The Australian economy is one of the strongest in the world. In addition to its dynamic economy, the country offers many job opportunities. The Australian job market for foreigners can be quite competitive, but finding a qualified position is not impossible. The following tips and helpful information will help you get your dream job in Australia.
There are many different work-related visas for Australia.
From South Africa to Australia
It is a common misconception that people can find a job in their hometown. In most cases, you will quickly realize that despite a good or excellent level of English, a good resume, and experience in your field, it can be quite difficult or impossible. It is therefore best to have a go in Australia.
Start by compiling a list of contacts, including headhunters, who can add you to their database. With a valid work visa, it will not be a problem.
It is crucial that you already have professional experience in the industry of choice back home. It's even better if you've worked in Australia, even if it was in a different industry. References (contact details of your former employer/manager) are also often requested.
Make sure your resume and cover letter are in order
Your resume and cover letter should be tailored to the company's needs in order to find a job.
You should always adjust your resume to Australian standards. Don't include your age, marital status, or a photo on your resume.
Stay focused on getting a job when writing your cover letter. Highlight your knowledge and relevant experience and explain why you are a good fit for the position.
Effective job application techniques
Job hunting is hard, but there are some things you can do to make it easier.
If you're looking for a job, you may have heard about job boards like Seek, LinkedIn Jobs and Indeed. These sites can be really helpful because they allow you to post your resume and cover letter directly to the companies that are hiring. This means that if an employer is looking for someone with your skills, they will likely see your application right away!
- A company might post an ad on their website asking you to apply through their site. This gives them more control over who gets hired, which is great because it helps ensure that only qualified applicants get considered for the position.
- Recruitment agencies (called headhunters) post ads on behalf of their clients (the companies that are hiring). The benefit here is that these agencies have access to a huge amount of jobs at once—meaning they'll be able to find something suitable for you much faster than if you were searching alone!
When you're applying for jobs, it's important to make sure you're targeting the right companies and putting your best foot forward. To that end, we recommend applying for several job offers at once—but not too many at once!
You can lose track of which jobs you've applied for very quickly, so we recommend creating an excel spreadsheet with all your applications, links to ads, dates of your applications, and reminder emails. This will help keep everything organized and easy to reference. You can also spontaneously contact people on LinkedIn whose profiles interested you. This will allow you to ask people directly for advice or learn about the company.
If your resume is selected, interviews will be quickly initiated. They will take place first at the recruitment agency and then directly at the companies.
A successful interview
Job interviews in Australia are a bit different than in South Africa.
First of all, there is no recipe! If you aren’t an English native speaker, it is increasingly difficult to hold a job interview in a foreign language. Take a look at the branch-specific vocabulary before you go to the interview. You often realise that you don’t know certain technical terms, and therefore you can’t express yourself as well as in your native tongue.
These two questions certainly come in a job interview: “Why did you leave your home country?” And “Why did you choose Australia?“
In general, job interviews are less formal in Australia. While in many European countries the focus is often on education and the degree, recruiting agents in Australia put more emphasis on the personality of the candidate.
The good thing is that headhunters/recruiters have no time to lose and come straight to the point. They ask specific questions to learn more about your personality and your professional experience. So they can quickly get an idea of your profile and see if it matches the position.
"Working in Australia is definitely a very rewarding experience, on both a personal and a professional level. Finding a job is not difficult. And if you really want to stay, there are options. Of course, you have to fulfil the conditions and be highly motivated. No doubt you will succeed if that is what you want!"
Very profound and encouraging, thank you