1. In Australia Resume’s and CV’s are referred to as the same.

Resumes are more common in private businesses and CV’s are more common in the public service/ government jobs. Most employers in Australia don’t mind if you send them your resume or CV.

Just in case you are curious, here are the differences below:

2. You can use a shortened name at the top of your resume.

For example if your first name is Yogendra but most people call you Yogi, it’s OK to use “Yogi” at the top of your resume. This makes it easier for potential employers to call you on the phone.

3. Don’t put your home address and suburb on your resume.

In Australia, people may draw conclusions about what suburb you live in and might assume you won’t want to travel for work. Remove that risk by not including your address.

All they need is your email and mobile phone number for contact details. This is good advice for Aussies too!

4. Look at volunteering to gain experience.

If you have no Australian work experience and you want to find work, the best way to start is to Volunteer somewhere. There are plenty of opportunities at local community organisations. Listing Volunteer on your resume for a couple of weeks or more tells employers you are community minded and generous with others by giving up your free time.

You can even approach an employer and offer them a free trial for one or two shifts so they can be a reference for you – and maybe offer you a job.

5. Don’t just rely on Seek.com.au, there are other good sources.

Check these out!

LinkedIn; for office jobs, search the “Jobs” section
Indeed.com.au; for tradies or hospitality jobs
beamaustralia.com.au or flexcareers.com.au have part time or flexible jobs

6. It’s not always WHAT you know, but WHO you know.

According to recruitment industry research 65-70% of today’s jobs are found through WHO we know. This means less than 30% of jobs are filled through job advertisements.

Be sure to tell your friends, family, doctor, neighbours that you are looking for a job and be clear on what type of job you’re looking for. That makes it easier for others to think of ways to help you.

7. Work rights.

If you are seeking an employer to sponsor your visa, you have very little chance unless your skills are highly sought after. Most employers won’t go down that path unless you’ve had the ability to prove you’re a great employee and they can’t live without you!

8. Make it easier for recruiters.

Because recruiters look at 200 resumes per day, you have a better chance of them reading your resume if you use Arial or Calibri Font size 11 on your computer.

The average time a person looks at a resume is only 6 seconds!

9. Make sure you are located in the place where you want to find work.

There are easily 150 applicants for every job. If you’re not currently in Australia or even the metropolitan area where the employer is, you’ve got a limited chance of an interview, unless you know someone at the employer.

10. Job Gaps.

Definitely explain them! Don’t leave gaps of more than 3 months without a good explanation. “Moving country”, “Studying” or “Caring for Family Member” are good reasons to write on your resume to explain a time where you did not work.

11. Honesty is the best strategy.

This is very important to Australians. Don’t try to fake it in your interview – they’ll see right through it. If you have a strength, it’s not enough to say you have it. You have to give proof through examples.

If you’re not sure how to talk about yourself, take the Clifton StrengthsFinder survey. It costs $20USD and gives you your Top 5 Strengths right away. You can even take it in your native language and I’m told employers are very impressed when my clients bring their Strengths survey results to their job interview.

It helps you honestly talk about what you are good at and what you love to do! Here’s a link: https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/product/en-us/10108/top-5-cliftonstrengths-access?category=all-products

If you are still not sure how to strengthen your resume or how to interview to get you the job, feel free to contact robin@impowercoaching.com.au as she has helped countless other people succeed.

Top Tips for New Migrants Seeking Jobs in Australia

1. In Australia Resume’s and CV’s are referred to as the same.

Resumes are more common in private businesses and CV’s are more common in the public service/ government jobs. Most employers in Australia don’t mind if you send them your resume or CV.

Just in case you are curious, here are the differences below:

2. You can use a shortened name at the top of your resume.

For example if your first name is Yogendra but most people call you Yogi, it’s OK to use “Yogi” at the top of your resume. This makes it easier for potential employers to call you on the phone.

3. Don’t put your home address and suburb on your resume.

In Australia, people may draw conclusions about what suburb you live in and might assume you won’t want to travel for work. Remove that risk by not including your address.

All they need is your email and mobile phone number for contact details. This is good advice for Aussies too!

4. Look at volunteering to gain experience.

You can even approach an employer and offer them a free trial for one or two shifts so they can be a reference for you – and maybe offer you a job.

5. Don’t just rely on Seek.com.au, there are other good sources.

Check these out!

LinkedIn; for office jobs, search the “Jobs” section

Indeed.com.au; for tradies or hospitality jobs

beamaustralia.com.au or flexcareers.com.au have part time or flexible jobs

6. It’s not always WHAT you know, but WHO you know.

According to recruitment industry research 65-70% of today’s jobs are found through WHO we know. This means less than 30% of jobs are filled through job advertisements.

Be sure to tell your friends, family, doctor, neighbours that you are looking for a job and be clear on what type of job you’re looking for. That makes it easier for others to think of ways to help you.

7. Work rights.

If you are seeking an employer to sponsor your visa, you have very little chance unless your skills are highly sought after. Most employers won’t go down that path unless you’ve had the ability to prove you’re a great employee and they can’t live without you!

8. Make it easier for recruiters.

Because recruiters look at 200 resumes per day, you have a better chance of them reading your resume if you use Arial or Calibri Font size 11 on your computer.

The average time a person looks at a resume is only 6 seconds!

9. Make sure you are located in the place where you want to find work.

There are easily 150 applicants for every job. If you’re not currently in Australia or even the metropolitan area where the employer is, you’ve got a limited chance of an interview, unless you know someone at the employer.

10. Job Gaps.

Definitely explain them! Don’t leave gaps of more than 3 months without a good explanation. “Moving country”, “Studying” or “Caring for Family Member” are good reasons to write on your resume to explain a time where you did not work.

11. Honesty is the best strategy.

This is very important to Australians. Don’t try to fake it in your interview – they’ll see right through it. If you have a strength, it’s not enough to say you have it. You have to give proof through examples.

It helps you honestly talk about what you are good at and what you love to do! Here’s a link: https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/product/en-us/10108/top-5-cliftonstrengths-access?category=all-products

Affordable, non-intimidating coaching services

Payment options available