Applying For Work Abroad

Applying for jobs in Australia when on a Working Holiday Visa is difficult enough. Yet how about when you are out of the country? Surprisingly, applying for work from overseas is not as tricky as you might expect.

Technology has brought people closer to the extent that you can successfully apply for a job and attend the interview while being abroad, and not in the same time zone, ideal for a country as vast as Australia.

There are even distinct advantages to applying from outside the country. Namely that you can leave an application to do the work for you. So if you are considering returning to Australia after your working holiday visa is up, then you should check out SkillSelect. This is an online service provided by the Australian government that allows Australia to manage its skilled migration program based on the country’s economic needs.

The process is actually remarkably simple. You confirm which skilled visa you want to be considered for, submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect and if a suitable opportunity comes up you could be nominated for a skilled visa or invited to lodge a visa application. Please note, an EOI is not a visa application but you will be asked to provide information in the EOI, including which visa you want to be considered for. In this way it is quite similar to leaving a CV on a prospective employer’s table as you would detail your basic personal information and contact details, nominated occupation, relevant work experience, your education, command of English (which should be pretty high, even if you are reading this), details of any related skills assessments, related to your nominated occupation as well as business and investment experience.

The benefit for the Australian government is that should they encounter a shortage in a certain vocation, they would have a list of willing candidates already waiting to jump to the call. The benefit for an applicant is that the visa processing time is vastly reduced.

SkillSelect also helps to manage skill shortages in regional areas. Employers in various states and territories can outline where their shortages are and will actively encourage migrants to settle there. It must be nice to feel wanted. Do consider, if you were willing to work in a regional area your chances of gaining work in Australia would be significantly increased.

If you are leaving Australia, do not fret that the dream is rapidly fading away. You can still maintain a presence Down Under by consulting a migration agent. Through them, you can seek advice and keep in touch with industry developments so if suitable positions arise you will know about them. They also know the visa process like the back of their hand, and can guide you through the forms themselves even from the opposite side of the globe.

There is also the option of having Australia’s employers come to you in the form of a Working International Expo. These are held across the UK with the next ones scheduled for late September in London, Manchester and Dublin, so if you are in these parts of England and Ireland at the right time, you can try to impress employers face-to-face and find out details of the jobs you are considering. You can also speak to experts who know the job market and can dole out tips on how to gain employment in Australia. Migration experts as well as finance, banking and shipping companies also attend so you could work out all the logistics before even booking your flight.

Once you are ready to apply, carry out some research. Firstly, find out which visas are available and which suit you best. If it ever comes to an interview an employer will want to know that 1. You are willing to emigrate and 2. You know how to. Try to work out when you want to move; the timescale you should consider is to begin applying for jobs about one – 12 weeks before you expect to fly out. Prepare your CV and add a short cover letter which details your visa status with dates on which you have booked a flight. The details count and it would be a bonus if you could provide Australian contact details including a postal and email address so you, the applicant, does not seem that far away.

By using SkillSelect and technology to your advantage you can prove that distance is no barrier. Any employer will want to see who they are potentially recruiting, and on Skype you can make a positive impression even if this means several cups of coffee through the night to compete with their timezone. You can also let Australia come to you in the form of a Working International Expo where you can get the inside track of gaining employment down under, even from the UK.