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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
Australia Employers Requirements
What Australian Employers are
looking for When Hiring
Australian Employers’ big 8 According to recent research, the top eight qualities employers in
• Communication skills
• Team skills
• Attention to detail
• Energy
• Initiative
• Ability to handle pressure
• Enthusiasm
• Ability to handle pressure
• Enthusiasm
• Leadership
Nearly all employers look for communication skills in prospective employees. Even if a job advertisement doesn’t specifically mention them, you can assume you will need them to the standard the job requires. The level of communication depends on job type. For example, a sales job would require an easy manner with customers and strangers. Some sales jobs require the ability to make presentations to groups of clients, and some sales jobs are more persuasive than others. In technical environments or doing manual work, being polite might be enough, along with the ability to express yourself clearly and understand instructions. In any role where you are required to manage others, having an awareness of the language you use when responding to other peoples’ suggestions would be important.
Smart move — Demonstrate great communication skills before you have even been interviewed by producing a clear, knockout Australian CV or résumé
Team skills
Working in project teams or groups has become the way of the professional world in recent decades with
In a job interview, you can demonstrate that you have team skills in several ways. For example, refer to times when you have worked in a successful team. ‘I was a member of the team that developed a new ordering process that resulted in savings of $500,000 for my previous company, and my team completed the job two months before deadline.’ If you could cite a genuine example like that, it would no doubt impress.
In a job interview, you can demonstrate that you have team skills in several ways. If you haven’t in fact worked in teams much before, you might refer to any team sports you have played in with some degree of success. It indicates that you are nonetheless a team player. More experienced employees should not need to refer to their sporting background and should concentrate on their workforce participation.
Attention to detail
Assume that attention to detail—mentioned in many, many job advertisements—is a must in every job. In other words, the ability to be slack and overlook things is not in very high demand at all. The job applicant who boasts attention to detail while presenting a résumé full of spelling mistakes and mistypings is almost an urban myth—but in reality, all too common. It is common sense that people who make false claims about their attention to detail are easily found out.
Here’s a checklist of how to get your perceived attention to detail off to a good start:
• Make sure your résumé is 100 per cent error-free and the layout is clear and easy to read.
• Thoroughly research the job you are applying for.
• Look over all fine print in a contract and ask questions about every point that needs clarification.
• Look smart! Make sure your clothes are clean and pressed, your hair is tidy and your general appearance is impeccable.
• Arrive five minutes early for an interview.
That some people are better organised than others is a fact of life. If you’re one of the others, one of those who find it difficult to be organised, then you are going to have to work hard to improve your organisational abilities. Training can help. A time management course, for example, can guide you through a series of steps towards more efficient management of your time and activities. Becoming well organised is not that difficult and a few tips can make a big difference.
Time management tips
1. Make lists of tasks and label them ‘urgent’, ‘important’ or ‘can wait’.
2. Put your work things away. Set aside a few minutes each day to put things back into files and books back on their shelves, so you can find them the next time you look.
3. Set aside time every three months or so to go through files, throwing out out-of-date material.
4. Take no prisoners with the mail. Keep and file only what is directly and immediately relevant. Fight the tendency to hang on to stuff because it might be interesting one day—that day rarely comes (and you will have forgotten where you put it anyway).
5. Do not leave home without your diary or PDA, and record any commitments in it immediately.
6. If you are struggling for motivation, set goals for tasks to be done in the next hour, and then the next hour and so on.
7. Out of sight is out of your mind. Stuffing something in a drawer is not the same as filing it. You have put it where you really have no chance of retrieving it.
Energy
Energy means you have strong enthusiasm and are prepared to work very hard. Employers look for people who will rise to a challenge. For example, an unexpected order comes in late one afternoon. You take the initiative to work back for a couple of hours to get the order finished, regardless of what plans you have already made. That’s energy.
Initiative
Initiative means you don’t hang around waiting to be told how to complete each segment of your work. You understand the needs of the organisation you work for and can make sensible decisions about how to handle different situations. Note that there is a fine balance between showing initiative and showing too much initiative—making decisions that are not appropriate for you to make.
Be aware of this in a job interview. Give examples from times of study or previous work of how you have initiated ideas and carried them through. Typical examples of initiative might be running a school magazine or improving a work process.
Ability to handle pressure
Handling pressure means not going to pieces when a situation becomes difficult to manage. You don’t take the rest of the day off sick, shout at people or lose your temper, even if you feel like doing some of those things. You know your job requirements include the skills to handle pressure. So instead of giving up or lashing out, you quietly and calmly work through your tasks and get them done as best you can. An organisation’s deadlines can cause pressure to build, or you may feel pressured because you are carrying the responsibility of making important decisions that affect other people. Handling pressure also means that you are able to deal with large volumes of work over a short period of time.
Enthusiasm
Enthusiasm is similar to energy. You feel motivated and interested in the job. You are interested in doing it well. You are excited about the organisation and want to do the best job you can. Enthusiastic employees are willing to engage in areas outside their usual line of work. They volunteer to take on new tasks or find other ways that show commitment to what their supervisor or company is trying to achieve. Enthusiasm is easily demonstrated in a job interview. Be bright and attentive, and show your interest in what the company is doing. Point out situations in the past where you have been involved in tasks outside your usual job. Note that there is a fine balance between showing initiative andshowing too much initiative…
Leadership
Leadership is commonly mentioned in job advertisements, but employershave many different opinions on what makes a great leader. Some people believe leaders need to be charismatic, but, generally speaking, when an ad says ‘good leadership skills’ it doesn’t mean you have to be a Winston Churchill or Mahatma Gandhi.
Leadership means you are able to manage and motivate other people effectively and that you have experience in delegating tasks so they get done successfully. A good leader can quickly respond to change and help others adapt to change also.
In an interview, you can demonstrate your ability in leadership by pointing out examples from past employment where you were given a project to complete. Briefly explain how you divided up the tasks among your work unit and how the team worked to a favourable conclusion. Examples of initiative—
how you introduced a new approach, devised a new product, or led your company through a major change or process—also reflect on leadership.
Self-management Although not usually mentioned specifically in a job ad, more and more employers are recognising the value of employees with good self-management qualities. Self-management means being able to take responsibility for managing and controlling your own behaviour, along with being able to expand on your abilities and think effectively in the interests of initiating and implementing positive change.
A number of mental and emotional factors contribute to self-management, such as our beliefs, values, associations, memories, expectations and assumptions. Often we are not even conscious of these running our lives. Self-awareness involves being consciously aware of our own behaviour, thinking and feelings, and of the consequences these have for us directly and for others around us, and modifying them as is appropriate. In an interview you can demonstrate self-management in various ways. As with demonstrating leadership and attitude, completion of goals and staying positive also demonstrates good self-management skills. As does outlining stress-reduction techniques you have used (useful when answering questions about how you deal with stress) and being able to respond to questions rather than react (shows good impulse control). Being empathetic to another person’s perspective demonstrates that you have some of the skills necessary to handle conflict well.
Adopting the right mindset and taking responsibility for your job-hunting journey by developing good self-management skills will provide you with the building blocks for success.
Excerpted from about Land That Job in Australia: Successful job-hunting for Migrants
by Jim Bright and Karen Bright
Learn more…
©Tribus Lingua 2007 This excerpt may not be copied without the permission of the publishers. Please contact us for permission rights Tribus Lingua
Applying for Jobs with Australian Employers
A General Overview of How to Apply for Australian Jobs
So you’ve done the research, worked out what you want to do and found an Australian job advertised that you think you would be great for. Read more about:
Telephoning an Australian employer about a vacant position
Sometimes you’ll need to call a potential employer to arrange an interview, ask more questions or request an application form. The following dot points are a great checklist to follow when you need to get in touch with an employer:
Make sure you call as soon as possible after the position is advertised
Know the name of the person you need to speak with, or have a brief introduction prepared for the person answering the phone so they can direct your call
For example, ‘Good Morning, my name is John Smith. I’m calling about the customer service position advertised today on JobSearch. Could I please speak with the person handling applications for that position?’
Plan what you’re going to say to the person responsible
You might need to say who you are and that you are calling to find out what you need to do to apply for an advertised position.
Make sure any questions you ask are worthwhile
Don’t ask any questions that can be answered by reading the Australian job ad. This may lead the employer to think you lack attention to detail.
Highlight what you think will make you appealing to this Australian employer
Think about answers to any questions the employer might ask
You might be asked about your skills, qualifications and experience.
Practice what you are going to say
Do this so you sound natural, friendly and confident. Use everyday, conversational language without being too informal.
Make sure you won’t be interrupted when you call and are somewhere quiet
Have a pen and paper ready to take notes
Make sure you write down the details of any interview you arrange including the date, location, time and name of the person you need to ask for.
Be professional at all times
Speak clearly so they can hear you. How you conduct yourself over the phone could be part of the employer’s overall selection process.
Know your availability if they want you to come in for an interview
Keeping a diary is a good idea. Try your best to be available when the employer wants you to come in.
Make sure you thank the person for their time and confirm any arrangements
For example, that you will see them tomorrow at 10am for an interview.
Remain professional
If you call and the position has already been filled or they don’t ask you to attend an interview, remain professional. You can always ask the employer if you can send them your résumé if any similar positions come up in the future.
For most Australian jobs, you’ll need to apply in writing. This normally means preparing two items: a letter of application (cover letter) and your résumé.
If you are applying for an Australian job with the government or within a professional firm, then you may also need to answer a series of questions about your skills, known as ‘Selection Criteria’.
Written applications generally form a key part of an employer’s selection process. They use them to select who they should interview by assessing your skills, qualities, experience and qualifications. Some will also use them to identify your written communication skills if these are important to the job.
Before beginning
Ensure you have researched the employer and the position you are applying for.
Identify which of your skills, attributes, knowledge, experience and qualifications are going to appeal to the employer the most. You will need to focus on them in your application.
In some ways the cover letter is even more important than your résumé. Most Australian employers are very busy and will use the cover letter to quickly decide if you are suitable, before they decide to read on.
Customise every cover letter
You should customise every cover letter you write so it is relevant to the employer and position.
Focus on what the Australian employer wants to know
Don’t focus on what you want from them. Through your cover letter you need to try and convince them that you can do the job, that you’ll do a great job and that you’ll fit in and be an asset to their organisation.
Make sure you include your contact details
Also include the date and the details of the person you are writing to.
Keep your letter to no more than one page
You don’t want to overwhelm the employer with too much information. Your cover letter will help the employer to decide if they want to read your résumé in detail.
In the opening paragraph, explain the purpose of your letter
Mention the position you are applying for and where you heard about it or where it was advertised. Also try and make a point that will encourage them to keep reading. Think about which of your selling points will be most appealing to the employer.
In the next couple of paragraphs, show you can do the job and do it really well
Before starting your letter, clearly identify what skills and experience the employer is looking for (hint: look at the Australian job description, if you have one, and then highlight the qualities that make you the perfect match for the position).
Next highlight how keen you are to work for the organisation and why. This shows you have taken the time to find out about them. Also try and give some information about what type of person you are. Keep in mind what you know about the employer and mention the personal qualities you have that you think they are looking for. It is very important to employers that you fit in with their culture and get along with other staff.
Before finishing, thank them for taking the time to review your application
Also mention any attachments including your résumé and any work examples.
Résumés are generally no more than one to two pages and must include your education, work history, and any other training and skills.
You don’t need to have had previous employment to have a résumé. Focus instead on the skills and experience you have gained through school, study, work experience and hobbies.
- Keep your résumé simple.
- Use techniques to make it easy for Australian employers to scan and get the key points very quickly.
- Use headings, bold important words and use dot points.
- Have a master résumé and always keep it up to date. Then customise it to suit individual employers and positions.
- Put your résumé together using the Résumé builder. You’ll also find a number of example résumés in this section and learn what information you should include.
| Yes - Important | No - Don’t include |
| Personal contact details: name, address, phone numbers (email address, mobile number if available) | The actual works: name, address, phone number etc |
| Career objective matches position applied for | Personal details like your marital status, health, race or nationality |
| Work skills: highlight and demonstrate teh things you can do | Personal characteristics and traits (things you are) |
| Education and Training | Subjects and grades unless relevant or requested by the employer |
| Employment history listed appropriately (view the sample résumé | Detailed list of duties, irrelevant information |
| Accomplishments and career highlights | Generic hobbies and interests (unless they specifically relate to the job or highlight employability skills, for example, leadership roles) |
| Referees - include their name, position and contact details | Written references |
| 1-2 pages (3 max), plenty of white space | Cover page and attachments, for example a copy of your Year 12 Certificate or university degree |
| Tables and columns if used are consistent throughout | Borders around tables |
| Clear font (Arial or Tahoma 14/12) | Over-stylised fonts |
| Clear headings | Headings with nothing to go with them |
| Full name and page numbers on each page | Page borders and graphics (unless these suit position applied for) |
| White or cream paper | Coloured paper |
If you are applying for a government-related Australian job or one within a professional field, then you will probably have to respond to some ‘Selection Criteria’. It’s very important that you do this the right way.
The key to addressing each selection criterion is to demonstrate your capability by providing evidence of how you meet the criterion, using specific examples drawn from your experience.
You need to convince the selection team that you have the capabilities to do the job - capabilities which are reflected in the selection criteria.
One model for doing this is the STAR model, which is:
Situation - provide a very brief outline of the situation or setting
Task - outline what you did
Action - outline how you did it
Result - describe the outcomes
An example
If one criterion is “Well developed written communication skills”, you can use the STAR model to gather evidence of how you meet this criterion, as illustrated below in note form:
Situation
My role as research support officer in XYZ Company.
Task
Ensure that principal researchers were kept informed of global developments.
Action
Initiated monthly newsletter, emailed to each principal researcher. Took responsibility for writing lead articles. Obtained ideas and input from stakeholders to ensure articles reflected researchers’ needs (content, language, style, presentation).
Result
Feedback consistently excellent. Got achievement award for newsletter. Led to improved lines of communication between principal researchers & research support unit.
You can then translate these notes into full sentence and paragraph form, for inclusion in your written application. As a guide, give two recent examples which support your claim against each criterion. Your response to each criterion should be concise. If in doubt, always seek guidance from the Contact Officer for the vacancy.
More information about addressing selection criteria
Before submitting your application, make sure you check that:
- You have addressed all aspects of each criterion
- You have used positive and specific language (i.e. avoid ambiguous expressions such as ‘I was involved in . . . ‘)
- You have used strong action (i.e. doing) words
- Your spelling and grammar are correct.
Before sending your application check it over to ensure there are no mistakes
Ask someone else to look over it for you, preferably someone who is a good writer. Two sets of eyes are better than one, and they can advise you on things to improve. Read it out aloud once you’ve made your final draft.
Ensure you have read the Australian job advertisement and any other information thoroughly
For example, some employers may ask you to send several copies of your application. Others might want you to address specific selection criteria. If you miss things like this, the employer might think you lack attention to detail.
Don’t send too much
Australian employers are very busy and will not want to be bombarded with information they haven’t asked for.
Send copies only of your documents
If the employer has requested copies of certificates and other formal documents, send copies only. You can show them the originals if required at your interview. If your copies have to be certified copies, you’ll need to complete a statutory declaration form from the post office or find someone who is a Justice of the Peace (if you don’t know one already you might be able to find one in a Centrelink office).
Ensure your application is professionally presented
Australian Employers like to present a professional image and are looking at your application to ensure that you share their values. For example:
Type your application, unless they specify for you to hand write it
- Use clean, white A4 paper
- Don’t make manual corrections, such as crossing something out or using correction fluid. Re-type it, then re-print it
- Make sure it is easy to read - the print is clear, there are spaces between paragraphs, a suitable font size and appropriate margins are used
- If the application doesn’t fit easily into a standard envelope, use an A4 one
- Use a standard font, such as Arial 12
- Don’t be tempted to give it a little something extra. Avoid using cover pages, pictures and multiple colours unless you are asked to
- Staple your application, rather than bind it.
- If posting your application make sure you send it in plenty of time
Otherwise try and drop it off in person to the Australian employer
You can find this information by clicking the following link:
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