Skilled Migrant Professionals Spring 2016 | Page 12

Career

To Get The Job
Six strategies for skilled
migrants to overcome the
unemployment challenge

By Patrick
Comerford

1. Advertised jobs

Many skilled migrants adopt the strategy of only applying for advertised jobs, despite the fact that roughly 70 per cent of these advertisements are posted by recruitment agencies. Unfortunately, many of these
agencies may avoid referring skilled migrants with little or no Australian
experience, as well as those who have, or may be perceived to have,
challenges communicating in English.
To help battle this misunderstanding, it is important to have a
well-constructed resume. Many skilled migrant resumes do not pass the
‘10 second test’, as set by recruiters and are either too long or lacking
the right keywords. It is essential to try and grab their attention with a
career summary and education details on the front page. And remember
that resumes should be no more than four pages long, unless you are a
senior academic with many publications to refer to.

2. Get discovered

Many people assume that advertised jobs are the only option, however, the world is changing and many employers and recruiters are increasingly using platforms such as LinkedIn to find candidates. When creating
your LinkedIn account, it is important to remember that including the
right keywords is paramount! I see many people follow the lead of others and put words such as, ‘looking for new opportunities’ in the their
headline or summary. Employers and recruiters will not use such words
to find, for example, a specialist Peoplesoft ERP implementation candidate. So, make sure your keywords are relevant to the job you are trying
to land. LinkedIn is also a great tool for researching and finding relevant
hiring managers or recruiters.

3. Research targets

Very few skilled migrants I meet have even considered developing a
basic understanding of the Australian marketplace. This can be to their
detriment as many employers want to see that potential employees have
an understanding of the economy in which they wish to work. In our
electronic age, the research can be time consuming, but make sure you
invest the time.
Patrick Comerford is the CEO of Catapult People, a business focussed
on helping skilled migrants to Australia become successful Australians.

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www.smpmagazine.com.au | Spring 2016

4. Making successful approaches

Many of my skilled migrant clients are fixated on the end game of
getting a job when I first meet them. Of course they are, they are considering their subjective situation and their own needs, not the needs
and wants of the employer! I guide people to take a more objective
position and to seek conversations with the right target employers first.
The jobs will come later once relationships are developed and a rapport
is established.

5. Networking

Everyone talks about it, but what does it mean? Think about looking
for industry associations and peak bodies with strong levels of industryrelevant memberships. Talk to people on the train, the bus, the street,
and the supermarket; engage with everyone you see!

6. Get help

Given the investment you have made as a skilled migrant; why would
you resist getting advice on the one thing that can help you derive an
income? If you are struggling to land a job, get help.