At the interview
Physical appearance
First impressions count.
Your attire for the job interview should be professional, tidy and leaning towards conservative.
Avoid fashion extremes including hairstyles and colour. Clean your shoes. Don’t go overboard with aftershave, perfume or makeup.
Behaviour
Smile. Shake hands firmly. Be enthusiastic.
Be polite to everyone you meet in the organisation – it is also a good way to evaluate the culture of the organisation.
Don’t smoke or accept refreshments even if offered. There is nothing worse than trying to answer a question with your mouth full.
Be courteous
Thank the interviewer for their time.
Restate your interest in the position and ask about the next step.
Other helpful hints
(1) Don’t lie or exaggerate your abilities – answer the questions truthfully. If you are successful at the interview, the employer will call your referees and verify what you have told them.
(2) Avoid the appearance of being aggressive, conceited or a know-it-all. Humility can go a long way.
(3) Switch off your mobile phone during the interview.
(4) Conduct yourself as if you are determined to get the position you are discussing. Show interest in the job and work. This may require you to get enough sleep.
(5) Greet the interviewer by name. If unsure of pronunciation, ask the person to repeat their name. Always get the names of the people you are going to meet, including their job titles.
(6) Don’t forget about body language or non-verbal communication. Look people in the eye and maintain a good posture.
(7) Take a pen and paper with you. Write down the questions that are being asked. It shows that you are paying attention and interested in the interview.
(8) List down the questions you want to ask at the end of the interview. These questions can be obtained from your desktop research.
(9) Go to the toilet before the interview. You want to be comfortable during the interview.
(10) Talk slowly and clearly. Take your time to formulate your answer.
Where to look for jobs
Online job websites
Many employers will advertise on job seeker websites. New job advertisements are published daily.
You can set up a personal account (which is generally free) so that suitable jobs can be emailed directly to you.
Some of these job websites include useful information to help you in your search, such as resume writing, presentations, and preparing for interviews.
There are many online job seeker websites in Australia. Some of the most popular include:
https://www.glassdoor.com.au/index.htm
https://www.gumtree.com.au/jobs
https://www.bluecollar.com.au/
http://www.ethicaljobs.com.au/
https://probonoaustralia.com.au/jobs/
https://www.flexcareers.com.au/
https://www.jobserve.com/au/en/Job-Search/
For tech-related jobs
https://www.jobnet.com.au/au/en/IT-Jobs/
https://angel.co/australia/jobs
Directly approach to employers
Organisations do advertise job opportunities on their websites. It’s a good idea to regularly check the websites of organisations that interest you.
Preferably look for small to medium-sized organisations.
You can find their names through web searches, reading the business sections or looking at the Australian share market list.
Career expos are also useful places to find out more information about jobs.
Go after smaller to medium-sized businesses
Let’s face it. We all love to work in big well-known brands. But these organisations are so popular that they will receive hundreds of job applications.
Instead, to increase your chances of securing a job go for smaller less popular organisations.
While they may not be well known, you have less competition from other job seekers. It is not the time when you first arrive to compete with people.
Focus on the big picture
As a skilled migrant in a new country, your goal is to secure a job that matches your skills and experience. Consider this first job as a stepping stone for something greater.
In smaller organisations, you tend to do more work across the job title. You are also closer to the owner or CEO.
This is where you can learn as much as you can. Put in the time and effort to acquire the ‘local experience’.
While the salary or pay may not be as high as the big brands, this will give you the ‘local experience’ you desperately need. Bridge any skills gaps that you have and position yourself for your next job.
Contacting the organisation
Before contacting an organisation, find out everything you can about it. Familiarise yourself with the type of work they do.
When calling, it would be ideal if you have a name you can ask for. It may be someone you met online or at a meeting. Some organisations list the names of their senior people on their websites.
If you don’t have a name, you could ask for the manager of the section you are interested in. Ask the receptionist for the name of that manager before you are being transferred. Write it down for future reference. Ask for the spelling of the name, so that you can address the person correctly in a follow-up email.
Seeking more information
Try to avoid talking to people in the human resources department. The specific department will be better able to answer your questions about the type of work they are doing, as well as about what is happening in your industry more generally.
Make your first call an informative call rather than a direct inquiry about a job. Otherwise, your conversation could be very short. You could miss out on useful information about the organisation and the industry sector.
Do find out whether your skills and experience would match the organisation’s requirements.
Therefore, having a good command of conversational English is so important. You need to maintain that business conversation and obtain the relevant information from that conversation.
Final word …
The hope and pray strategy of submitting cover letters and resumes in response to job advertisements is dead!
You must be proactive and create opportunities for yourself. Australia is a land of opportunities if you know how to create it.
The proactive strategies listed here will give you a foot in the door. It’s only a matter of “Just doing it!”
When your life and financial security are at stake, there is no choice for you but to take the plunge.
People don’t plan to fail, they just fail to plan and take the required action to succeed!
Good luck!