Attention, International IT Graduates: Getting a Graduate IT Job in Australia – This is how you do it!

Why Am I Writing This Article in the First Place (Introduction)?

As some of you may know, as well as running my little lovely enterprise (Baron Consulting) I also happen to be lecturing Masters Students at a number of Australian Universities on a fairly regular basis. This is why the issue of Graduate Employment is very close to my heart.

The lion share of my Masters Students is International students who came to Australia with a hope of settling down and gaining professional employment. Unfortunately as time goes by, some of them tend to be losing confidence in getting a professional job. They look around – and see a lot of international graduates driving taxis, delivering pizza and cleaning the gutters. This is certainly not a very motivating kind of environment. Consequently, they start doubting themselves, their ability to get a professional job and the very fact that the jobs are there. 

I am writing this article with the primary purpose of letting them know that a) there are many Graduate IT jobs for them to occupy and b) they can definitely get those jobs if they are studying hard and are persistent with their job search! Where there is a will, there will be a way! So, guys, do not give up! Keep fighting till you get the job of your dreams…and do not stop there …but keep dreaming and fighting! And this is how you should do it!

The Grim Reality (Am I Fully Aware of How Tough it is Out There in the Marketplace? Yes I am!)

I am not going to keep my eyes closed to the reality of the toughness of the graduate marketplaces. It is rather obvious. The reality that my IT students are facing upon graduation is much tougher than the previous generations of postgraduates could ever imagine. We are used to picturing postgraduate students as fully-fledged professionals who are already experts in their respective fields and possess an ocean of experience to fully equip them for future employment. Furthermore, as opposed to the undergraduates – they could be currently employed so the study they are undertaking is supposed to enhance their career opportunities rather than serve as a stepping stone into the industry. They talk high salaries, career choices and work relocations as they please and do not feel too disturbed by the ongoing trends and movements in the marketplace as their positions within this marketplace are quite secure. Well, unfortunately as far majority of my International Graduates is concerned all of the comforting sentiments above DO NOT APPLY TO THEM!

So let us draw a realistic picture of an International IT Graduate who has just completed his Master Degree in IT such as MIS (Master of Information Systems) or MIT (Master of Information Technology). The reality indeed does bite! The lion share of the international graduates is:

·        Very young and with limited if any professional work experience in IT

·        The limited experience that the graduates may be having is overseas experience with companies that are little known here in Australia

·        Have little knowledge of the Australian professional workplaces and workplace practices

·        Not 100% comfortable expressing themselves in English within a professional environment

·        While studying they are under enormous pressure to earn money to pay Universities’ draconian fees and for the living experiences and are therefore spending endless hours in part time jobs rather than on mastering IT skills (and sadly, some do work in ‘’cash in hand’’ jobs where pay is very low but working hours expand well beyond the legally required limit of 20 hours/per week).

·        Cutting-down the cost of living by sharing houses/apartments with multiple co-tenants (mostly other students) and living far away from the central areas where majority of professional firms is located

·        Are surrounded by ‘’friends’’ from the same countries/ethnic background who keep telling them daily (almost like repeating a mantra) that getting a professional job in Australia is impossible so they should not even try

·        Need to ensure that on completion of their studies they can remain in Australia permanently and constantly stressed by the worry that they will not be able to

·        Get limited opportunities to network within their professional field outside their study place

To sum up, the road to employment is a rocky one. The starting point of their Australian Career Journey is often level ‘’Zero’’ and acquisition of the skills, contacts and understanding of the environment and workplaces practices has to commence from scratch!

So does it mean you need to give up…or does it mean you need to start trying even harder to get a job? Well, it is up to you – but in case you would rather fight on – do keep reading!

And This is What You Should Be Doing (Yes, This is How You Get Jobs)!

There is no single road to IT jobs for all graduates to take. Each and every person has to find his own success route but I have taken the liberty to put together a list of simple yet effective steps that could be undertaken in order to secure your dream job.

1.    Plan Your Study Carefully! Studying Hard is Not Enough! Do Study Smart!

Planning your study expands well beyond selecting a University and a Degree to study. If you want to have a career in IT, you need to start planning early. Deciding where your heart and mind belong upon graduation is way too late. When enrolling, consider which specialization/major suits you best and pour all your energy into expanding your knowledge within that specialization!

Do not limit your study to Uni subjects.  A standard Master degree in IT lasts two years and given that many of the subjects deal with out-dated technologies and practices, the study time may not only fail to equip you with all of the necessary skills but may even result in your current skills becoming obsolete! This is why once the major is selected - start researching which particular technologies related to your major could be required in the workplace. For every stream of IT there are some key technologies that you need to master and the better you master them – the greater chances you will have to launch your career successfully.

Big part of up-skilling is getting certified! It is no secret that employers have far less faith in University degrees than industry certifications. For every stream of IT there are some key certifications that can be undertaken. For instance, if you are majoring in Enterprise Systems, you can consider doing in-depth studies of SAP. So stay on top of the latest developments, keep checking out seek.com.au and other job sites to be sure that you are armed with the right skills.

2.    Work Experience! Do Get IT!

If you have no professional work experience in a field related to your field of study, it is hard to convince employers to give you a chance. In case of IT, it is particularly difficult to make companies ‘’believe in you’’ as some of the skills required are best-tested in a workplace setting. This is why you need to search for work experience very aggressively! Be opportunistic and take every opportunity to get some experience. When at uni, enquire if they need some assistance with maintaining the labs, software installations and admin computer-driven tasks. Consider approaching not-for-profit organisations as they are always on a look out for volunteers and if their requirements can be addressed while your skill and experience set can be improved at the same time.

If you can get into an internship (even unpaid one) with a private company – it is even better. You may be getting no pay for your efforts but you will be able to learn a lot and the arrangement is clearly a ‘’win-win’’ one. Furthermore, you will be able to enhance your resume by adding evidence of hands-on IT work as well as obtain reputable referees. Also, do note that it is better to have ‘’semi-relevant’’ experience on your resume when you are applying for jobs rather than no relevant work experience at all! Even student part-time jobs may incorporate some IT component. For example, working in a sales position at a retail store, you may get exposed to supply chain management applications, managing the store network or even updating its website. If this is what you are doing, make sure that these skills do find their way to the heart of your resume!

3.    Searching for Jobs is like a Full-Time Job! Keep Searching Day and Night!

Jobs won’t come to you. You have to search for them. Enthusiastic job seekers are known to check out all of the new listings and to apply for the jobs daily. Wherever possible, try to obtain maximum information about the roles advertised and to ensure that your resume is tailored to the employers’ aspirations. Where a phone number is provided for further enquiries, do not hesitate to give the recruiters a call and show how keen you are.

Do you level best to tap into the ‘’hidden job market’’ many companies do not advertise their vacancies on job portals directly but contact recruitment agents instead. Get in touch with the IT recruitment firms and request an appointment so you can bring in your resume in person and have a chat with them to demonstrate what a great asset you could become for their clients if only given a chance!

Having a ‘’sexy’’ resume is also pivotal for securing interviews. Do invest time into making your resume well-formatted and emphasise the richness of your IT skills (if not experience in case there is not much you can ‘’boast’’ in the experience section). 

4.    Stay Positive and Keep Networking

Jobs are offered by companies and the companies are run by…people! Therefore, keep searching for ‘’useful contacts’’ who can lead you to jobs. It is certainly far more difficult if you are living in a ‘’foreign country’’ than it would be in your ‘’country of origin’’ as you would be able to tap into not only your own connections but also your friends’ and families’. Having no connections is not a problem as long as you are willing to make some new ones.

As far as networking for jobs is concerned, the role of social media is becoming more transparent than ever. Using Social Media channels such as LinkedIn, is a good way of getting new contacts. Start out by getting connected to your classmates and lecturers and you will discover that this alone will expand your networking opportunities dramatically. Several students of mine have been asking me about various contacts on my LinkedIn (by the way, do feel free to connect to me:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-michael-baron-78b8904b/) as well as my job posts in my Baron Consulting Facebook Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/154816377943690/) this is resulted in some of them getting jobs with my clients and even a greater number of jobs was ‘’sourced’’ through my LinkedIn and Facebook contacts. 

Last but not least – the so-called ‘’attitude’’ factor! If you believe that you will ‘’never ever get a job because it is not realistic’’ be sure that you never will! Job search is no different from any other goal-focused activities faith and determination is the key to success.

And to wrap it all up – let me conclude by wishing you Good Luck!

Good Luck! I Know you Can Do IT!