Australian Job Search
Australian Job Search for New or would be Migrants to Australia
Congratulations for choosing Australia as the country you want to live and work in. You are in good company. When professional people are polled internationally to find the most desirable destinations to migrate to, Australia almost always ranks in the top five. The attractions are many-sun, space, surfing, lifestyle-along with Australia’s growing economy, which has been one of the strongest in the world over the last 10 years.
Australia‘s competitive labour market
Many of Australia’s industries have experienced sustained expansion of employment in recent years due to factors such as a high GDP growth and low inflation and public debt. This increase has been met by a rise in skilled graduates and by extending the retirement age of the existing labour force. The need to maintain or expand skill levels means the labour market is highly competitive.
Australians work harder than they tend to be given credit for, probably because of the relaxed nature of their society. The proportion of full-time employees working more than 50 hours a week increased from 20% to 30% between 1982 and 2002. Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)1 figures also indicate that the average number of hours of Australian workers has been stable since 1994, but this hides a substantial increase in part-time and casual work, especially among women.
More than one in four (27.9%) Australian workers is employed on a casual basis-the second-highest proportion in the developed world, behind Spain. The growth has been caused by a number of factors including changes in legislation enabling labour market deregulation; increased work efficiency and de-skilling of traditional jobs; and new technology leading to the restructuring of occupations within industries. In some sectors, there is also a move towards working casual or part-time, as well as increased self-employment, in the interests of an improved lifestyle.
Australia’s conservative coalition government has won four federal elections in a row, led by the Prime Minister, John Howard. It is continuing to pursue major industrial relations changes in the interests of making the labour market less regulated and more flexible for employers. The trade unions and many community and welfare groups are opposing key aspects of the changes, believing they will disadvantage the average worker financially, affect their work conditions and reduce job security.
Another policy of the Howard governments has been to continue the path of privatisation taken by the main political opposition, the Labor Party, in the 1980s. Airlines and airports, banks, financial institutions, rail infrastructure and telecommunications services are among the assets that have been sold to private enterprise.
Australia’s employment landscape is in the midst of major change.
Migrants for growth
Australia’s population topped 20 million for the first time in 2004. The country has a population growth rate of 1.2%, about the same as the world as a whole. Based on various assumptions about future fertility, life expectancy and net migration, the ABS has projected a population of between 23 million and 31 million by 2052 (probably about 26 million). Australia has an aging population-that is, the proportion of older people is getting bigger-and it is widely recognised that immigration into Australia will play a big part in the nation’s future.
In 2003-04, Australia accepted 114,360 new migrants, an increase of almost 6% on the previous 12 months. Nearly 76% were skilled (including family of recently settled migrants). Immigration Department figures show that significant numbers of people came from more than 60 countries.
In 2003-04, the major sources of skilled migrants to Australia were:
United Kingdom 21%
India 13%
China 12%
South Africa 8%
Malaysia 5%
Singapore 4%
Indonesia 4%
Philippines 3%
Other 30%
About 17% of Australians speak a language other than English at home.
Australia – Workers wanted
Nearly a million new jobs were created in Australia in the five years to February 2005, and almost two-thirds of them were in four sectors: retail trade (187% growth); health and community services (157%); construction (149%); and property and business services (141%). Other sectors to experience significant growth were: government administration and defence; accommodation, cafes and restaurants; education; and transport and storage.
The pattern is expected to be similar over the next five years. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC – www.immi.gov.au ) longitudinal survey of immigrants showed that, after 18 months 50% of skilled migrants were in a job that used their highest qualifications, and 40% of skilled migrants were still in unskilled or semi-skilled employment.
The study also showed that 36% of skilled migrants rarely or never used their highest qualification. This is compared to a Centre of Full Employment and Equity study which showed that 9.8% of the general Australian workforce is being underutilised.
As these statistics show, in most categories ‘skill stream’ migrants to Australia are likely to be participating in the labour force within six months of arriving. However, breaking into your professional field, such as accountancy or pharmacy, is sometimes harder and takes longer than expected. The challenge is further intensified for migrants from non-English-speaking backgrounds (NESB) and even more so for migrants from developing countries.
Nearly a million new jobs were created in Australia in the five years to February 2005…
Many migrants initially work in casual or lower-level entry positions until they can kick-start their careers again. There are many reasons for this, not least the structural ‘catch 22′ situation of employers wanting local experience but being unwilling to hire migrants so they can get it. Also, bridging courses can cost money and take time and being considered over-qualified can be a problem. All of these can sometimes lead to a loss of currency of skills. On an individual level it also takes time to find local referees, develop local reference points to impress interviewers, and learn how best to adapt to preferred Australian résumé and interview styles.
Help at hand for your Australian Job Search
The good news is that, whether you are a new arrival or are yet to move to Australia, this book will provide you with the means to meet all of these challenges. It identifies the key factors for success in job-hunting and tells you how to turn them to your advantage. Problems, confusion and anxiety are commonly associated with getting established in a new country, but landing that all-important first job can greatly relieve all of these things. We outline many ways to smooth your transition as clearly as we can for your Australian Job Search.
The advice ranges from the job market information you need and where to find it, to getting over the ‘local experience’ and ‘local referee’ humps, to effective networking and volunteering. Deciding to move overseas takes courage and commitment. It is important to have the right attitude and approach in broad terms as well as the specifics of working out what employers want and the techniques and tricks for convincing them that they want you. You need to view your journey as one of self-empowerment-and getting familiar with the relevant information and a lot of good advice is the place to start your Australian Job Search.
During our research, we interviewed many skilled migrants from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. While each story was unique, common themes emerged, and two in particular-networking and volunteering are key in your Australian Job Search! It is difficult to overstate the importance of each for finding work and establishing a social support base, which is why the whole of Chapter 9 is about it.
As you may know, Australia is made up of five very large mainland states (Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia), the southern, island state of Tasmania, and two territories (Australian Capital Territory, Northern Territory). The legal powers and laws vary in each state and territory, which means conditions of employment can vary from one part of Australia to another, as can other things, such as employer groups and professional associations.
You need to view your journey as one of self-empowerment…Much of the book applies wherever you are in Australia-such as the step by-step guides to preparing résumés and cover letters, the selection criteria, and the daunting prospect of dealing with interviews in an Australian context. All of this is far less daunting when you have the means to compete on a more equal footing. This book will improve your job readiness and probably save you a lot of wasted time and effort. You can bet that most of the locals don’t know half of what we tell you here. As we go along, we have taken into account many nuances of the culture and language you need to know about. For a start, when you have put your everything into finding and applying for the job of your dreams, and word finally comes through that it’s yours, the appropriate exclamation is ‘You bewdy!’
Welcome to Australia – Let your Australian Job Search begin.
Excerpted from Land That Job in Australia: Successful job-hunting for Migrants
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