interview, so you need to be prepared.”

But perhaps there’s more going on than verbal confusion. Body language plays its part in defining meaning and each culture uses this differently. Aparna Hebbani, an academic and researcher into intercultural communication in interviews at the University of Queensland says “non-verbals” such as a handshake and eye contact contribute to an estimated 66 per cent of meaning in social interaction.

She’s seen many cross-cultural misunderstandings in an interview. “If an Indian interviewee, for example, does not make ‘appropriate’ levels of eye contact with an Australian interviewer, they can interpret that as a lack confidence or not being truthful,” she says. “But the interviewee might not look into the interviewer’s eye out of respect.”

The way different cultures see interviews may be detrimental to their chances of success. Little claims some have a “servant attitude” when it comes to marketing their skills. “An employment contract is a two-way thing. I’ve not seen many overseas professionals who understand that,” he says. “They don’t understand that they have something to offer.”

Confused communication aside, what are other risks in recruiting a newcomer? Logan and Little say that new arrivals need to understand Australian law, regulations and codes plus the general rules of Australian business practice. But Little suggests in engineering that employers’ perception that newcomers can’t adapt is greater than reality. “Engineering is an applied science — the laws of science do not change,” he says.

In some professions the local learning curve is steeper and longer. Accounting is one example. David Smith, a former partner of accounting firm PKF and ex-president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, runs Smithink, a management consultancy advising accountants. He sees the employers’ concern over communication skills of immigrants and their ability to understand the highly complex Australian tax system and superannuation laws as major barriers for accountants new to Australia.

Logan says overseas professionals need to understand that the structure of the Australian economy is “old-fashioned”, with up to 70 per cent of businesses classified small-medium.

The accounting industry reflects this statistic. Smith suggests a typical small-business accounting firm will find it hard to embrace new arrivals who cannot hit the ground running. Small firms struggle to verify skills, have limited resources for training and perhaps less patience for the newcomer under pressure.

There are other barriers that make it difficult for newcomers to find jobs. Smith and Little suggest that employers need to assess attitude when it comes to hiring overseas professionals, as this makes a big difference in how quickly people will adapt.

Little says employers’ rigid recruitment practices can prevent this. “Many employers are stuck in a 1980s way of thinking,” says Little. “In that decade there were lots of people to choose from and some fairly militant unionism. Employers found that if they didn’t select the right person [the union] would be likely to challenge. They needed a bullet-proof system.” Little believes employers should build teams — instead of filling holes when they hire — matching weaknesses in skill sets with complementary strengths.

HR professionals would argue that recruitment processes have evolved. The larger firms often spend many thousands of dollars identifying what makes the company tick before writing it into recruitment practice, hoping to recruit candidates with the right attitude. Yet the “right attitude” is nuanced, notoriously difficult to codify and assess from an appraisal of a resume and the more traditional interview.

Also keeping candidates at a distance are recruitment consultants and online resume screening software. Many employers’ online careers pages do not have a contact name or number. It can be difficult for applicants to talk directly to someone with close knowledge of the core business who can give them a realistic appraisal of their fit.

Little sees many benefits for organisations willing to open their doors a little wider. While he has observed overseas engineers having a slower path to productivity than their Australian equivalents, he notes the longer term rewards of hiring them as a bonus. “They are less likely to move on than an Australian hire and they have a great work ethic and less baggage from their background,” he says. “They bring new skills not available in Australia, and support our international operations with their knowledge and language skills.”

Source The Australian Newspaper

The Australian News Link to Article

Polite migrant engineers offend Australian employers

Raj, an Indian mechanical engineer I met in Brisbane last Monday said to me. - "I called him Sir, I did not look him in the eye out of respect, and he nearly broke my hand when he shook hands with me. Why?"

Well Raj, Let’s look at some of the differences between Australian and Indian cultures. These three actions are some of the most important as they are critical to making a good first impression. Australians pride themselves in having an egalitarian society: we like to think we treat people as equals. Maybe this is not all that much reality, but there is one important behaviour that migrants need to understand to help make a strong first impression. In the Australian workplace there is social  equality in non work matters.

Here are three important behaviours you must practice to make that all important good first impression when being introduced to someone in Australia:

1. Look people in the eye: meet their gaze. The employer interprets this as having confidence. You are equal. Australians interpret looking down or away as something dishonest or shy.
2. In the handshake, grip the hand firmly: being limp wristed is seen as lacking confidence, or different.
3. Use a persons first (given) name. This is a sign of friendship. It also helps you remember a persons name by saying it when you are introduced.

The basic cultural difference in these actions is that Australians show respect for each other by treating each other as equals, whereas Indians (and many other cultures) show respect by deferring to the employer.

Show Australian employers you understand the Australian workplace culture:

• look people in the eye

• shake hands firmly

• use given names

Australian employers look for confident engineers. Migrant engineers must adopt the practices of the Australian society to succeed .

Engineering Qualifications Assessment for Australia - English Competency

When applying to Engineers Australia for engineering qualification assessment or for an Australian skilled migrant visa you must show you meet the English requirements. In Australia, all engineering business is dome in English.

If you need to do an IELTS test, you must do this before you lodge your assessment application

You can demonstrate English proficiency by:

(a)      Showing you hold an eligible passport from one of the following countries (you will not be required to sit the IELTS test):

• United Kingdom (UK)
• Canada
• New Zealand
• United States of America (USA)
• Republic of Ireland

(b)    Including an IELTS Test Report Form (TRF) Number with your application to show you have a band score of at least six (6) on each of the four (4) components - speaking, reading, listening and writing.

Your test results must be from a test you sat no more than two (2) years before the day of making your application.

The IELTS is a test designed to assess an applicant’s English language ability. It has an academic test and a general training test. For engineering work take the general training test.
IELTS examinations are available worldwide and further information is available on their website.
See: International English Language Testing System

The important points are:

You must do the test before before you make an assessment application.

You must score at least 6.0 in each component of the IELTS general test

And most importantly:

If your IELTS English score is below this, you may find an alternative path to a visa, but it will be practically impossible for you to get an engineering job in Australia.

Do not try and work the system - improve your English to succeed as an engineer migrating to Australia.

Ian Little

Ian Little, is a senior engineering manager with WorleyParsons, an Australian owned multi-national engineering company. In this role he has worked in Australia, China and Saudi Arabia managing engineers from a wide range of countries of origin .

Ian was born in Australia, a descendant from Irish ancestors who migrated to Australia in 1850. He is an electrical engineering graduate from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and is a Fellow of Engineers Australia.

Ian developed an admiration for the contribution migrants have made to engineering in Australia through living in the Latrobe Valley Region of Victoria while working with the State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SECV). He was so intrigued by the challenge of learning a foreign language as an adult, and developing the language skill to a level suitable for holding down a job, he learnt German and travelled to work in Germany and Switzerland 1975.

Following the privatisation of the SECV, Ian moved on into the private sector and has worked in senior engineering management positions for major engineering companies in Melbourne. He has empathy for the challenges facing migrants, and has mentored migrant engineers settling in Australia.

Australian Engineering Job Interview - a FAQ

In an engineering job interview in Australia, there are some questions that are always asked. Fariba from Iran has asked me "How do I answer this question?"

Why do you want to work for our company ?

Well Fariba, I will not answer this for you! A skill an engineer in the Australian workplace needs is the ability to work things out for yourself.

Here is a 7 step method to help you to figure out the best answer for you.

What you have done is analysed how well you will fit with the company. The best result is when the company can offer you what you want, and you can give the company what they want.

Here is a simple example to a start you off.

OK - Now it’s your turn. Find an Australian engineering company on the internet, find out all you can about them. List their features relevant to you. Compare these against your abilities and ambitions.

In practically everything we do, success is the result of hard work. being successful in an engineering job interview in Australia is no exception.

For more information on how to answer the questions Australian employers ask engineers

Click here:

Project Australia: The Engineers Australian Migrant Pack

Engineers Australia Migrant Skills Assessment booklet updated

A new Engineers Australia Migration Skills Assessment booklet has been developed and there are a new series of application forms. These replace the previous documents and are now available from Engineers Australia

Engineers Australia announced these changes to migration skills assessment documents in their Victoria e-newsletter ENGAGE.

The Migration Skills Assessment booklet has been updated regarding:

• new signatories to the Washington and Sydney Accords;
• the addition of the occupational category of Engineering Manager ASCO 1221-11;
• a new set of Summary Statements which you can complete and download to include in your Competency Demonstration Report (CDR) application;
• a Declaration Statement which you can download and sign and include with your CDR application.

These changes will assist you in developing and presenting your application. In addition there is a complete new series of Application Forms. There are also new forms for:

• Application for a Formal Appeal;
• Appointment of person to receive assessment information;
• Payment of Standard Administration Fee.

All  new applications to Engineers Australia must be in accordance with the requirements of the Migration Skills Assessment booklet and use the new application forms.

Engineers Australia Overseas Qualified Engineers Special Interest Group

Engineers Australia Overseas Qualified Engineers Special Interest Group

Engineers Australia, Victorian Division have formed a special interest group for Overseas Qualified Engineers.

The Overseas Qualified Engineers Special Interest Group was formed to facilitate migrant engineers finding suitable employment in their profession in Australia.

The desired outcome of the group is to create a forum through which migrant engineers can enhance their professional skills, develop professional networks and obtain practical advice concerning employment.

The Overseas qualified Engineers Special Interest Group will be launched on at an event on Monday, August 25, 2008 from 6.00pm-8.00pm. The forum is titled:

Succeeding in the Engineering Job Market in Australia - What you need to know?

This event is open to the general public. It will provide attendees with the opportunity to listen to a group of speakers who have overcome the struggles of finding employment in Australia. This is your opportunity to hear first hand experiences, practical advice and understanding what to do and what not to do in finding employment in the industry.

Presentation – “Getting that job in Engineering… What you need to do” by Enrique Gutierrez, Overseas Qualified Engineers Group Chairman. This presentation will focus on what you need to do to make yourself more employable in Australia. A range of topics will be discussed, including preparing your employment strategy, effective cover letters and CV’s and the importance of networking.

Panel Discussion - “Finding a job in Australia… Our Journey” - Chaired by Ian Little, author of Project Australia – Land that Engineering Job in Australia, panellists will discuss the challenges they faced in finding employment in Australia, and the strategies they used to overcome these challenges.

Venue & Address:

Engineering Australia
Conference Rooms A&B
21 Bedford Street, North Melbourne

To register for this event please email overseasengineers@engineersaustralia.org.au by Thursday 21st August.

For more details:

http://www.vicengweek.org.au/

ABC Radio Australia Interview with Ian Little, author of Project Australia

Audio Interview with Ian Little talking about Project Australia: Land That Engineering Job in Australia on ABC Radio Australia Breakfast Club July 18th 2008 with Phil Kafcaloudes and Adelaine Ng.

Listen to the interview by clicking play on the link below

Learn more about Project Australia

Project Australia