There are lots of travel blogs that tell you all about the fun aspects of coming to Australia, the sun (some of the time if you are in Melbourne!), the surf and the laid back attitude etc. But there is not a lot that prepares you for the job hunt if you are an experienced hire on a working holiday visa (417). At 31 and with extensive experience in my field i wasn’t really up for fruit picking and woefully under qualified for the hospitality industry here. So when i arrived i ventured into the recruitment agencies within my field to look for contract work. The plan being to test the market, see whether i liked Melbourne life and also critically to stay within the 6 month limit that you are allowed to work for any one employer on this visa type.
Simple right? Wrong!
There is a deep rooted suspicion of the 417, i fear that backpackers have sullied the waters for those that are trying to pave a way to meaningful work experience in Australia. I got a lot of “well we had this girl once that was great, but she didn’t want to stay after a couple of months so we won’t take the risk on another 417” The contract world is also different to the fast moving freelance world in the UK, there is a lot of temp to perm work as a way of employers being able to try out employees before they buy. One recruiter from a big name international firm was as blunt (and maybe lazy) enough to say, well it’s going to be very hard you know on a 417, giving up before she had even tried. And putting me off before i even started. Having been buoyed by the lady on the tram on the way to the interview telling me i looked beautiful (this seems to happen all the time here, never happened when i was at home!) i crashed when I walked out of her office and burst into tears!
So what can you do to find real work opportunities in Australia on a 417 visa?
- Be very clear about what you want to do – job roles in the corporate world are often much more narrowly defined in Australia than in Europe. You have to be very specific about your skill set and exactly what you will deliver to a role.
- Use your network – Speak to the people that you know in Australia to find out if they know any people that work in your industry. These connections are worth their weight in gold. The Australian job market is small and personal recommendations go a long way.
- Be prepared to compromise – There are some fabulous opportunities in Australia, but remember that employers are taking a risk on an unknown entity from overseas in you. Be prepared to take a step back or sideways before your step forward. It will allow you to prove what you can do and you will be back to the level you were working at before in no time
- Sell yourself! – I cannot state this enough. Be confident, tell your prospective employer exactly what you can do. You have to work harder to impress some recruiters as they perceive overseas workers as a hassle due to the additional Visa requirements. Make it clear to them that the paperwork is worth their while, make it hard for them to say no!
- Build relationships – Speak to recruitment consultants regularly, and always meet with them face to face to start with to ensure that they have you top of mind and are able to sell you in on your behalf to their contacts too. Make links with people that do what you want to be doing on linked in and meet up with them. They will be able to provide you with useful information about their company and/or upcoming job opportunities
- Stay positive – Don’t be disheartened if the above don’t lead to a stunning role straight away. HR process are strict for good reason and it sometimes may take a while for people to get back to you. Be patient and the right role will come up
- Maintain an open mind – For the most part recruiters will want to place you in an industry that you already have experience of. But if chances in other sectors may come up, don’t rule it out straight away. Even the opportunity to see your own sector from a different angle could add a deep learning experience to your CV
Relax and enjoy the process! Use it as an opportunity to test what you really want to do, try new things if they come up and extend your global network. You never know where new connections may lead.
