Brazil to Australia Migrant Success Story
Isabel Schuck – Shares her Australian Job story
In 1998 Isabel Schuck moved to Australia from Brazil with a Bachelor of International Trade from the Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos. She went on to do a Master of Business Administration (MBA) at Queensland University and was ready to enter the
Australian job market after one year in the program. However, finding a Australian job was not as easy as expected, even with an MBA in hand.
“I tried working through recruitment companies but was surprised by the lack of interest. I was treated as though my experience was on a junior level, as my
international experience was not recognised.” Isabel, then 29, decided to target the top 10 companies she wanted to work for. “I approached the divisional director or human resources manager directly in each company by cold-calling the company.”
Again, no success.
She speaks German, Portuguese and English. She had an Australian MBA, she had over 10 years of international experience, including as an employee of a global corporation. So what was the problem?
The biggest barrier was getting through to the interview. “Many times, I could not get past the receptionist to talk to the HR manager or divisional director, and when I did manage to confirm that they had received my CV, there was no reaction.”
Isabel eventually figured out a way past this hurdle, based on two main points: networking and adapting her résumé to the Australian job market.
“I managed to get three interviews, all through network connections,” she says. “I anticipated being head-hunted from the MBA course, but this did not materialise. There were no connections to industry from the course.
“It took me six months to get my first job in Brisbane, as a management consultant with one of the top four accounting firms. I got it as a result of an MBA course colleague recommending me for an interview. Connections are critical.”
Having got to an interview, Isabel put every thought and effort into making it a success. “When having an in-depth interview, I’ve found that employers tend to go to a familiar reference point, something that they can connect with,” she advises. “They will pick out the most familiar thing-their reference point-and ask you questions about it. It’s important to review your CV and history, and identify possible reference points.
“For example, the fact that I worked for a global company that was instantly recognisable held a lot of weight. The fact that I studied in Australia was also a familiar point.”
“Essentially, be who you are. Authenticity and showing your flexibility to adapt is what leaves an impression.”
She sometimes found it useful to know someone locally to ‘name-drop’ in an interview to create a reference point. “Even if you have only had an informal chat with the person, it can be useful. It is extremely important to have local referees also, so find someone locally to support or advocate for you-or even better, act as a mentor.” Some of Isabel’s other observations of the Australian job scene:
• “With résumés, length seems to be associated with quality. Australians love long résumés! My perception was that a one-page, summarised, American-style résumé did not work with prospective employers at interview. The reaction to a longer résumé was far more positive.”
• “Essentially, be who you are. Authenticity and showing your flexibility to adapt is what leaves an impression.”
Australian Job success stories are written by Steve Packer and published by Tribus Lingua
©Tribus Lingua 2007
