Skilled Migrant Professionals February 2015 | Page 13

Career

Build your
career
proactively
Education and training gives you the
competitive edge

A

lthough Australia’s October 2014 unemployment rate of 6.2% is
below the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) average of 7.2%, youth unemployment around the
globe, and in Australia, remains stubbornly higher than the general population – standing at around 13% although it has been as high as 20%*.
While no single factor can be pointed to as the cause of this, younger
people, and those with less experience, are clearly being affected by broader economic difficulties, which is leading to a reduction in hiring ‘green’ talent. Younger people are far more susceptible to the troughs of supply and
demand in the labour market in sectors such as retail and hospitality, which
traditionally employ younger people. Factors contributing to these hurdles
include lack of experience or understanding of the interview process and
ignorance of what makes a Curriculum Vitae (CV) impressive.
The concept of a ‘job for life’ that someone else will
manage for you is now firmly relegated to the past.
While coaching and advice from external parties can provide invaluable guidance, a shift in the power of employers, rapid changes in technology, increased flexibility of
the modern workforce and the general societal demands
of modern life mean that individuals are firmly responsible for their own careers.
Ten years ago, the process of job hunting was very different to how it
is today. The job market was candidate-rare and centred on the ‘war for
talent’. Internet job boards overflowed with roles posted by companies
portraying themselves as ‘employers of choice’ to entice picky candidates.
Recruitment agencies used a range of tools to attract candidates designed
to convince people to interview for positions, even if the match was not
close in terms of experience or qualifications. It was an era of close-enoughis-good-enough, where more than two years with an employer was considered long-term. In the modern job and recruitment market, as it exists since
the global financial crisis, there is a much weightier emphasis on globalisation, which has resulted in many job seekers finding themselves cast adrift
in unfamiliar territory.
In recent years the situation has reverted to a candidate-rich market with
employers battling against substantial financial pressure to do more with

by Doug McKay
WA State Manager, Navitas
Careers & Internships

Your professional future is important, so
consider the advantages of extra training
and study to augment your skillset

Tips to promote yourself in
a competitive environment
• Learn how to write specialised covering letters
• Tailor your CV specifically to the desired position
• Enhance your business communication skills
• mprove your ability to recognise the value in the skills
I
and experience that you have
http://www.navitas-internships.com/

less (including people). There can be a disconnect between migration policies and industry demand, and this means new migrants often need to
work extra hard AND differently to be visible for the jobs that they desire.
It is not unusual for people to apply for jobs without hearing back at all.
Recruiters are overwhelmed with CVs sitting unopened in their email folder
along with 150 (or more) hopeful applicants making them time poor and
spoilt for choice.
This situation can be even more difficult for recent skilled migrants or international students who lack local personal and professional networks, and
are competing with ‘local’ talent and those with exposure to the local job
market. While the average percentage of accounting, ICT and engineering
migrants to Australia employed in any occupation is 89%, those working
in their nominated occupation of accounting, ICT and engineering are only
32.9% (Accounting), 55.6% (ICT) and 40.5% (Engineering). **
For some professions, where qualified candidates are rare and in high
demand, traditional job hunting can still work. As a modern job seeker, you
must change your game plan and take a more proactive approach, particularly if you are at the beginning of your professional career.
Statistically, up to 80% of jobs are not publicly advertised. These invisible
jobs are commonly referred to as ‘the hidden job market’. The question is:
How do we unearth this market, put ourselves on the radar, and tap into
this market to boost our chances of employment? The modern job seeker
needs to conduct a more detailed investigation to find out where these jobs
are and how to reach them. Added to this, they need a focused plan, targeted networking, a significant amount of time dedicated to research, and
(perhaps most importantly) some courage and tenacity.

* Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2014
** Source: Continuous Survey of Australia’s Migrants (CSAM), Department of Immigration and Border Protection, October-December 2013

February 2015 | www.smpmagazine.com.au

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