It is no secret that the most difficult stage of getting a job in Australia is getting to the interview, which frustrates new migrants seeking to enter the job market for the first time and obtain the golden card "local experience".
"Skilled migrants"
Eman El-Desouky says, “The experience of searching for a job in my field of expertise was very annoying at first. I became doubtful of my abilities, although I know very well the extent of the contribution I will make to any workplace, even if I know that I will have to make twice the effort to prove my abilities here.”
"I concluded that employers in Australia choose job applicants to go to the interview stage, based on a prior belief inspired by their resume that they are able to actually accomplish the tasks of the job," says Mohamed El-Gohary.
He added: "They do not waste their time or the time of applicants in an interview if they think that they are not suitable for the job. Therefore, we migrants get frustrated when we submit dozens of applications, without getting a chance to qualify for the interview stage.”
Ola Ali expressed another disappointment after immigrating with her family to Australia on a skilled worker visa.
"My husband has not been able to find a job in his field in which Australia requires skilled workers from abroad. We never expected this, and it was a very big shock,” she said.
She adds: "Australia opened the door to migration for us, specifically to the state of Queensland, but then we were surprised to find that there were no job opportunities in this sector for two whole years.”
This shock is shared by many skilled migrants in Australia and the reasons for rejecting job applications and its availability differ from one state to another.
Mohamed Elgohary and his family. Source: Mohamed Elgohary
As for Malda Karsli, she says: "My husband and I have higher degrees in our fields of specialisation, and we have years of experience.”
"We were surprised to receive the rejection of our job applications, especially since our qualifications and experience fitted the description and requirements of the job.”
Here the migrant begins to question the reasons for the continued refusal.
"Is it because my name was so ‘ethnic’? Then why did they interview me and hire Margaret Jones for the job?" says Iman.
For his part, Sameh Al-Jawadi took these questions with him to a recruitment workshop held by an employment services agency.
"They told us there that a lot of corporate recruiters look at applicants' names in emails. They pick candidates with easily pronounced names, and they exclude people with difficult names,” he said.
“Reasons for refusal”
One of the reasons that a new migrant may not get a job in his field in Australia initially is lack of local experience.
Amro Afifi says: "Some Arabs may feel disheartened to work in jobs far from their specialisations, especially if they start comparing their financial and social status before and after immigration.”
On the other hand, Sarah Mohammed says: "In the end, there is no escape from this especially with having children and the increased cost of living. My husband was not able to find a job in his field for a while. But we had to work in other jobs to secure an income and get local experience.”
One of the most prominent solutions that employment specialists in Australia propose to the new migrants to support their chances of obtaining jobs in their specialties is volunteering.
“When you volunteer in Australia, you get a chance to show your skills, abilities and experience. Most of the time the employer ends up offering the volunteer an official job,” says Employment Services Officer Madonna Awad.
“And if they aren’t offered a job, this experience will be recorded as local experience on his CV to support their progression to other jobs.”
"Respect for work-life balance"
Guests of this episode of the 'Australia Explained’ podcast agreed that there is a balance between fun, work and responsibility in the Australian workplace. Working in Australia may require you to be as open and flexible to help as possible.
Mohamed says: “One of the strangest things I encountered in the workplace here was that there was no ‘office boy’ to clean the place and make coffee and tea. At first, when I was asked to do these things here for myself, I felt that they were underestimating me.”
Away from the anecdotes of the different work environments in the Arab countries and Australia, the real shock of the new migrant appears when they begin to discover the advantages of the work system here.
Azza Ibrahim says: "Australia respects the working hours and the employee. In the Arab countries, the manager pressures us to finish the work even if it is outside working hours. It is the exact opposite here, where employers respect working hours, and they are regulated and protected by law.”
Eman El-Desouky Source: Eman El-Desouky
Australian labour law also provides general protection from abuse and a comprehensive occupational health and safety system.
Sameh says: "There is always a way to complain and demand your rights from anyone. As for the Arab countries, if I quarrel with my boss, for example, I know that I will definitely lose my job.”
One of the most beautiful Australian habits that the guests of the episode got addicted to in the workplace, is the habit of drinking coffee. About 81 per cent of Australian workers believe that coffee plays a key role in encouraging and forming professional and social relationships between colleagues.
This habit may be one of the closest to the hearts of Arab migrants, as coffee is one of the most important drinks, which gets offered in all places and all occasions there. Here, they find a rich and distinctive experience awaiting coffee lovers. But there are habits, luxuries ones offered by Arab countries, which they cannot easily be obtained in Australia.
Employment Services Officer Madonna Awad Source: Madona Awad
"Do It Yourself"
The Do It Yourself (DIY) culture is another surprising aspect experienced by migrants who were previously dependent on others to perform their tasks at home and outside.
“I found out that we are very spoiled in our Arab countries,” says Ola. “I still can’t believe how much work we do at home here, because of the high cost of hiring tradespeople in Australia.”
“I was forced to do a lot of repairs in the house and to find the best ways, materials and means to fix it on my own.”
As for Sarah, she said laughing: "I painted the house and laid tiles for the bathroom floor and other places in the house, and I installed the kitchen cabinets.”
"Calling a tradesperson to your house to reveal the cause of a problem could cost you hundreds of dollars. That was a really a tough lesson! We learned to open up YouTube and look for ways to fix stuff in the house, things we've never done before," Mohammed adds.
"The dignity of labour"
From here it can be predicted that workers in the trade sector in Australia enjoy an important professional, living, and social status, unlike their peers in the Arab countries. In Australia they are one of the biggest forces which drives of the country's economy.
"The job of waste pickers in Australia is as important as the job of a minister here," says Madona, the Employment Services Officer, "Because we complement and respect each other as a human beings, not by our job title.”
Tuqa Al-Nasiri says: "I respected this very much, because I was working as a tailor, and I was paid only pennies for my services in Arab countries.”
"Here I am respected my profession more and feet proud of it. Now I work as a life coach, and a chef. When I say I am a chef in Arab countries, I get laughed at. They don't know that the chef here earns between $300 and $400 a day,” she said.
Finally, since we are talking about professions and their value in Australia, we must mention the importance of the charming professional space of the Australian First Nations people that have been passed down through generations. Their visual arts and crafts sector brings significant economic, social, and cultural benefits to the wider Australian and international community.
Listen to Australia Explained in Arabic on , , or . Tailored for new and recent migrants to the land Down Under, the podcast helps demystify the quirky habits that embody the Aussie way of life. Listen in as SBS Arabic24 delves into the culture shock experienced by migrants in social spaces, the workplace, school, and more.
