Job Hunting Tips for OZ

[Ash007]

scroobal: do u mean '3 major categories for employment'? also, u mentioned that contract and casual experience is used to assess candidates, but i remembered someone earlier in the thread mentioned abt permanent experience being more important. does this only apply to IT industry as u all discussed?

a friend of mine also suggest to take some sort of OZ qualifications. I was thinking at some part time dip or mayb even tafe course. would that be feasible?

thanks for the quick reply so far.

It depends on the company and the job. From what I've seen, contract/casuals are sometimes preferred in a company if they feel like they just wanted someone to do a 3-6 months stint. Its easier to let go a contract/casual worker especially if there is an economic downturn. Being a permanent in a company comes with benefits and there are legal ramifications in firing a permanent. Having said that, a contract/casual worker would in general be paid more because of the lost of these mentioned benefits. I think what scroobal is trying to say is that, in some companies, because of the uncertainty that a person may fit/perform for the job/role in the company, they may hire you as a contract/casual first to see if you are ready for the job. Think of it as a probation period, there are of course contractors or casuals that just wanted the convenience of moving around. What was mentioned in the thread, I believe, sorry too lazy to go read through all that again, is that because being a permanent, in general, requires the company to commit much more "resources" in the long run, hence the selection process for a permanent staff maybe much more stringent then being hired as a contractor/casual. Again, if you read the thread, I believe there are others that argue about the benefits and angst of being a contractor/casuals. Please keep in mind that there is nothing wrong being a contractor/casual.

If you have a degree, I don't think it makes much of a difference if you go to tafe and got a diploma in something similar. Unless you wanted to change career as an electrician/mechanic etc. Tafe, in general, is closer to what ITE is in Singapore. Its more trade courses that are offered there. I'm not too sure where you can proceed in Uni with a marketing degree, but like what scroobal said, get your foot into the door first before you consider other options.

 

[scroobal]

Permanent is the same everywhere. OZ however has relative high casual and contract staff across the board. In Singapore, you see this in construction and IT which is heavy on projects. So don't be shy or choosy about taking casual and contract in order to put your proverbial foot thru the door.

There is some good advice from forummer Manbearpig62 on fresh grad entering the market on this thread and its good stuff. The ultimate goal is a permanent position except where in IT and certain sectors some people prefer contract work because of the lucrative hourly rate.

Sydney and Melbourne has biggest pool of employers and thus the opportunities are greater. Don't worry too much, just be committed and determined and you will be in the game.

OZ qualifications do carry weight but if you have a solidly presented and crafted resume, that usually does the job.

scroobal: do u mean '3 major categories for employment'? also, u mentioned that contract and casual experience is used to assess candidates, but i remembered someone earlier in the thread mentioned abt permanent experience being more important. does this only apply to IT industry as u all discussed?

a friend of mine also suggest to take some sort of OZ qualifications. I was thinking at some part time dip or mayb even tafe course. would that be feasible?

thanks for the quick reply so far.

 

[axe168]

i have done volunteering in NPO. wasn't able to find local/state govt when i was there during my uni break. im not sure how helpful it will be bcause i basically taught new migrants english and a lil ad-hoc stuff.

quite an experience because i got to mix with people from so many countries. thing is, it isn't really related to my degree (marketin) and i heard most marketing jobs will be given to locals as they know their own culture better.


hopefully these are enough information to shed light on my situation.

Hmmm.. marketing ? My ex-company (8,000 staff) advertised for a marketin job.. guess what ? For a single position, they received 450 applicants.. These days I would expect more.. there are heaps of indians who are extremely 'smart' in altering their resumes.. I guess u can win them over by your volunteering job and diversity. Try Immigration Dept.. it suits you.

Juz a gentle advice, do not 'wait' too long.. esp when the Australia economy is heating up.. once recession hits, non-citizens can kiss good bye. We have a very strong Australian policy This is the diff btw SG and Oz.

Good luck in your job hunt.

 

[facadegeniality]

It depends on the company and the job. From what I've seen, contract/casuals are sometimes preferred in a company if they feel like they just wanted someone to do a 3-6 months stint. Its easier to let go a contract/casual worker especially if there is an economic downturn. Being a permanent in a company comes with benefits and there are legal ramifications in firing a permanent. Having said that, a contract/casual worker would in general be paid more because of the lost of these mentioned benefits. I think what scroobal is trying to say is that, in some companies, because of the uncertainty that a person may fit/perform for the job/role in the company, they may hire you as a contract/casual first to see if you are ready for the job. Think of it as a probation period, there are of course contractors or casuals that just wanted the convenience of moving around. What was mentioned in the thread, I believe, sorry too lazy to go read through all that again, is that because being a permanent, in general, requires the company to commit much more "resources" in the long run, hence the selection process for a permanent staff maybe much more stringent then being hired as a contractor/casual. Again, if you read the thread, I believe there are others that argue about the benefits and angst of being a contractor/casuals. Please keep in mind that there is nothing wrong being a contractor/casual.

If you have a degree, I don't think it makes much of a difference if you go to tafe and got a diploma in something similar. Unless you wanted to change career as an electrician/mechanic etc. Tafe, in general, is closer to what ITE is in Singapore. Its more trade courses that are offered there. I'm not too sure where you can proceed in Uni with a marketing degree, but like what scroobal said, get your foot into the door first before you consider other options.

thanks ash007, now i understand. so i guess i will try aim for a contract/casual job first. probably much easier to get as u mentioned.

Permanent is the same everywhere. OZ however has relative high casual and contract staff across the board. In Singapore, you see this in construction and IT which is heavy on projects. So don't be shy or choosy about taking casual and contract in order to put your proverbial foot thru the door.

There is some good advice from forummer Manbearpig62 on fresh grad entering the market on this thread and its good stuff. The ultimate goal is a permanent position except where in IT and certain sectors some people prefer contract work because of the lucrative hourly rate.

Sydney and Melbourne has biggest pool of employers and thus the opportunities are greater. Don't worry too much, just be committed and determined and you will be in the game.

OZ qualifications do carry weight but if you have a solidly presented and crafted resume, that usually does the job.

scroobal, i wasn't able to find the post that u mention. probably manbearpig62 deleted the post.

i proabably need to find out more about the marketing industry. i'm most probably gg to melbourne.

one thing is, for the resume writing, how different is it crafted there as compared to singapore. I know for job seekers with more experience, a competency-based resume is the way. but for a fresh grad like me, im nt sure how else to craft my resume apart from the traditional layout.

Hmmm.. marketing ? My ex-company (8,000 staff) advertised for a marketin job.. guess what ? For a single position, they received 450 applicants.. These days I would expect more.. there are heaps of indians who are extremely 'smart' in altering their resumes.. I guess u can win them over by your volunteering job and diversity. Try Immigration Dept.. it suits you.

Juz a gentle advice, do not 'wait' too long.. esp when the Australia economy is heating up.. once recession hits, non-citizens can kiss good bye. We have a very strong Australian policy This is the diff btw SG and Oz.

Good luck in your job hunt.

thanks axe, that's something to look think abt. i guess these are pointers i can use as to why i have an edge over others. apparently the economy is heating up now, but im still stuck here til may. Hopefully it goes smoothly when the time comes.

 

[scroobal]

Its the same except that you do not need to provide personal details such as age, marital status, race, nationality etc. As you are young, you can list your age. You may want to mention that you are OZ PR, as they get so many foreign applications which they chuck away.

As you do not have prior work experience, just focus on your good attributes. Your ECA ( especially leadership roles and projects reflecting such qualities as initiative, creativity etc. And not forgetting your volunteer work. 2 to 3 pages, sharp and crisp tailored to that particular role and company. Don't do that multiple colour stuff and unusual designs. Format, you can be creative but the info must get the eye.

Trawl the OZ websites of major HR firms and they provide guidelines on resume and Interviews.

one thing is, for the resume writing, how different is it crafted there as compared to singapore. I know for job seekers with more experience, a competency-based resume is the way. but for a fresh grad like me, im nt sure how else to craft my resume apart from the traditional layout.

 

[facadegeniality]

Its the same except that you do not need to provide personal details such as age, marital status, race, nationality etc. As you are young, you can list your age. You may want to mention that you are OZ PR, as they get so many foreign applications which they chuck away.

As you do not have prior work experience, just focus on your good attributes. Your ECA ( especially leadership roles and projects reflecting such qualities as initiative, creativity etc. And not forgetting your volunteer work. 2 to 3 pages, sharp and crisp tailored to that particular role and company. Don't do that multiple colour stuff and unusual designs. Format, you can be creative but the info must get the eye.

Trawl the OZ websites of major HR firms and they provide guidelines on resume and Interviews.

hi scroobal, thanks for the tip. one thing i would like to ask though, u mentioned 2 to 3 pages. that's for CV rite? resume , as my sch taught, is only one page. So is it different in OZ?

 

[scroobal]

Yep, CV/Resume. One page is fine if you can capture the essence of your being. Most people tend to put too many pages and that's where the problem is. Same all over the world.

The idea is separate your CV from the rest to be shortlisted. So there must be something in it to capture the selector.

hi scroobal, thanks for the tip. one thing i would like to ask though, u mentioned 2 to 3 pages. that's for CV rite? resume , as my sch taught, is only one page. So is it different in OZ?

 

[Leongsam]

hi scroobal, thanks for the tip. one thing i would like to ask though, u mentioned 2 to 3 pages. that's for CV rite? resume , as my sch taught, is only one page. So is it different in OZ?

Forget about jobs, CVs, resumes and what have you.

When you get to OZ, purchase a franchise from a reputable operator. You'll make more money and you'll be your own boss.

If you get tired of running the show after a couple of years and decide you want to go back to being an employee, you'll then have tons of contacts to fall back on.

http://www.franchisebusiness.com.au/