Recently arrived in Australia? Here’s the truth behind why it’s tough to find a job.

We had such an unprecedented response to our free webinar on finding a job without local experience.

So I thought it was worthwhile spelling a few things out about what might be getting in the way for you if you have recently arrived here.

These are things that many employers and recruiters will not tell you. They are generally just focused on filling the job at hand.

Although some may do so to help you, their role is generally not to give career advice.

Read this and think about whether some of what I say below might also be going on here for you.

1. You are competing with more people in an ever diminishing job pool of permanent jobs

Due to globalisation, the growth of sites such as upwork; employers wanting more flexibility around fixed costs; the nature of the work that we do becoming more automated; massive structural changes in our economy which is shifting from mining to services based; (etc, etc etc)…. part time, contract, consulting roles are growing.

Yet most people want permanent roles.

It’s natural, right?

People equate a permanent job with financial security. So you’re in the same race to secure this.

Be mindful that if you are angling only for permanent work to get your foot in the door, you are competing with more people in a shrinking pond of permanent jobs.

2. Your particular skill set is not really in demand

Our immigration departments skilled occupations list for sponsorship makes for interesting reading.

I glance through the list and realise I know many unemployed people in Australia who actually have these skills. I see this list being a lot more about a shortage of people whom employers see as immediately hireable.

Immediately hireable in employers’ eyes is about being low-risk.

Think something like having recent, easily understandable, demonstrably strong skills in the area they are hiring.

A general perception is that if you are unemployed in Australia, or from overseas it will take time and effort to get you up to speed.

Most employers say attitude is important in hiring people, partly because a positive attitude can help you pick up new skills quickly. However building this into the hiring process to pick the right people to invest in upskilling, is challenging.

3. You do the double-whammy trying to change countries and change careers at the same time

Many people see coming to a new country as a chance to reinvent themselves.

There’s nothing wrong with that.

However, people in Australia struggle to do this, if they cannot clearly articulate their motivations to change, describe how their skills are transferable, find ways to gain the skills that they need, and have a network that might help them with their first opportunity.

Not finding a job therefore is not about having no local experience.

It’s about successfully tackling all I have described above.

4. You think you need some local experience, there might be a “lower level” job you can do, but you don’t know what that is or how to find it

I see this happen all the time.

Sometimes people think they need to take a lower level job because they need to improve their communication skills, not the actual skills they need to perform their role.

Sometimes people make this assumption because employers and recruiters tell them they need local experience. So taking a “lower level” job makes sense.

You can do this, but you do need to present a compelling argument about why that job at that time. Many people struggle to do this because they do not know which job to aim for, what’s really required by that job, and how easy (or not) it would be to hit the ground running in that particular role.

They also use language around why they would accept a lower level role, rather than making it about the value they can offer in that role.

It’s worthwhile challenging this assumption that this is the right path to go, by exploring the gap between your experience and local experience. You might find it’s not as big or in the area that you think,

5. Employers cannot understand you when they speak with you on the phone

If you are getting phone interviews, but not getting any further, this is probably what is going on.

Agency recruiters and internal recruiters are time poor. So they don’t want to waste their time on the phone with people who do not match the skills they need. So you can assume that if you are receiving a call, you are a reasonable match on paper.

But remember, when you are on the phone, you are starting that process of convincing someone again.

Depending on the role, if an employer needs to repeat themselves too many times, or rephrase the question, they tend to give up.

6. The way you deal with people is different, so the employer thinks working with you might be too difficult

Finding a job is pretty much a process of selling and negotiating.

It is fraught to stereotype people based on culture, however this article makes fascinating reading. In talking about the way different cultures communicate in meetings, the author says determining national characteristics is treading a minefield of inaccurate assessment and surprising exception. There is, however, such a thing as a national norm.

Take a look and see if this rings true for you.

7. Employers do not understand the skills you present

The world is a big place, and not all companies are global.

Many company names mean nothing to locals, and they do not see it as their role to find out information about where someone has worked.

Many people neglect to provide context around the challenges of their role or the company they worked, leaving the person reading the CV to  guess what’s going on.

8. You lack confidence in your skills or do not value yourself enough. You’ve been unemployed for a long time, so even if someone offered you a solution you may not take it

This is an awful downward spiral that I often see.

9. The recruiter/ employer is simply prejudiced

Talking about this is tackling the elephant in the room. Yes, this does go on. I have seen it happen where people do not get a look in based on where they have come from.

But it is not always the case. Otherwise I would not be writing this blog post explaining why it can be tough.

The bottom line for me is that I am not sure it is healthy to label behaviour as racist on any side of the fence.

If you just make an assumption that you’re not getting a job because people are racist, it may mean that you do not explore other reasons that are getting in the way of your success.

10. You have just been submitting your resume online and hoping, yet this system favours local applicants with immediate previous experience, even Aussies struggle with this.