Job-seekers and job-providers joined together in Sydney this week to understand and learn what each side of the employment spectrum requires.
Addressing the event, Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Michaelia Cash, said that the Morrison Government is committed to connecting local job seekers with local employers through regular Jobs Fairs across Australia.
“The Sydney Jobs Fair is timely given the number of major Australian Government-funded infrastructure projects, including the Western Sydney Airport project and Australia’s largest public transport project: Sydney Metro,” she said.
Minister Cash said the Jobs Fair will give people looking for work the chance to speak directly with employers and employment service providers.
'Quite challenging to find a job'
With two Masters degrees and a PhD in English, Miru came with her two-year-old son to the event to look for a job after a career break of five years. She says it's quite challenging to search for a job in Australia.
“[The fair] is quite useful actually. It is interesting to go to the workshops; they are quite informative.
“I came two years ago to Australia and currently doing volunteer work with TAFE and Navitas.
“It is quite challenging to sit down and find a job [with the kid]; I leave my son with my husband over the weekends and look for a job.”
Shaheena came with her six-month-old baby to look for suitable opportunities and to understand how the Australian job market works.
Source: SBS
“I wanted to know what kind of options exists that I can explore in future, with my baby and can provide work-life balance.
“As a migrant, it is very hard to find and get a job. I worked for a while at a local retail outlet which was a nice experience.
“When I came to Australia, I worked as a volunteer to gain experience. Without experience, one cannot get a job in Australia.
The most important thing that I learned in Australia is self-independence.
Source: Supplied
“It is really boring to sit at home and I miss my family a lot, so I am really looking forward to working here. I have applied quite a few times but the response has only been unsuccessful.
Member for Reid, Dr Fiona Martin MP, said the Jobs Fair offers some great opportunities for people looking for work in the area.
“It’s a great time to connect with local employers. Sydney is one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia and employment is projected to increase by 8.6 per cent in Sydney over the five years to 2023.”
Source: Supplied
Are jobs available for every job-seeker?
New graduates and those with few years of experience also participated in the Jobs Fair to try their luck with the new opportunities promoted at the event.
Chanchal, who came to Australia last year on a working visa, is searching for a suitable job in digital marketing.
“I have been searching for work for the last six months but haven’t received a positive response," she said.
“So far, no one has mentioned or responded if a skill is missing or my resume lacks certain experience. Even the recruitment agencies don’t provide any detailed feedback if there is anything that needs to be corrected or improved."
Software professional Aliya* said that the Jobs Fair is a great way to understand the Australian job market and learn what the job providers are looking for in a candidate.
Source: SBS
“I spoke to a couple of job providers and shared my resume with them and looking forward to something good.”
With an IT background, Tej Partab Singh is seeking job prospects in the tech industry.
“You really need to update your skill-set as new software [technology] is coming up frequently," he said.
“There is a lot of competition in the market and the supply of jobs is not meeting the demand. It is a challenge to showcase your talents.”
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What the recruiters say
Several local and regional organisations participated in the event with the hope of finding talent with the skills they needed while others shared insights and tips to succeed in getting a job.
Katrina Higgins from Joblink Plus said it's important to have the documents as well as making oneself presentable to a job provider.
“Link yourself with an active job provider, having someone help you with your resume, make sure it is presentable, always attach a cover letter. A candidate's presentation means dressing nicely, hair done and make sure you shake hands and maintain eye contact,” she said.
Annette Lamb from the Yarpa Indigenous and Business Employment Hub said that they are connecting their services with job providers and potential new members.
“We have got career and training opportunities and give the job seekers the opportunity to have a look themselves and self-determine their own futures of what they want to do.
“We are looking for someone who is keen to progress in their careers. We don’t connect people with jobs. We connect the jobs to the people.
“It gives our job seekers the opportunity to serve themselves. We also support job services providers who can connect Aboriginal job seekers through culture. This hopes to improve engagement and also creates a community for Aboriginal job seekers to be able to connect with all the job providers.”
Glen Rochaix from the Electrical Industry Apprenticeships offers apprenticeships in the electrical industry.
“The apprenticeships offer four years of job training and three years of certificate training for electrical technology.
“We are looking for anyone who is 15 years or over with interest in electrical and engineering or similar type of trade and must be a permanent resident.”
The Sydney Jobs Fair also conducted workshops on improving resumes and interviews along with advice to start a new business.
*Name has been changed for privacy.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general purpose and not professional advice.
