Welcome to the international section of Carroll Consulting Group’s web page. This section explains how Carroll Consulting Group manages applications from candidates who are overseas and are considering, or in the middle of obtaining, or have a visa which entitles them to work here.

Making the move to Australia can be the most exciting and adventurous thing you ever do, it can also be the hardest, most nerve-racking and exhaustive! Having three of our consultants from various countries, many of us have been through this process. Whether it is applying for Permanent Residency through the skilled migration route, or Spousal visa, we have the experience.

FAQ
1. I am currently going through my visa application and have started looking for career opportunities in Australia, but:- [more]
a. Do you think I will have much luck while I am not ‘on the ground’ in Australia? [more]
b. I do not get any responses from companies or agencies, why are they not interested? [more]
c. What do you advise? [more]
2. What is the job market like for role in location ? [more]
3. What are the main difficulties or challenges I will face finding employment in Australia? [more]
4. What are the salaries like? I can earn twice the amount here compared to Australia for the same job. [more]
5. Can you give me some advice on writing a good CV? [more]
6. Can I send you my CV? [more]

Question: I am currently going through my visa application and have started looking for career opportunities in Australia. Do you think I will have much luck whilst I am not ‘on the ground’ in Australia?

This depends on the job you’re applying for, your skill set and the company requirements. There are certain skill sets in demand where companies and agencies actively search for new candidates and are even prepared to sponsor working visas. That said, the majority of companies who advertise positions with us are looking to employ someone who is on the ground now and immediately available for interview. Most companies are not interested in shortlisting candidates who do not immediately have working rights in Australia, even if you are in the process of getting a visa entitling you to do so. Although it is a candidate short market, positions advertised generally need to be filled “ASAP” and we recommend that unless specifically advertised otherwise, you wait until you are here to apply for the position. Make a note of the job and reference if you really think your skill set matches, and when you arrive call the contact- you never know if there may be a similar opportunity.

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Question: I am currently going through my visa application and have started looking for career opportunities in Australia. I do not get any responses from companies or agencies, why are they not interested?

It’s hard to believe sometimes that when you apply for a job you can be one of literally hundreds who do so. Of these applicants there can be many people who either (a) have no relevant experience to the job specification; (b) have no working rights; (c) will not be available for interview or to start for many months. Our procedure is to reply to all applications, even if it is to say that the application cannot be accepted due to location/visas. Many agencies or companies simply ignore anyone in these categories due to the consistent quantity and nature of applications. Many agencies and companies have had bad experiences where a lot of time was spent on overseas applicants only to find they decided not to move, were not granted a working visa, had constant delays in moving, or moved here and decided the area/role/country/lifestyle simply isn’t for them and left Australia. It’s also expected when people move to this country that they need some time to adjust and settle in. People do have unrealistic expectations that they can start the day after they arrive. Although it does happen, generally it is too difficult. For all these reasons, companies reduce their risk of losing new employees by choosing not to consider applications from overseas candidates until they are here on the ground available for interview and employment soon after.

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Question: I am currently going through my visa application and have started looking for career opportunities in Australia. What do you advise?

There is a lot you can do to prepare yourself to enter the job market before you even touch the ground, such as:
• Write an outstanding CV (see other FAQ)
• Understand and create a list of areas you want to work in and research which of your current skills are transferable.
• With this list investigate all the companies and agencies who you believe would benefit from your skills this could be by simply noting the agencies or companies advertising positions that interest you.
• Investigate what you’re worth here, let go any notion or grudge that you don’t earn anything close to what you are currently on out of the country. Just because you earn the equivalent of $150k in the UK, it doesn’t mean you can command the same here. This particular subject hurt me a lot, but you’ll get over it!
• Make a budget up for when you arrive in order to support yourself for a certain period while you are job hunting. Although it can take 5 days to 5 months or more, the majority of people find employment within 3 months – budget for it.
• Get a Map of South East Queensland and study it! Sounds simple, but if you can show you know the area it’s a great start.
• Read up on local business activities, especially in your sector. Not only will this give you confidence in an interview, but it’s amazing how small comments showing local knowledge conveyed in an interview can help you.

By realistically budgeting you will not be panicking about money and appear desperate for any position (any sign of this and a company will step back - they don’t want to be just a stepping stone). You will also have a good understanding of the sectors and employment type you are seeking and have a list of companies and agencies to approach. You have been reading up on the current sector you are applying for, understand what you are worth and which of the skills will benefit the company.

It is very important that you do not sit back and expect others to find you a job and do your research for you. Although agencies like ourselves certainly assist where we can, and given the right skill sets we can help identify potential companies, you should not rely on this. Being prepared will ensure you “hit the ground running”.

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Question: What is the job market like for role in location

This is such a difficult one to answer. Australia as a whole is experiencing a skills shortage, though some sectors much more than others. There is always demand for people with an Engineering trade, from civil, structural and mechanical to electricians and plumbers! IT, although strong, is less so in Brisbane, as being a satellite office state most headquarters are in the likes of Melbourne and Sydney and demand most of the infrastructure. There are also great opportunities in heavy industries outside of the major cities. Defence jobs are mainly found in Adelaide although, again, there are opportunities in all states. Basically, this question is almost impossible to answer and normally most people can find work in major cities in Australia with a little time and patience and perhaps a slight change in career, or through being prepared to step down the ladder a few rungs for a new opportunity with potential to progress.

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Question: What are the main difficulties or challenges I will face finding employment in Australia

The main challenges of finding employment here depend on your previous skill set and position. In Brisbane in particular, there are fewer large companies with national Head Quarters, instead there will be smaller offices servicing the Queensland market with HQs in cities such as Melbourne or Sydney. With this in mind it can be harder to progress into executive roles without relocating, but not impossible! Other considerations are roles which require local knowledge, be it geographical or having an established network of clients in a sales role. Other common considerations by companies include; whether you are settled, and whether you are using them as a ‘stepping stone’ when you arrive. Other challenges can be knowing who to speak to and who can help you find employment.

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Question: What are the salaries like? I can earn twice the amount here compared to Australia for the same job.

Although discussed above, let’s look at this issue again. Salaries in Australia and particularly Brisbane, when converted back into your local currency such as Sterling, can look relatively small! Just remember the price of a house in Brisbane when converted in the same manner can look small too! It is important to research what you’re worth here and use this as an expectation of salary, rather than saying ‘well I earned the equivalent to $130k in the UK when applying for a $60k position here’. Be realistic with your expectations and show that you have done your research.

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Question: Can you give me some advice on writing a good CV?

Remember companies that are well known in your location might not be so here, so always when describing each job role add a sentence about the company you worked for and its products/services. For each role list your responsibilities and achievements. Start the CV with some basic details such as Name, Address, Contact details, this doesn’t need to take up half a page and can even be put in the Header of each page. Provide a summary of your responsibilities and achievements and skill set in a single paragraph or over 3 bullet points. This is the first thing that will be seen and it’s where you need to sell yourself and make the person want to continue reading. I also sometimes suggest an “employment history summary”. This can give the advantage of giving as much information to the reader as possible in a short space, ensuring they have the opportunity to immediately see something applicable to the role and will wish to continue reading. i.e. perhaps the reader reads through your last two roles and, although interesting, doesn’t quite hit the mark and moves on…only to miss the previous role which was extremely relevant. An employment summary of dates, company and position can help this to not happen. It’s important to understand and accept that, although you may have put hours of thought into a CV and you have read it inside out and word for word, a reader facing 200 CVs for a job role (one of 10 he is working on) simply will not have the time to read it thoroughly. A CV needs to be presented in such a way that the reader gets relevant, to the point information as soon as possible to encourage him to want to read more. Starting off with summaries is good, with the detail later. If you are successful in the initial screening process this is the stage where a recruiter will dedicate more time to reading your CV and understanding your skill set.

Click here for a sample CV. Note, there are so many different ways to write a good CV and opinion can vary on the best way to do it. It’s more important to consider what you shouldn’t do in CVs and understand what your objectives are when writing one. Quite simply it is to captivate the reader for as long as possible, and within this time put across as much key information about your abilities as possible in order to sell yourself.

Keep a covering letter to the point, target it towards the job role you are applying for and don’t write an essay on why you are the person for the job. Did you know that 95% of covering letters contain the same topic of information? A lot of people don’t read it and go straight to the CV, if it’s short and easy to read you have a much better chance of someone reading it. Be honest, could you see someone reading 200 1-2 page covering letters all saying pretty much the same thing? Differentiate yourself from others as plainly and simply as possible.

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Question: Can I send you my CV?

You are welcome to send your CV to us, but please bear in mind the previous points. We recommend you send us your CV when you are no later than one or two months away from moving to Australia permanently. We also recommend you include in your CV the date you will be arriving in Australia so we can consider you for suitable roles where the timeframe required for the interview process matches.

If you are moving to Australia, and Brisbane in particular, you are welcome to call or email us with any questions. However we recommend you post non confidential questions to the British Expats site where we will do our best to reply in a timely manner. This also allows others with similar questions to find a source of helpful information.

Finally, although we do try to help you find work, we can never make any guarantees that a position will come up that will suit your skill set. Neither can we guarantee when such a job might arise. We are a consultancy that operates ethically and honestly, who pride ourselves on the personal touch and our dedication to our candidates and not just our clients. Please appreciate that with many general enquiries in addition to applications for specific jobs, it can take some time to respond to queries. Of course, you are more than welcome to call or email for an update to any question you may have submitted at any time.

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