The Rites of Passage: Job Search Australia

Aah, it's that time of year the autumn weather brings a slight chill in the evening breeze.

While most of you might be heading for warm days, down under those summer clothes are becoming just a little dressier (even if bare legs never go out of fashion here).


Even after two weeks of job search, I realize that I need far more discipline.

The job search itself is nothing less than a full-time job, and a tough one at that, with no room for being lazy or disorganized. Two weeks in, I realize I have to keep a work diary with specified daily targets for the number of people I need to contact, number of jobs I will apply to etc. Also, I realize I could have done a lot more to hit the ground running before I got here.

Luckily I had been working on several versions of my resume for each job category I apply to since more than a year, so it was somewhere close to where it needed to be. This involved a lot of job market research to understand the overarching categories of roles and my place in the market (not to mention understanding what a resume looks like in the first place - 3 pages max with accomplishments not tasks).

Recruiters often expect you to have a good understanding of which income bracket you fall into, so if you're a senior level consultant asking for a graduate salary that's probably not going to let you be taken seriously.

For example, in some industries or occupations I would probably apply as mid-career level while in others I could send in my application for a more senior role.

However, daily grooming is necessary as each iteration evolves from the market needs. Sending a generic resume for a job application is more likely to get rejected sooner while a more tailored resume sometimes offers a window of opportunity to call recruiters and follow up with the application.


In particular, a number of jobs have key selection criteria which need to be addressed, particularly in government jobs, although each job application does more or less evaluate on a specified or undisclosed set of key selection criteria that need to be addressed.

Throughout all the various touch points, you should have a personal brand that consistently symbolizes who you are and how you add value. All you need to do is market that brand as aggressively as possible using whatever means possible.


However, few people I know (the real champions) actually line up their dream job from the get-go. Most find the easiest route into a company or industry and work their way up from there.


The most fruitful sources to apply for jobs as far as I know so far are:


1. Personal referrals: 

Peers working in Aussie firms have knowledge of openings long before they are actually posted anywhere and are more likely to be filled before the word even gets out. If you have friends in such places, make sure you utilize this gold mine because this is often the shortest path to getting hired.

Make sure to have a complete list of all connections you know and contact them long before your arrival date. Find out how they got their jobs and if there are any upcoming positions, or hiring cycles in companies they work for. Once you arrive, follow up every day.


2. Networking contacts:

Don't have enough personal contacts to get around? Make some. Go to networking events, meet people. Don't just be a garden gnome while you're at it. Each networking event has a serious cost (even when it's free) so make sure to get maximum mileage each time. Be loud, be animated, be contagious with your passion. Be memorable. And have a business card to exchange with your phone and email as well as a way to learn more (for e.g. I put a QR code on my card that connects to my Linked In).

The day after the event, make sure to send them an email and follow up on the prospects you've really gotten to know or even the ones who might just have something worthwhile for you in the future.

Write them a pain letter that shows you understand their situation and how you might have a solution. The next time you meet them, hopefully it will be to discuss some business.

Wasted effort? All the naysayers can nay-say all they want, but networking is a powerful and proven to get results if not today, then some day in the future. Just make sure your goldfish memory doesn't lose track of who you met, especially if you had been more busy sampling the wine and cheese or standing in line for your free coffee.


3. Applying directly on company websites:

When I asked a personal contact how he landed his job at PWC within a month of arriving in Melbourne, he said that he posted his CV on all the accounting firms in his database. Also, since it was around closing period in June, they were quick to absorb new staff members into audit.

So create a list of targeted companies by industry, location etc. and contact them. The target companies would be either companies in industries that you have the most experience in, or industries that require people like you. For example, finance guys could either target the financial services industry or look for consulting firms, as well as advisory roles in other companies.


4. Linked In jobs:

A lot of employers use Linked In to contact prospective candidates directly instead of going through recruiters. Most of the openings are more exclusive than regular job sites, so this is usually a better place to source jobs than job sites.


5. Job Search websites (e.g. SEEK, Career One, Jobsearch Australia)

Sending your resume on a job search website is usually compared to throwing it into a black hole. More often than not, the declining email arrives soon enough or may be a little later if your resume is truly well-crafted.

The key to getting shortlisted and at least appearing for an interview is to call the recruiter before and after applying since their contact details are usually mentioned in the job posting, or a little effort can usually get them on the phone.

After pitching a quick into describing your fit, you can start a relationship with the recruiter through email and connecting on Linked In. Even if and when you do not get ahead with your application, hopefully they will be able to come through for you later (I know a number of examples).


6. Walkabouts and boomerangs:

Not the best term to use in this context, but some have told tales of wanderers who suddenly appeared at the reception and made contact with he/ she who recruits. They then were contacted at some point in the future for an opening. Such and other means are often used as rites of passage to enter the job markets in Australia.

There is also much talk of making it past the resume filters on job sites by mailing directly (via post). This will not only get straight to the intended target from a stream with little or no traffic, it will show creativity and determination. If you really know how to write a pain letter and know the exact person you need to target, it might be worth the cost and effort.