Nab That Job in Australia!

I decided to blog this post after receiving the question: "how do I find a sponsored job in Australia?", on a regular basis from clients and visitors to Nab That Job in Australia!.

Finding an Australian employer to sponsor you is the trickiest part  for emigrating to Australia.  I have a few recommendations, which are all listed out in detail in my free eGuide, "Mission: Find a Job in Australia", which you can download here.

Do Your Research. You will not often find Australian employers advertising that they are looking for someone to sponsor from overseas.  The main reason being,if there is someone with the required skillset in Australia, it is easier for the Australian employer to offer a job to someone who is already established in Australia and can start work  immediately - in comparison with employing a foreign national and going through the sponsorship process, the cost involved and the time delay for the sponsored individual to commence employment in Australia.    

You are also unlikely to find an Australian employer to sponsor you through the use of a recruitment agency,unless that recruitment agency specifically mentions in their job advertisement that the Australian employer is willing to sponsor the right candidate.

My advice: search out companies in Australia whom you would like to work for. In general, larger companies in Australia are more likely to sponsor people from overseas than the smaller companies, however you should not strike out the smaller companies because some are still willing to sponsore the right person.  Wikipedia provides a list of Australian companies.  You can also research the Yahoo Companies Directory to find companies in Australia to approach for sponsorship.  The advantage of Yahoo is that they have categorised the companies for you to make it easier to find what kind of company you are looking for.

Search out global companies who are based in both your home country and in Australia, and find out whether they offer transfer opportunties - usually global companies do.  Even though it might mean working in your home country for a period before an opportunity arises in Australia, it is worth it in the long run, if it means you can emigrate to Australia through that company.

Keep a list of the companies that interest you, and contact them all. I recommend phoning to speak to the manager of the department you would like to work in.  If that fails, speak with the Human Resources department.  Find out whether they are a company who are willing to sponsor someone from another country with the right skillset.  Find out how often they destroy applications /resumes / CVs as well - most companies in Australia hang on to applications for 3-6 months, so to be safe, you should follow up your applications every three months.  Keep a record of all of the dates you apply for jobs and speak with the company, for ease of keeping on top of your Australian job applications.

Plan a trip to Australia. Once you have quite a healthy list of companies you would like to work for (no list is too long), and have applied and spoken to all of them, you should plan a trip to Australia where you can meet with each of the employers.  If you are unable to set an appointment with every employer, make a plan to visit the company anyway, dropping off your updated resume, and try to get in front of either the department manager, or a Human Resources Manager.

If you are able to, when you visit Australia, line up some volunteering work for some organisations in Australia.  Companies that are most likely to accept volunteers are charitable and non-profit organisations. Approach them and set it up before arriving in Australia so you can build it into your plan for your trip to Australia.  Also ensure that you are volunteering in the area of your profession.  It will be to your advantage if you have experience working in Australia when you are looking for a sponsor, even if it is volunteer employment.  www.nonprofitorganisationsaustralia.com has a comprehensive listing of non-profit organisations in Australia by state / region / city or town.

Build your networks. Use social media, join industry groups, make friends in all the right places and put yourself out there.  Use your networks and use other people's networks - especially if you already know people in Australia.  The more you put yourself out there, the more success you will have in finding an Australian employer who is willing to sponsor you.

Are there any courses or further education in Australia in your industry you can enroll in?  If you can get a student visa and go to Australia to study, you are normally entitled to a certain amount of hours per week that you can work.  This is an awesome opportunityfor you to network, get your foot in the door and gain valuable Australian experience and qualifications.

Prepare your marketing materials for success.  Do your research to ensure that you will be competitive in the Australian job market - that means ensuring your resume / CV is in a successful Australian format, and ensuring you have a high-impact cover letter that will entice the Australian employer to review your resume / CV.  You can do a free assessment of your resume to find out how successful you will be applying for jobs in Australia, and what you can do to improve your current resume, here.  There are also free Australian cover letter writing tips here.

If you are serious about increasing your chances of finding an employer sponsor in Australia, you should consider having your resume professionally rewritten specifically for the Australian job market.  Nab That Job in Australia! is the only Australian Emigration Job Search Strategist who works specifically with overseas nationals to increase their chance of finding an employer sponsor in Australia.  The rates of their Australian resume / CV and Australian cover letter writing services are very reasonable and competive, with the option of writing your own resume / CV with the guidance of the eWorkbook, "Australian Resumes: Secrets Revealed".  This eWorkbook is available for only AU$22.50, and includes ten free tried and tested high-impact Australian resume / CV templates; as well as a key Job Contacts List for Australia.

If you feel more comfortable having an Australian Emigration Job Search professional to rewrite your resume to a successful Australian CV template, then you can expect to pay between AU$90 and AU$245,depending on your number of years work experience; and between AU$35 and AU$65 for the Australian cover letter writing services.  To find out how much your resume would cost to be rewritten, visit Australian Job Search Assistance.

Remember: an estimated 75% of jobs in Australia are not advertised, and are found in the Australian 'hidden job market'.  It is essentialto your success that you access this enormous resource of job opportunities in Australia.

I hope you have found this information useful.  My suggestion is for you to access the free eGuide, "Mission: Find a Job in Australia" so you can start prerparing your Australian Job Search Strategy, and increase your likelihood of finding a sponsored job in Australia.

Good luck finding sponsored employment in Australia!

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Nadine Myers

Australian Emigration Job Search Strategist

Nab That Job in Australia!