Key Points
- Tapping into the hidden job market will increase your chances of finding work.
- Migrant and refugee employment services can speed up pathways into employment.
- Consider looking into fast-growing sectors such as care, hospitality and women in trades.
Job hunting is a serious business.
As soon as you arrive in Australia, it's essential to check your work rights immediately and actively pursue job opportunities.
“Don't wait for someone to hand a job to you,” advises Agnes Kemenes, Principal Lawyer at NB Migration Law.
“You have to be absolutely brave enough to go out and look for work. No one else is going to find you a job.”
Employment websites and agencies
Employment websites such as Seek, CareerOne and Jora, and social media platforms such as LinkedIn will provide you with an idea of what types of jobs are available and which sectors are hiring.
You can also contact recruitment and labour-hire agencies. Recruitment agencies attempt to place you in permanent or contract roles with employers and charge them a fee. Labour hire offers you direct employment, but they’re hiring you out to other employers.
Recruitment, Job application, contract and business employment concept. Hand giving the resume to the recruiter to review the profile of the applicant. Source: Moment RF / Narisara Nami/Getty Images
Tapping into the hidden job market
Because most jobs aren’t advertised, looking for work means building your networks by speaking directly with employers and contacts you’ve made in Australia.
It might mean checking your Facebook community groups for people looking to hire or asking your friends to keep an ear out for opportunities at their workplace.
Migrant and refugee employment services
National not-for-profit organisation Settlement Services International ( introduces people from diverse backgrounds to training and employment pathways, offering programs targeting refugee and migrant communities.
“We call it the ‘10 steps of success’,” Joudy Lazkany, Head of Employment Services at SSI says.
“We help them understand what they need to have available, how to translate all their paperwork into Australian evidence base, how to get their overseas qualification recognised, how to look for work, how to research businesses, how to connect with services like us to help them be empowered and independent.”
If you had an occupation overseas, SSI can show you what that might look like in Australia.
“For example, if you're a mechanical engineer in the Middle East working on multi-billion-dollar projects, how can you get your foot in the door? Can you start somewhere else while we go through all the other steps of getting overseas qualification recognition, working on improving English at work, working on building confidence, working on building social networks?”
SSI also introduces you to local businesses to help you sell yourself. Rather than seeing a piece of paper, employers meet a human with transferable skills and experience.
provides free employment services to migrants and refugees through the Federal Government's Workforce Australia program and other independent initiatives.
The programs address employment barriers while highlighting the strengths, skills, qualifications and lived experience that migrants bring with them.
The Employment Mentoring Program seeks to speed up migrant pathways into employment.Laurie Nowell, Public Affairs Manager at AMES.
“We bring our refugee settlement, education and employment staff together in one place and they can triage each migrant or refugee client,” Mr Nowell adds.
AMES also runs the to introduce professional migrants to the Australian workplace.
Portrait Of Female Aboriginal Australian Worker On Solar Farm wearing Hi-Vis Workwear Credit: Thurtell/Getty Images
Women in trades
Connecting Women to trades is a NSW state government initiative. Run through SSI, it builds capability and awareness for both businesses and women entering the trades or construction sector.
“We’re specifically working with businesses and women on building the business’ capacity to recruit, retain and empower women into trades,” says Ms Lazkany.
The initiative recognises how vital financial empowerment is for women because women don’t just support themselves – they often support their extended family.
The growing presence of women in trades signifies a substantial social change, making it an aspect worth considering for those seeking career opportunities.
Consider the care and hospitality industries
AMES Australia runs vocational training, as these sectors offer many entry-level job opportunities.
“We work with migrants and refugees who maybe don't have professional qualifications but want to work, and through care and hospitality, they can quickly attain skills and qualifications they need to join the workforce,” says Laurie Nowell.
The care industry is one of the fastest growing sectors. It employs almost two million people, and that’s rising to 2.5 million by 2025.[Laurie Nowell, Public Affairs Manager, AMES Australia]
A high angle view of a businesswoman talking to one of her colleagues while siting at her desk in the office. Credit: Willie B. Thomas/Getty Images
The benefits of volunteer work
“You introduce yourself; you introduce your talent,” Agnes Kemenes says.
“Any migrant who comes to this country brings an amazing wealth of culture and different approaches to certain occupations. Certainly I would recommend this in situations where you’re hunting for a job for a long time and you’ve had 30, 40, 50 knockbacks.”
"This way, you prove yourself to the employer while gaining experience," Ms Kemenes adds.
