Can someone please give this man a job!

How to find a job in Australia – part 1

I, a skilled migrant, like many other people moved to Australia looking for new challenges and a better quality of life. I arrived a few months ago, full of hope, highly motivated an eager to start a long a promising career.

Like many of skilled migrants I started my job hunt through internet sites, companies, recruitment agencies, job boards. You name it! I started writing resumes, cover letters, looking for a first chance here, there and everywhere.

I picked up the phone and called recruiters. After a couple of weeks I got my first interview. How exiting! I had to be sure my suit was clean and ironed, as well as my shirt. I spent some time deciding which tie was the perfect match and of course I polished my shoes so they shone like a mirror.

So, there I was, outside the building 30 minutes before the appointed time. I had to be on time and wanted to have some spare time in case something went wrong. I just can’t avoid thinking about the worst case scenario. I’m a Risk Manager.

The interview started well. The person in front of me asked questions about my background. She asked about the places I had worked for before and not so relevant questions about my experience. Again, I, full of enthusiasm answered all the questions. She said she will look for a suitable position for me but I never heard back from her.

I tried to call but she never answered any of my calls. What went wrong? Am I a bad candidate? My experience is not relevant? These and other questions were pumping through my head. Maybe I was so enthusiastic that this recruiter thought I was childish, not serious at all.

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 1

Being enthusiastic is good. Showing too much enthusiasm not. It might give the wrong impression.

Round two!

I kept doing the same, internet, telephone, resume, cover letter. Then I got a second interview! This time I toned down the enthusiasm. I explained to the recruiter (who, off the record, wasn’t very friendly) that I was open for any role in my specific sector as my skills would fit. But she said “You should know exactly what you are looking for. There’s no use for me to interview you if you don’t know what you want!”  Ouch! I think the last time I felt like crying was when I was about seven years old.

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 2

It is fine to be open to any role. But still being specific at the interview would help (even if it’s with a recruiter who might have different suitable roles for the same candidate).

I kept on looking for a good job and responding to job advertisements like crazy. I applied for many jobs within a week thinking. “Of course my academic background, skills and experience would be very useful for any organization. They will read my CV and will call me to make an interview appointment”. After a couple of weeks the telephone almost had spiderwebs all over it. Not one single call! Can’t tell the same about my inbox. Every day I could read two or three emails, and in a funny way, I could read the same in almost every one of them:

“Dear XXX

Thank you for your interest in the XXX position at XXX and for your application.

After careful consideration, I am sorry to advise that your application has not been successful on this occasion. We received a number of applications from candidates whose experience more closely matched our client’s requirements.

Please do not hesitate to contact us in the future if we advertise a position that is of interest to you. Thank you again for your application.

Yours Sincerely,

XXX”

Something must be wrong I thought. So I start thinking about my approach strategy. I looked for advice from anybody. I started working on very specific applications, and of course, making it unique for every position and sending it to a “person” not through a website.

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 3

Peter Drucker once said: “My greatest strength as a consultant is to be ignorant and ask a few questions”. That means, nobody knows everything, especially about job hunting techniques in a foreign country. Ask some questions!

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 4

Job applications (resume and cover letter) have to be specific and tailored to each job opening.

Phew… so much still to learn. I started this new approach, and it worked! I even got a call from the same agency I had my first interview. Not with the person I had the interview with, but from another girl, really friendly, who by the way I have not met in person yet. She got a job for me! And she organized an interview for me directly at the company, with the Area Manager. Great! Just what I was waiting for! I prepared for the interview, did a lot of research about the company, although I knew the company already, a major Swiss investment bank, and the role, exactly the same I performed back “home” for another investment bank.

The interview went extremely well. I knew all about the duties and even more. The manager told me they were just looking for somebody on a three month contract because they needed “an extra pair of hands,” nothing fancy.

A week after the interview I got a phone call from the girl at the agency “sorry that I have to deliver bad news. They think you are too overqualified for the position since they just need an extra pair of hands for equities operations and you have proficiency in equities, fixed income, derivatives and FX but they don’t need that much”. Again, my whole enthusiasm and motivation vanished in a second (I recovered it of course). What could have happened? Was I sent to the wrong interview?

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 5

There is a big difference between Recruiters and Consultants. Some people working as a recruiter might not even know what the advertised job is about. See this post for more detail.

I called another person at that agency. He said he would put me forward for an interview at the company after showing me the job description. But I never heard from him again. I called him many times, no answer. Could it be that he had been swallowed by earth? Seems so, but I don’t think so. Anyway, I knew this position existed in that company and it was suitable for me. So I prepared a great cover letter, tailored my resume for that specific position and just before sending it, I reviewed it again. Something was missing. Of course something was missing! Who should I address the application to?

I dressed up, shiny shoes, nice tie, everything was perfect. I went all the way to their offices. When I entered a girl approaches me and asks “Can I help you?”  I say “Hi, I saw on your web page you have a XXX position open, I would like to apply for it but would like to know who should I address it to?” “That would be me!” she says. Amazing! So she gave me her business card. I said thank you and left after a really small talk. The next day I send her my job application, of course everything addressed to her, Name, position, business address, perfect! The following day she called me to schedule an interview.

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 6

Make it personal! Use a name. People feel flattered if they receive a personal letter, and it also shows some research about the company. It shows that you want the job.

I was exited about the interview. I prepared myself and I must say I think I did well. Showing enough enthusiasm, a positive can do attitude, talking slowly and straight to the point, asking a lot of questions about the company. Everything went beautifully. The next day I got a call to make an appointment to do a test at the office. I passed that. The next step was a presentation. I spent the whole week I had working on that. It was my chance to blow their socks off and get the job! They were amazed after the presentation, and they told so. A couple of days after I got a call from them:

“What you did was really amazing! We can see you are really committed with excellence and can go way far beyond expectations, but” oh-oh! A “but” is never good “you are too senior and overqualified for what we need right now”. Come on! Not again! I said I could start at a lower level, I really don’t mind going a couple of steps backward since I am new in this market. I would prove I can do more with time and get more responsibilities. I tried to negotiate something but as they said, they felt I was “too good for them”.

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 8

A job interview and the job per se are like a relationship. If I like a girl I would ask a lot of questions about her, what she does, what her plans are?, if I like the job I have to show I like it and have to show my interest. But then, there’s lesson nine.

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 9

You can’t win them all, and sometimes there’s no explanation. Carry on and never give up!

Back on the job hunt I saw an advertisement, read it carefully and prepared all my documents. I debated about whether to send it since in the requirements was clearly stated: “experience in an Australian company fundamental”. I decided to give it a go, I already had the “no” so why not look for a “yes”. And yes it was! I got the interview with the recruitment consultant (she was definitely a consultant) who by the way, committed to helping me find my first job since she understands I am a skilled migrant looking for a first opportunity.

She put me forward to an interview with the company, directly with the manager that would have been my boss. She even said we, the manager and I, would surely get along really well since we are in the same level, she made a pause and said: “maybe you are a little bit above her”.

The interview went well. I could feel that, and believe me, after so many interviews you learn how to feel those things. I even closed the interview saying I would really love to be part of the team and start immediately. A week later I got the feedback which was read to me by the consultant:

“XXX is really charming with a positive can do attitude, really motivated and motivating. He has an amazing academic background and working experience. He would definitely add a lot of value to the company and will go beyond expectations, but this time we will not proceed on hiring him”.

So am I good or not? What happened? There was something wrong for sure, but what?

How to get a job in Australia – Lesson 9 (again)

You can’t win them all, and sometimes there’s no explanation. Carry on and never give up!

Anyway, there is nothing to do other than keep on looking for a right position and stay hungry! And stay looking foolish! I had another interview a couple of days ago, with a new recruitment agency, and will be put forward for two roles with two different companies. I really hope I can give you good news this time.

However, there is so much I have learnt through all this time, and even if I have not landed in a great job yet, I know I will very soon. The the knowledge I have acquired is a plus and something I would have not had in any other way. I am really happy to share it and help others in their hunt.

Sincerely,

Mr. John Jobhunter

Tagged as: job hunting tips, Recruitment consultants, resume mistakes