Language, lack of Australian experience the biggest hurdles for migrant job seekers

FIONA Phuong Dang hopes her 10 years of business management in Vietnam is enough to secure an entry level job in Melbourne.

Fiona Phuong Dang hopes her business management background will help secure an entry level position in Melbourne. Picture: Richard Serong

LANGUAGE difficulties and a lack of local work experience are the biggest barriers for migrant and refugee job seekers, a 2015 employment study found.

The Finding Satisfying Work report, published by new arrivals settlement agency AMES Australia, found 67 per cent of migrants and refugees surveyed had tertiary qualifications before coming to Australia but after four years, most were working in factories, child or aged care or customer service.

The report found that in addition to making the jobseeking process difficult, low level English put migrants at risk of workplace exploitation.

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AMES chief executive Cath Scarth said employment was “the single most important factor in successful settlement”.

“Work is not just about a pay cheque, it is a source of pride, self-reliance, improved health and sense of self-worth, ” Ms Scarth said.

“We are seeing many migrant and refugee jobseekers finding work in areas such as aged care, child care and hospitality because these industries offer entry-level positions and they are growing sectors.

“The hospitality industry particularly is beginning to see the value of hiring multilingual workers as the influx of foreign visitors and tourists to Melbourne gathers pace.

“More and more companies and organisation are recognising the value of diversity in their workforce,” she said.

SEARCHING FOR WORK

Nupur Pitroda. Picture: Lawrence Pinder

NUPUR Pitroda of Boronia has lodged more than 50 job applications in two months but has struggled to get an interview.

The aspiring accountant has completed certificates in MYOB V19.7 and bookkeeping and an internship with Platinum Accounting Australia this year.

The 27-year-old said she also had a Masters degree in business administration from Madurai Kamraj University in India but had dropped that qualification from her resume after being knocked back for bookkeeping jobs for being “over-qualified”.

She moved to Melbourne from India three and a half years ago and said job hunting was a daunting experience, but she remained persistent.

“The qualifications in India are a bit different which is why I did the bookkeeping courses when I came to Australia,” she said

Ms Pitroda said she just needed a business to give her a chance as an assistant accountant or bookkeeper.

“I now have accounting experience and I would be able to help grow a company,” she said.

Ms Pitroda has advanced knowledge of MYOB, intermediate knowledge of Xero and exposure to SAP and Reckon, and was also a keen painter and had volunteered as a school crossing supervisor.

Fiona Phuong Dang. Picture: Richard Serong

FIONA Phuong Dang hopes the decade she spent running restaurants and manufacturing businesses in Vietnam will boost her chances of landing an entry-level job in Melbourne.

The 29-year-old St Albans woman, who migrated to Australia six months ago, is looking for fulltime office administration or reception work and has enrolled in an AMES employment preparation course to increase her chances.

“The language barrier is a big thing for migrants, I think,” she said.

“I know people in my class struggling (for) two, three years to find a job but still they are looking.”

Ms Dang said most employers expected applicants to have Australian industry experience and multiple referees, which most migrants did not have.

Ms Dang said cultural differences made jobseeking difficult also.

The fear of appearing confused or annoying often prevented migrant job seekers from asking important questions, she said.

Ms Dang said she had excellent customer service skills, experience managing staff and was computer savvy.

Mariane at the Hume Jobs Fair. Picture: Carmelo Bazzano

GLADSTONE Park job seeker Mariane has spent the past two years looking for work and doesn’t know why employers won’t give her a chance.

The 27-year-old, who did not want her surname published, was a nutritionist in Lebanon and held senior public health positions before migrating to Australia in 2014.

Mariane said that as a young woman with a professional background, unemployment was “depressing”.

“There are a lot of opportunities and I have applied, but no one calls,” she said.

“I spend so much time typing applications and they don’t even reply. It’s annoying.

“In the beginning I was applying only for health jobs but now I know that doesn’t work. I’m applying for everything now.”

Mariane has been volunteering at health centres and schools for two years and is completing an English language course.

Despite her health services background, she is eager to take on fulltime work in administration or customer service.

To contact these job seekers, email [e-mail]

Originally published as Language, lack of Australian experience the biggest hurdles for migrant job seekers