I am Ayda, I have migrated to Australia some months ago, and here I want to share my job hunting adventure with you!!!
For all migrants, finding a decent job suitable to their experience and expertise is always a challenge. We need to learn so many things: language, culture, values, as well as techniques of finding an occupation. Although it is always difficult to relearn all these things from scratch, which can even be boring and frustrating at times, we have to achieve them in order to be a valuable member of the public and have a good quality of life.
My major obstacle to finding a job in Australia was learning English. Therefore, I put lots of effort and time into improving my English through taking online courses or practising with my husband to enrolling in AMEP English lessons in Prace.
I was very fortunate to find a wonderful teacher here at Prace who helped me learn English with fun and joy. Zoe Philips, an incredible teacher who has taught us so much not only about English but also about Australian culture and life, environmental issues and humanity. Thanks to Zoe my English is now much better than previously.
Another hurdle to finding a job in Australia was that, even though I have some experience in IT field, I would like to change my job role to be a data analyst. So, I took some online courses and watched many training videos on internet websites to learn new technologies and skills necessary to be a professional data analyst.
At the next stage, I had to learn how to find a job: which websites to use for my search, how to apply, the requirements and so on and so forth.
As a requirement for a job application, a resume is the important document in your application where you outline your qualifications and work experience. My resume was ready and I just had to put it into a format acceptable in Australia. You can find some helpful templates online to prepare your resume.
One of the other key items in a job application in Australia is the cover letter where we describe ourself and express our intention to apply for the vacancy. I spent a lot of time to learn how I should prepare this letter through exploring the online examples as well as seeking assistance from my friends.
Once my resume and cover letter were ready, I started applying for some positions, but didn’t receive any responses. It was really frustrating. Then, I started reaching out to people around me to seek their job-hunting experience and catch some worthy tips to apply in my resume or cover letters.
After several tries, employers started to respond. Even though I had received some job advertising messages from recruiters for IT related jobs, I was determined to pursue my career in the data field. I spent my time seeking job positions in www.seek.com.au and eventually found a challenging job advertisement for which I had to do a project to apply and then present it online to the company’s specialists. After passing this step, they asked me to do another data project and present it at the office to other managers. As the last step, I would be interviewed by HR managers as well, after the technical interview. I worked hard on my project and practiced my presentation. It was my first interview experience in Australia. I was very shocked and stressed.
It was the time to prepare for an effective job interview!
I found some helpful contents online and prepared my presentation and answers to interview questions. I also had researched the company and the role thoroughly to show my serious efforts to get the job.
On the interview day, I tried to be on time and calm my nerves to do my best. The managers were very welcoming. They had set the technology tools in advance and provided me with a positive vibe to have a comfortable interview. At the end of my presentation, they asked me their questions and I tried to answer them as best as I could. I also asked about my chance to get the job, and I found that their main concern was my English. Even though they found my English good, the job needed a higher English level to have daily presentations, professional discussions with managers and clients about issues and data solutions as a good data consultant. I understood them, but I tried to persuade them that I have the capabilities to learn fast and improve my English as soon as possible. In the other Interview with HR managers, they asked me typical interview questions about my previous experiences, soft skills for the role and future perspectives. They were as friendly as someone whom you have known for years.
After the interview, I was very happy. I was satisfied with my performance. Even though I could do it better. As the first interview, it was very fruitful for me. I learned new things from them and gained valuable experience and especially it could give me my first job!
Two days later, I was going to send an email to them to give my thanks for giving me the opportunity, but all of a sudden, my phone rang and I received the good news from the company. The officer said to me the managers believe that I can improve my English in workplace through lots of discussions with my colleagues even faster than I have done so far! I was very happy and cheerful. I had got the job which was exactly what I wanted and fought for it.
Finally, they sent all documents, such as the contract, the company’s terms and conditions and the Australian workplace rules. After reading the documents and asking my questions, I signed and sent them back through.
Last week, I got a welcoming event invitation from the company and joined that. It was great. All of my colleagues were very happy and friendly. I had really missed this vibrant energetic collaborative workplace relationships, so I made lots of new friends. I feel more confident now. The most important thing is that I will have my own job and I can contribute to the Australian community as an independent woman. I think it’s one of the interesting feelings in life.
I suggest everyone who is looking for a job, first determine what they want to do and what their goals are. Then, find the ways to achieve them. You should not be stopped by your temporary limitations such as language.
Initially, you might need to spare more time and energy. But in the following, everything will happen sequentially and make you motivated to continue. It might seem like hiking up mountains and down hills, but you can imagine it like surfing on top of waves, so you will enjoy it. It’s worth it. trust me. Try it!
Congratulations Ayda! We wish you all the best for your new career.