HappyHeart Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 (edited) 8 jobs in 6 weeks is nothing. In 2009 it took my husband 6 months and countless knock backs till he secured work (which was more abundant then) He took a leafleting round to get him out of the house then finally got a break. You need to assimilate, make connections, get your face known, network, volunteer and be patient. Unless of course you need to find work urgently in order to pay the bills. I'm guessing here but you do seem to have decided it's all because of your Nationality, husband struggled because he's English? More like because he's fresh off the boat with no check able Aussie experience? Edited November 23, 2015 by HappyHeart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I disagree with the highlighted statement. I think it can be valuable to ask for feedback. For instance the OP has learned that applying for a job somewhere and not knowing anything about it probably won't be looked on favourably. Hopefully she will do some research before future interviews. Totally agree with this and any respectable employer would be more than happy to provide feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country vic Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 (edited) Totally agree with this and any respectable employer would be more than happy to provide feedback. How many people have you employed. Busness owners, company managers and HR departments have more important things to worry about than whether the OP gets a job. Employers get so many people demanding attention, everyone wants something. Its like your junk mail, you may have quick look if you have time, then it goes in the bin, or cold callers, maybe you have a chat and buy the product, or offer the cold caller advice on how to sell, I hang up or don't answer my phone. How would you feel if the firms that spend a small fortune publishing and distributing their junk mail (or tele-marketing) demanded you give them your time and attention and buy something, or explain why you won't and offer your 'feedback' to help them (for free) with their marketing. Maybe a poster here will give you job or find you one - talks cheap...... Back in the day when jobs were advertised in print I knew a manager who would bring 60-100 applications every time he advertised (some managers get 100's) do you seriously think he spent 30 minutes on each one and offered one on one advice to the 99 who didn't get the job, most were lucky if they got 20 seconds before they went to the reject pile, on top of that there were the unsolicited applications and calls. Anyone who has ever had a high street store (or other business) knows how many people come in looking for something, then there are the endless calls and of course junk email, it gets old. Edited November 23, 2015 by Country vic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 How many people have you employed.Busness owners, company managers and HR departments have more important things to worry about than whether the OP gets a job. Emploeyrs get so many people demanding attention, everyone wants something. Its like your junk mail, you may have quick look if you have time, then it goes in the bin, or cold callers, maybe you have a chat and buy the product, or offer the cold caller advice on how to sell, I hang up or don't answer my phone. How would you feel if the firms that spend a small fortune publishing and distributing their junk mail (or tele-marketing) demanded you give them your time and attention and buy something, or explain why you won't and offer your 'feedback' to help them (for free) with their marketing. Maybe a poster here will give you job or find you one - talks cheap...... Back in the day when jobs were advertised in print I knew a manager who would bring 60-100 applications every time he advertised (some managers get 100's) do you seriously think he spent 30 minutes on each one and offered one on one advice to the 99 who didn't get the job, most were lucky if they got 20 seconds before they went to the reject pile, on top of that there were the unsolicited applications and calls. Anyone who has ever had a high street store (or other business) knows how many people come in looking for something, then there are the endless calls and of course junk email, it gets old. Altogether, over the years probably 100 people, not many, but I always took my time to give each applicant feedback. There is a huge difference in how many applications you receive for a job and how many you interview. Our government jobs in the UK we may have 300 applicants, but it would be shortlisted. Those who reached final interview stage always received feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Pom Queen Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Maybe a poster here will give you job or find you one - talks cheap...... . :wacko: I'm not looking for one thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freckleface Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 How many people have you employed. Busness owners, company managers and HR departments have more important things to worry about than whether the OP gets a job. Employers get so many people demanding attention, everyone wants something. Its like your junk mail, you may have quick look if you have time, then it goes in the bin, or cold callers, maybe you have a chat and buy the product, or offer the cold caller advice on how to sell, I hang up or don't answer my phone. How would you feel if the firms that spend a small fortune publishing and distributing their junk mail (or tele-marketing) demanded you give them your time and attention and buy something, or explain why you won't and offer your 'feedback' to help them (for free) with their marketing. Maybe a poster here will give you job or find you one - talks cheap...... Back in the day when jobs were advertised in print I knew a manager who would bring 60-100 applications every time he advertised (some managers get 100's) do you seriously think he spent 30 minutes on each one and offered one on one advice to the 99 who didn't get the job, most were lucky if they got 20 seconds before they went to the reject pile, on top of that there were the unsolicited applications and calls. Anyone who has ever had a high street store (or other business) knows how many people come in looking for something, then there are the endless calls and of course junk email, it gets old. Until recently I was the CEO of a company that employed thousands of people. Feedback wasn't routinely provided to unsuccessful candidates but I did expect HR to provide constructive feedback to anyone who asked for it. I provided feedback myself to unsuccessful executive candidates. It is very short sighted not to in my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 How many people have you employed. Busness owners, company managers and HR departments have more important things to worry about than whether the OP gets a job. Employers get so many people demanding attention, everyone wants something. Its like your junk mail, you may have quick look if you have time, then it goes in the bin, or cold callers, maybe you have a chat and buy the product, or offer the cold caller advice on how to sell, I hang up or don't answer my phone. How would you feel if the firms that spend a small fortune publishing and distributing their junk mail (or tele-marketing) demanded you give them your time and attention and buy something, or explain why you won't and offer your 'feedback' to help them (for free) with their marketing. Maybe a poster here will give you job or find you one - talks cheap...... Back in the day when jobs were advertised in print I knew a manager who would bring 60-100 applications every time he advertised (some managers get 100's) do you seriously think he spent 30 minutes on each one and offered one on one advice to the 99 who didn't get the job, most were lucky if they got 20 seconds before they went to the reject pile, on top of that there were the unsolicited applications and calls. Anyone who has ever had a high street store (or other business) knows how many people come in looking for something, then there are the endless calls and of course junk email, it gets old. In the modern workforce it is common and somewhat expected that any unsuccessful candidate at interview may ask for feedback. It's the norm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 First of all big hugs @Huntersmummy - this is one of the hardest times in the lifecycle of a migrant, the initial euphoria has worn off but the uncertainty of the unknown is still there and rather than being exciting it starts to feel pretty scary. There is definitely some reality in your situation, you are a migrant and, just like in the UK, migrants aren't always the first choice - on a PR visa you are protected from discrimination but especially for unskilled/casual work you would have a hard time proving it. I do not think it is racism as such but a preference for local experience - some of it is laziness, why have the hassle of taking up references from overseas when you have a local candidate that is just as good. As someone who employed people in Australia I also think simple familiarity with their previous employers plays a part - you know how other companies do things and that impacts what you expect from the candidate especially if they have worked somewhere a long time (for good and bad!). I found it harder when I first started as the previous employers meant nothing so putting myself in the shoes of an Australian recruiter I can understand why British experience is off-putting. I have also rejected people on the basis of 'communication skills' where their accent meant it was very difficult to understand them - it made me uncomfortable but given communication was a key skill I need people that can make themselves understood. Scots and Scottish accents are not disliked in Australia in my experience (albeit not in NT) - if anything Scots are preferred to English (& I am English so not just saying that!) but if your 'dodgy' accent makes it hard for you to be understood then it could be a factor - get some honest opinions. My dad has just moved to Scotland and is finding it very hard - he has to ask people to slow down so just speaking slower could help - hard if you're nervous at interview I know. I think your biggest risk right now though is lumping your experience in applying for three quite different jobs together, with actually quite different outcomes and getting depressed and/or a chip on your shoulder which will make it even harder to get a break. The games store position was never going to happen - this is a dream job for so many people & as someone who hangs out a lot at games stores (I have a 12 year old!) the staff are immensely knowledgeable not just about current games but games in development. With online retailers biting at their heels a games store differentiates itself by service - my son wants to shop in Game because he gets to interact with the super cool people that work there, just like i bought LP's from an independent record shop when I was his age! I wouldn't say don't apply for jobs where you don't stand a chance because strange things do happen but be clear in your mind they are long shots so you don't feel rejected when you're turned down. Whatever the job give yourself the best possible chance - research the position and the company (& their competitors) as best you possibly can, I do wonder whether you feel you should be just able to walk into a job because they are not highly skilled roles you are applying for and it is possible that is coming across. NT has the lowest unemployment in Australia at the moment so keep plugging away 3-6 months to get a first position is normal - once you get that first position and have local experience on your CV it will fall into place. be prepared to do anything and hang on in there!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country vic Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 (edited) OK in these bigger firms and government departments with qualified HR managers and lots of staff with nothing better to do (reminds me of an episode on Utopia) offer 'feedback' however, I would question how honest it is. HR departments are about avoiding liability. The OP was given 'feedback' but they didn't like it. It it is up to the OP to figure out for themselves, honestly, why things have not worked to date. When I see news stories about people who say 'I have applied to 500 jobs and not had one interview' I feel like shouting out 'stop doing that' if something is not working stop doing it. Time to reassess and do something different. Generally people are applying for the wrong job, something they have no realistic chance of getting, or they are applying for the right job in the wrong way. There are government funded agencies who get paid to offer employment advice but beware and proceed with great caution, these agencies vary significantly in their skill and integrity. I think it would be better to research online (Dr Google for job seekers) and see what employers there are saying. Remember people do not tell truth 'how are you today' 'nice to see you' ' we must have lunch sometime' 'of course your bum doesn't look big in that' 'it's not you its me' ' I am not looking for a relationship right now' .....post your favourites. People have good intentions, with some lies they genuinely don't want to hurt your feelings, no one wants to hear 'do you seriously think someone like me would be interested in a loser like you .. ' yep I know plenty about rejection:- ) I remember a woman I worked with had a rather unprepossessing daughter who went for a job interview, they told her she was 'overqualified' her mother decided to phone the would-be employer and demand an explaination, I heard her side of the call, one part 'so you just said that to let her down lightly' it was obvious to all of us that this kid was overqualified for nothing but her mother chose not to see it, it was a bit sad really. Sometimes we have to understand that we are being lied to and see the truth for ourselves. One thing that does bug employers (if not most of us) is a sense of entitlement. Edited November 23, 2015 by Country vic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country vic Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I do have a success story of a close associate of mine. Odd work and education history, but eventually he gets a job in the public service, we had all thought at 30 he was to old as he was competing with 20-25 year old new grads. Anyway all going well but a few years later decided to leave for some weird job, madness we all said, what is he thinking, unsurprisingly weird job didn't last long, tried to warn him we all said, so more education, some unemployment ... Now he's 40 checkered history, competing with 30 year olds, not a hope we all said, better look at self-employment, wasting his time trying to get back into the public service at his age, no old school contacts or helpful mummy and daddy, wasting his time we all said. Then.... he gets a managers job in the department of 'god knows what they do....' none of us could believe it but we all had to hand it to him for his persveance against the odds, seem to be going well for him. So a lesson to us all sometimes perseverance does pay, he refused to give up, turns out he had had a few interviews in various government departments and finally it paid off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sammy1 Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 OK in these bigger firms and government departments with qualified HR managers and lots of staff with nothing better to do (reminds me of an episode on Utopia) offer 'feedback' however, I would question how honest it is. HR departments are about avoiding liability. The OP was given 'feedback' but they didn't like it. It it is up to the OP to figure out for themselves, honestly, why things have not worked to date. When I see news stories about people who say 'I have applied to 500 jobs and not had one interview' I feel like shouting out 'stop doing that' if something is not working stop doing it. Time to reassess and do something different. Generally people are applying for the wrong job, something they have no realistic chance of getting, or they are applying for the right job in the wrong way. There are government funded agencies who get paid to offer employment advice but beware and proceed with great caution, these agencies vary significantly in their skill and integrity. I think it would be better to research online (Dr Google for job seekers) and see what employers there are saying. Remember people do not tell truth 'how are you today' 'nice to see you' ' we must have lunch sometime' 'of course your bum doesn't look big in that' 'it's not you its me' ' I am not looking for a relationship right now' .....post your favourites. People have good intentions, with some lies they genuinely don't want to hurt your feelings, no one wants to hear 'do you seriously think someone like me would be interested in a loser like you .. ' yep I know plenty about rejection:- ) I remember a woman I worked with had a rather unprepossessing daughter who went for a job interview, they told her she was 'overqualified' her mother decided to phone the would-be employer and demand an explaination, I heard her side of the call, one part 'so you just said that to let her down lightly' it was obvious to all of us that this kid was overqualified for nothing but her mother chose not to see it, it was a bit sad really. Sometimes we have to understand that we are being lied to and see the truth for ourselves. One thing that does bug employers (if not most of us) is a sense of entitlement. Constructive feedback is just that, constructive. Nobody phones up demanding an 'explanation', it is merely to find out the weaknesses and strengths of an unsuccessful interview, so it can be improved next time. It is not simply limited to large corporations at all, many small businesses are happy to do this. Perhaps you have been out of the work force a long time? As you don't seem to understand how it works now with regards to the asking for and giving of feedback. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country vic Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 (edited) I understand for many reasons, we rarely hear the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. As well as 'feedback' it has to be 'constructive' so you set the rules by which you expect your 'feedback' to be delivered. Maybe some of you would like to share the 'feedback' you have received, 'overqualified' perhaps :- ) Whatever works for you. Edited November 23, 2015 by Country vic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newjez Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 In the modern workforce it is common and somewhat expected that any unsuccessful candidate at interview may ask for feedback. It's the norm. The last time I asked for constructive feedback they offered me the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodipodi Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 After reading on this thread about the fact it may prove difficult to find work in Darwin /NT....I'm now really concerned about my hubby planning on going over next year.... I got the impression previously it would be a good bet?... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 After reading on this thread about the fact it may prove difficult to find work in Darwin /NT....I'm now really concerned about my hubby planning on going over next year....I got the impression previously it would be a good bet?... Nowhere is going to be easy to get a job but it obviously depends on what skills he brings and who else is competing for the job. As a foreigner (and IIRC he will be in Aus on a WHV???) he is going to be behind the 8 ball because there will be young local graduates desperate to get themselves into the market. It's a supply and demand thing though, if his skills are in demand and nobody else has them then he might get a look in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 After reading on this thread about the fact it may prove difficult to find work in Darwin /NT....I'm now really concerned about my hubby planning on going over next year....I got the impression previously it would be a good bet?... The problem is that Darwin is only a small place, and there really is no other towns of any size nearby, so even though unemployment is low not many vacancies will come up, more people live in Oxford than Darwin, it's just a numbers game, add the fact that you are competing against other job hunters who may be established in Darwin, it's a big ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodipodi Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 So...my apologies for hijacking this thread.... I sincerely hope you get work soon Huntersmummy..... Alice Springs - same.... Or better for job opportunities? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 So...my apologies for hijacking this thread.... I sincerely hope you get work soon Huntersmummy..... Alice Springs - same.... Or better for job opportunities? Alice springs, population about 25000, miles from anywhere, tricky, have you looked on Seek to see where the vacancies for your husband might be? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodipodi Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 There's vacancies allover really.... We thought Perth would be a good idea as he has a friend out there, but I came on here and from others comments I got the idea Alice or Darwin would be his best bet.. I understand nobody has a crystal ball but I'd much rather take an educated, well thought out risk on advice of those actually in Oz so I really do need guidance xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Tilley Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 Perhaps in the UK we are used to employment laws and The Equality Act 2010 where you can't discriminate against people and refuse to employ them on the grounds of their age, gender, race, religion, sexuality, civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, disability or sex! In addition, I've recently interviewed people where they've all been asked the same questions and are scored on their answers according to detail and then the jobs have been offered to the highest scorers! These papers are then kept so that if anyone wants to challenge why there were not offered the job due to one of the nine characteristics mentioned it can be proven that they didn't score very well compared to the other candidates. All score sheets had a 'position offered' 'position declined' box and a space to put the date of 'feedback given to candidate'. Taking on 14 people was pretty easy. Letting the other 6 know why they hadn't got the job took longer! I should imagine the Equality Act (or something similar) has not yet reached NT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 There's vacancies allover really.... We thought Perth would be a good idea as he has a friend out there, but I came on here and from others comments I got the idea Alice or Darwin would be his best bet.. I understand nobody has a crystal ball but I'd much rather take an educated, well thought out risk on advice of those actually in Oz so I really do need guidance xx Maybe you'd be better to start a thread asking about prospects in whatever field your husband works in, the sleepyheads down under are just waking up some one will probably be working in the same field and might hopefully give some advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodipodi Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I already did and a few thought NT/Alice would be a good bet....:laugh:....That's why I'm slightly worried now... Well...to be honest we'll be worried wherever he goes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amibovered Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I already did and a few thought NT/Alice would be a good bet....:laugh:....That's why I'm slightly worried now... Well...to be honest we'll be worried wherever he goes... Well I wouldn't discount the bigger places, bound to be more vacancies, numbers game and all that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemesis Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 I already did and a few thought NT/Alice would be a good bet....:laugh:....That's why I'm slightly worried now... Well...to be honest we'll be worried wherever he goes... Darwin might be better than Alice -honestly, unless you have a niche skill and can land a job in Alice before arriving I don't thinkyou have a lot of hope. Alice really IS small-town-Australia. People knowing eahc other's business, lots of family ties - the sort of place where you aren't a locl until you're the third generation! I love to visit Alice, but its unique, and I think it would be a hard place to break into both professionally and socially. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jodipodi Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 He's a Youth and Community Worker. Thanks, don't want to keep hijacking Huntersmummys thread. I have my own on this same subforum x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.