Top 4 Job-Hunting Strategies For French Engineers

How does a French Engineer get a job in Australia?

Whether you just graduated or have 10 years of experience, this article is for you.

Here are the top 4 best job-hunting strategies for French Engineers in Australia.

The last one is the best: if you only have 20 seconds, check it first.

Note: if you’re not an Engineer but like down-to-earth, result-oriented and no-bullsh*t advice, keep reading, that’s for you too 😉

#1 The Classic  

This is how 90% of people start to look for a job: applying online & asking around you if someone is hiring.  

The catch? It doesn’t work when you are far away from home.

Yes, you can find backpacker jobs on Gumtree: construction hand, cook, waiter… but none of them will get you a sponsor if you’re not a specialist. Plus, you will not find many skilled jobs (like Engineer or sponsor-ready roles) there.  

Don’t get me wrong: I know one can be lucky. If you speak to the right person at the right time, it could be enough… but if you already knew who and when, you wouldn’t be reading this website!  

The limits of this tactic appear quickly:
– After the first interaction, nothing happens (except encouragements from your friends)
– You are quickly stuck with the same people who already know you are looking for a job
– You don’t know how to get out of this situation

#2 The Back to University

An approach that consists in furthering your studies in Australia before getting a job in your field.

This path could be for you in one of the following cases:
– You have no other visa option (the student visa enables you to work 20 hours per week, more information here)
– You need a specific Australian certification to practice your job (lawyer, doctor, …)
– You want to deepen your knowledge in a particular field  

Pros:
– Easy to launch
– Potential graduate visa at the end of your studies (depending on your field)  

Cons:
– Time (several years)
– Cost (several thousands of dollars)

For French Engineers, double-degree may be an option if there are partnership between your university and an Australian one (UNSW, UTS …).

If you genuinely look for a student visa, contact Gaetan on my behalf. Founder of Study-Bird, he is a specialist who helped hundreds of French students over 8 years (the plus: he is assisted by an immigration lawyer).  

#3 The One-Shot 

The One-Shot strategy is characterised by its short duration, its high intensity and its specific skills-set.  

The story is: specialised workers (data architect / start-up growth hacker / strategy consultant … ) arrive in Australia, target their specific industry, contact people through personal connections and apply to a few roles online.  

The rate of success of this approach is directly correlated to:

•         The scarcity and demand of their skill-set
•         The quality of their local connections  
•         Luck and timeliness – opportunities need to be present at the time of applying

This could be for you if:
– You only have a few weeks to find a job
– You have in-depth experience in a specific field
– (recommended) You have a high-quality Australian network through close relatives or previous experiences (example: you have close connections with many directors in Sydney)

#4 The Snowball Strategy

The Snowball Strategy is simple but effective: grow a strong local network.

This is the best strategy for French Engineers who just arrived in Australia.

This strategy takes time but the outcome is worth it: getting the job / sponsor you truly deserve.

Your skills are particularly valued in Australia, so it is a matter of finding the right person before your visa expires.

Now you may ask: if it was that simple, why hasn’t everyone already done it? Well, there is a big catch.  

A mental shift is necessary: you need to be a smart job-hunter.

Practically, this means:
– Accepting that networking & job-hunting are skills that you can improve
– Being open-minded and ready to experiment
– Being ready to change some communication practice (more on this later)

It doesn’t happen by chance.  

You need to be willing to do your homeworks to get results.

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always gotten”

What are the 3 Pillars of the Snowball Strategy?  

1) Think long term, not short term. The research could take months, so prepare for it (on average 2 to 4)

2) Don’t ask, listen: when meeting people, ask about them. Create real relationships by being genuinely interested.  

3) Change your goal: meet people, do not ask for a job. Your main priority should be to meet and connect with as many people as possible, not to ask for a job.  

Why does all of this matter?  

Nobody likes to be used: people will help you more if they like you (or at least, they will be more inclined to).

People won’t help you if they think you are simply trying to get something from them.

Relationships matter

By focusing on people first, you will see 3 positive side-effects:
–  Creating real connections with people
– Learning insider information about companies you want to join
– Being put in contact with more people, as each contact will lead to more contacts

To sum things up: what you want to achieve is the snowball effect: one step at a time, one interview / coffee after the other, you build up a strong local network that will lead you, after several weeks, to exponentially get more contacts, interviews and job offers.   

So what should you do now?

Get your FREE 7-Steps Actions Plan now and get the job you deserve.