Migrants must adapt resumes for Australian employers

One of the biggest mistakes new migrants make when attempting to enter into the Australian job market is sticking with the resume from their country of origin.

It is absolutely crucial that newly arrived jobseekers tailor their resumes towards Australian employers. Lisa LaRue of CareerWorx Careers & Transitions specialises in adapting overseas resumes for the Australian job market.

Ms LaRue says: “A lot of migrant jobseekers contact me for help when they have been unable to find work for months after arriving in Australia. The first thing I ask them to do is email me their resume”.

She said some of the most common errors she sees are spelling and grammatical mistakes. Another mistake is including obsolete information or detail which has no relevance to an Australian employer.

“Many contain too much personal information which is a major faux pas in an Australian environment,” added Ms LaRue. She pointed out that Australian labour market law prohibits employers from discriminating against certain job seekers.

“There is no need to divulge your marital status, age or religion in your resume,” Ms LaRue said, “unless you are applying for a teaching position at a religious school, it is not necessary to inform your potential employer of your religious beliefs”.

Although employers are prohibited from discriminating against job seekers, it would be naïve to assume that all employers adhere to the law all of the time. With this in mind, it is best not to mention your age in your resume or cover letter. There is always the possibility that you could be discriminated against should the employer feel you are too young or too old for the position.

Migrant job seekers should also ensure that their qualifications will be accepted by Australian employers. Overseas qualifications need to be recognised by the appropriate body for them to carry weight within the Australian job market. Information about having your qualifications recognised can be found at www.immi.gov.au/asri/

It is a good idea to have your resume appraised by someone in Australia to ensure that it is easily understood and appeals to Australian employers. CareerWorx offers a migrant employment assistance service including resume tailoring and assistance with job search skills.

 Visit  :   www.careerworx.com.au for further information. 

 Source  :  www.careerone.com.au

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Shopping centre cards for antisocial teenagers

Shopping centres in Perth are handing out cards warning youths they could be banned from the venues in a bid to crack down on antisocial behaviour.
   
Security guards at Westfield’s Innaloo, Carousel and Whitford City centres also carry photographs of those already banned.

The youth cards  introduced at the beginning of the year  were not a punishment and were available to all members of the public on request.
   
The cards warned teenagers what behaviour was expected of them, how they could expect to be treated by security guards and the consequences of antisocial behaviour — including bans of 24 hours to six months.
    
Youths are encouraged at the centres but they should not detract from other people’s safety or comfort. Currently there are no serious problems with youths at the shopping centres.
   
Security guards carried photographs of banned youths so they could be easily recognised if they returned before permitted.   

Ms Laschon said shopping centres were a natural, safe meeting place for people of all ages. She said the conditions of Westfield’s youth cards should apply to all shoppers.
   
“The whole idea of screaming at the top of your voice and running around happens with lots of people at the beginning of sale time. It’s not only teenagers that get excited,” she said. 
  
AMP Capital Shopping Centres communication manager Scott Gillespie said the company’s Karrinyup, Garden City and Ocean Keys complexes did not have a similar system in place.

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