According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs, almost 1.2 million UK citizens lived in Australia in 2021. This number makes it the most significant migration community on the island continent. Why did so many people choose to relocate to such a distant spot? The answer is obvious: a combination of a pleasant climate, high quality of life, excellent education, and, of course, employment opportunities. Also, the pandemic reality has led to the emergence of new remote features for working in Australia from UK.
If you ever think of trying your professional luck in Australia, you should start with thorough preparation. What does the Australian job market look like? What are Australia’s immigration policies for UK citizens? What are the secrets of a successful job search? All these questions and even more are explained in our article.
Researching the Australian Job Market
What we really recommend doing before moving continents is researching employment opportunities. There are several ways to do it.
Identifying In-Demand Industries and Sectors
Step one: you should research Australia’s skills shortages. Thanks to the almighty Internet, everyone has access to such information nowadays. If you can find your profession among the in-demand ones, the task gets significantly more accessible for you. If not, try finding the roles that are related to yours. You might be required to take an upskilling or reskilling course. However, your effort will definitely pay off in the future.
Utilizing Online Platforms for Job Searches
Step two: check actual vacancies. Every country has its own reliable job search platforms, and Australia isn’t an exception. Try to find at least two and start exploring what vacancies Australian employers currently offer. You’ll also discover the potential salary ranges for the roles you aim to pursue. We do recommend taking notes of the job requirements. In such a way, you’ll get valuable insights into both the job market and industry norms for qualified professionals in Australia.
Networking Strategies for Accessing Opportunities
A saying says, ‘Opportunities don’t happen, we create them’. It means that nobody will come and offer something to you. However, if you ask people, you might discover they have precisely what you need. Don’t hesitate to contact your friends, ex-colleagues, or just acquaintances who are somehow connected to the labour market in Australia. They can share tips on a successful job search and even help you with employment.
Understanding Australian Visa and Work Permit Procedures
If you’re satisfied with your Australian job market research results and you’re willing to move the process forward, the next step will be to get more into the country’s immigration policies.
Immigration Policies of the Australian Government
Overall, the Australian Government is interested in attracting and keeping skilled workers in their country. The planning level for the 2023-2024 Migration Program reaches 190,000 places and includes the following streams:
- Skill stream with 137,100 places. It aims to improve the country’s productive capacities and fill skill shortages.
- Family stream with 52,500 places. The aim is to allow Australians to reunite with their family members from overseas and facilitate the procedure of receiving citizenship.
- Particular Eligibility stream with 400 places. It’s mainly for permanent residents who want to return to Australia after living abroad.
The Skill steam of the Migration Program
Those who want to contribute to the growth of the Australian economy are welcome to apply for a visa within the Skill visa stream. It includes such visa variations:
- Employer-Sponsored (36,825 places)
- Skilled Independent (30,375 places)
- Regional (32,300 places)
- State/Territory Nominated (30,400 places)
- Business Innovation & Investment
- Global Talent (Independent)
- Distinguished Talent
You can also be an investor or entrepreneur to contribute to Australia’s economic growth. If your innovative ideas can help improve the productivity and efficiency of Australian businesses, feel free to apply for a visa within the Skill stream.
The Family Stream of the Migration Program
Another legal way to relocate to Australia is to reunite with your family members who are Australian residents. The Australian Government believes it will contribute to more substantial social cohesion outcomes and support Australia’s population growth. For this reason, they increased the size of the Parent program up to 8,500 places in 2022-2023 and kept 40,500 sites unchanged within the Partner visa category in 2023-2024.
The Australian Government also supports reunifying a child with their Australian parent or family sponsor. According to the Child Visa program, persons are allowed to sponsor their dependent child, adopted child, or orphaned relative in Australia.
The Partner, Parent, and Child visa programs may well be a good reason for moving to Australia and starting paving your career way there.
Working Holiday Visa
You can apply for a Working Holiday visa if you’re between 18 and 30 years old (35 for some countries). It allows you to stay 12 months in Australia and work to help you cover your expenses. There are three types of Holiday visas: First, Second, and Third, which means you can repeat the procedure three times.
Eligibility Criteria and Application Process
There are various types of Australian visas, each with a list of requirements. We’ll have a look at some of them. If to talk about the Working Holiday visa, one should:
- Be 18 to 30 years old (or 35 for some countries);
- Have a passport from an eligible country or jurisdiction;
- Not be accompanied by dependent children.<
As for the Skilled Independent visa, one must:
- Have their occupation on the skilled occupation list;
- Have a suitable skills assessment for their employment;
- Get an invitation to apply for the visa;
- Get 65 points in the test.
The application process for the Skilled Independent visa looks like this:
- You find your occupation on the skilled occupation list. You get 65 points in the test.
- Submit an impression of interest in SkillSelect.
- Get an invitation to apply.
- Gather all the necessary documents.
- Apply for the visa within 60 days after getting the invitation.
Preparing a Targeted Professional Profile
The next step will be working on your CV, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile to get competitive in the Australian job market.
Tailoring Your CV for the Australian Job Market
The good news is that the CV format commonly used in Australia is similar to the one used in the UK. Anyway, checking your document on some free online CV review platform will never hurt. Or google Australian CV templates and compare them with your CV. By the way, they call a CV “resume” in Australia.
Talking about the cover letter, avoid generic letters by all means. Employers in Australia, as anywhere else, prefer applicants who make a conscious and informed decision when choosing a workplace. Be very specific and tailor your cover letter to each employer to demonstrate it.
Highlighting Transferable Skills and Global Experiences
To be brutally honest, Australian recruiters may be a bit reluctant to deal with a candidate from overseas. No wonder, just imagine how much time the relocation process may take. However, there are some tips on how to melt Australian recruiters’ hearts.
- First, include the exact date when you are ready to start working. The Australian recruiter will have a better understanding if you align with their hiring needs.
- Second, remember to include any global experiences you have had. Based on it, discuss how they have equipped you with the qualities that will be valuable for potential employers in Australia. For instance, navigating and contributing effectively in a multicultural work environment that is so widespread in Australia.
- Third, highlight your transferable skills. The Australian job market is diverse; therefore, employers tend to value candidates who bring various skills from different professional contexts.
Polishing your LinkedIn Profile
Your LinkedIn profile referrals do matter. The task may be time-consuming as you need to contact your current or ex-colleagues or bosses and ask them (beg or maybe persuade) to leave a comment on your profile page. If you are in an excellent relationship with a person, just write a comment for them and ask them to copy and paste it. In such a way, you’ll include the information that a hiring manager in Australia needs to know about you as a professional.
Legal Considerations for Employment in Australia
Last but not least, familiarise yourself with the employment legislation in Australia. Not only will you be informed about your rights and duties, but also will be able to protect yourself from unscrupulous employers.
Compliance with Australian Employment Laws
To ensure that you are ready to comply with Australian employment legislation, we recommend:
- Consulting an immigration lawyer or employment specialist to ensure you properly understand Australian employment laws;
- Checking the resources provided by the Fair Work Ombudsman (the primary regulatory body in the national system) to get some insights into your rights and responsibilities as an employee in Australia.
Understanding Employment Contracts with UK qualifications
If you are a UK citizen willing to join the Australian workforce, you most likely already have UK qualifications. No panic! The vast majority of employers do accept UK qualifications due to the fact that they are familiar with the quality of education provided in UK educational institutions. Some professions, however, may require recognition or accreditation from specific professional bodies. Check in with the relevant Australian professional associations to ensure that UK qualifications in your field can be accepted.
