Good morning, listeners and welcome to your radio program “Information for New Immigrants”. Our guest today is Mr John Allan and he is an employment consultant. He has helped thousands of people get jobs. Mr Allan, welcome to our program.
Thank you very much.
First of all, how easy or how hard is it for a new immigrant to get their first job?
Well, there is not an easy answer for this question. There are many things that we need to consider. We need to look at the education the person has had and what sort of job they have done before and what they would like to do in Australia.
Can you give us some examples, please?
Yes, for someone who has been working as a doctor in his or her country, it is not easy to say that they can work as doctors in Australia. There are many things that need to be done before they can start working as doctors here. They have to take some tests and pass them. Another person may have worked as a manager in a factory in China, for example. This does not mean that he or she can get the same job here. We need to see if that person can speak English well because in most workplaces in Australia, everyone speaks English.
Why is it sometimes very hard to get the first job?
There can be different reasons for that. English can be the biggest problem for the person. If you want to work in a shop, you need to have good English. Also if you don’t have a car, this can make it hard for you to go to work on time or do weekend shifts.
Are there some jobs that people can get quickly?
Yes, there are some jobs that don’t need a lot of experience. You just need to show that you have good work skills and can work well in a team. If you wash cars, you need a very short training before you start. There are some jobs where you can learn while you work.
Can you give us examples of these jobs?
Yes, if you want to work in a coffee shop, you will need to be able to deal with customers. You need to show that you are friendly to staff as well. There are some quick courses that people can do and get a job fast like the security guard course.
And how long does it take?
It used to take two weeks of training but now it is nearly a month. People need to study some subjects and do some tests but everything is easy once you speak English well. There are some immigrants who were engineers, teachers or accountants in their own countries and they work as security guards in Australia. They also work as taxi drivers or do other types of jobs.
And is it easy to get a job as a security guard in Australia?
Yes, it is. Look around you when you go shopping. Security guards are everywhere. I believe it is easy to get a job as a security guard.
Do people need to go to TAFE and study there? Will this help them get jobs too?
Of course. If you don’t think you will get the same job that you had in your country, it will be really good to go to TAFE and do a course there. Just be careful what course you choose to do.
What are some of the TAFE courses that people can do at TAFE?
There are hundreds of courses to choose from at TAFE. Most of them lead to good jobs in Australia. Visit the TAFE web site and you will find all the information you need. People need to know that a person worked as an electrician in his country for many years, this does not mean that he can work as an electrician in Australia. He needs to get a licence. It will be easy to get a licence when you study at TAFE.
Do people have to pay a lot of money to study at TAFE?
No, they don’t. It is really to study at TAFE. If you choose to do a short course, it may cost you a few hundred dollars. You can pay the same amount of money to study a normal course that goes for six months at TAFE.
Are there things that prevent people from getting jobs?
Yes, there are cultures that say that men go to work and women stay at home and look after children. When people immigrate to Australia, they see a different culture. Some women may choose to stick to their culture and stay at home. I am not saying that this is wrong but it can affect their chances of getting work.
What is good about working in Australia?
There are many good things about getting work in Australia. You get to learn new things. You get to meet new people and learn the language. You also get money of course and this makes you able to afford to buy many things. Nobody can live without money of course.
And what do you need to do on the first day on the job?
You need to arrive on time and not be late. You also need take a pen and paper with you in case you need to write some important information. You need to be nice to other people because you will need their help to learn to do your job well. You need to know the names of the people who will work with you and the name of your supervisor. You need to avoid talking about religions or politics because these things upset many people.
Mr Allan, thank you very much for your information and we hope to have you soon on our program.
Not at all. It’s a pleasure to be here.
