Coming to Melbourne from Malaysia

[MH Chan]

I have just obtained my PR in Australia & would like to go to Melbourne to look for a HR Generalist role. I have been looking for a job from Malaysia since 1 year ago but no success.

Can someone share with me what is the best way to this? Someone has told me to reformat my old CV to the aussie way. I've just done that & hopefully some positive outcomes will come out of it.

Any ideas/suggestions are most welcomed!

[Midaz Coaching & Consulting]

Hi there,
Reformatting your resume is only one step in the process. There are a lot of good quality local HR people in the market at the moment and even here people are finding it more difficult to stand out when applying for roles. Recruiters have told me that they are getting upward of 50 applicants for HR roles and for other positions, sometimes applications in the hundreds.

Getting work is more than applying for roles that are advertised on the net or in the newspapers. Only about 10% of positions available are advertised. There is a "hidden" job market that needs to be tapped into and this is often best done via networking.

I would suggest the following tactics:
* Define your goal - what is it you want to achieve and when do you want to achieve it by?
* What types of roles are you looking for and who is most likely to have those positions available?
* What industries are you wanting to work with? Is there any industries you don't want to target? (based on your values and natural inclinations)
* What skills, experience and personal attributes do you have that will make you valuable to these employers?
* What options are available to you and what resources could you tap into? Who might be able to help you - a colleague, manager or friend?
* What is the culture of the organisations you are targeting and what values to they work by - are they aligned to your values?

Networking on-line could be a good place to start. Try linking with someone that is currently in the Melbourne market and find out what you can from them. Find out if there are any conferences or major HR events coming up and try to come and attend so you can "rub shoulders" with "the locals" and gather more information and business links.

It may take some time to get where you want to go but if you have a targeted approach it will make your job hunt easier and you will have clarity about where you want to head and how you are going to get there.

Good luck with putting your plan together and making the change you are after.
Mary-Leigh

[The Acorn Partnership]

Mary-Leigh - I agree with everything you have said.

The market is quite tough at the moment - more so for individuals who may not have had any local experience. There is a tendency for clients to be very risk averse and lean towards candidates who have very specific industry sector experience in particular.

Best of luck.

Claire

Claire McNamara
The Acorn Partnership, Sydney
Global HR Recruitment
Acorn Partnership Global HR Recruitment - Home

[Melissa Martin]

Hi, as Mary-Leigh and Claire have both mentioned, as a result of the current economy, there are many local HR professionals seeking employment. That's not to say that you won't be able to secure a role here though.

Mary-Leigh has mentioned thinking about if any of your colleagues, friends or family can assist you. Do any of them have contacts here in Melbourne within companies that have employee referral programs? Could they refer you in? This may be a good starting point.

Another avenue to consider may be securing an entry level administrative role within an organisation where you with gain exposure to the HR function. Beginning with developing your Aussie work experience would be a good first step. You could then look to do some local HR studies or join special interest groups facilitated by the Australian Human Resources Institute which would demonstrate your commitment to establishing a career in HR here. Should you be successful in securing an admin role in a company here, you could also volunteer some time to assist the HR department (if they are open to that!).

By being open to exploring different entry paths into the profession, you may find the process easier (albeit a little longer).
Good Luck
Melissa