Moving countries is one of the worst things you can do for your career - and we can all help

The photo with this article may look a lot like most photos of people meeting in a café for a coffee. And it is exactly like that, however for me this photo has so much more meaning. It's one of the strongest confirmations that doing little things for others can lead to amazing and unexpected results.

Since I have come to Australia, I have been a strong advocate for the Australian research industry, and for fellow immigrants. As an immigrant myself, I came to Australia without a job, without security. We took a big jump as a family moving to a country with only a tiny bit of savings.

Migrating to a different country and culture can set back your career significantly

In all honesty, in 2009 I was expecting (and willing) to give up my career in market research and to start work in a factory for a few years as part of our move to Australia. I was happy to make that sacrifice so we could just establish a life as a family in Australia. I was really expecting to have to make that sacrifice because I didn't know how quickly I would be able to get a job in my field. I knew the market research industry wasn't big in South Australia, and I knew I was going to be competing with a lot of other migrants who had come here as part of the same visa scheme.

Due to the visa application process, we had about one and a half years between planning our move and getting on a plane. While we were waiting for our visa, I had started prepping. I spent hours doing desktop research, making lists of the companies I was hoping to find a job at. I started making connections via LinkedIn. I even started applying for jobs while I was still overseas. It was tricky, because without a person to speak to, these were all just company websites, job listings, and connections with strangers. It still felt so unreal. I really wanted to speak to someone who could give me some sense that this might work out.

A little help goes a long way

One of the things I did was finding out more about the industry associations in Australia. The association for market researchers is the Australian Market and Social Research Society, now known as The Research Society. At the time Peter Harris was the National President of the AMSRS, and he was also leading Colmar Brunton Research (recently taken over by Kantar). Colmar Brunton Research was one of the companies that were on my list to try and get a job at, because they had an office in Adelaide. I decided to be brave and see if I could speak to Peter over the phone. I remember our phone conversation very well! Peter was kind, understanding, and while I don't remember the details of what he said, talking to him gave me hope. Also, he very kindly gave me the details of Colmar Brunton's HR person at the time: Gabrielle Carman. Gabrielle was based in New Zealand which meant even earlier phone calls for me, but an equally lovely experience and more advice on how to find a job in market research in Australia.

While the calls with Peter and Gabrielle didn't immediately lead to a job interview or contacts in the industry, what it gave me was something to hold on to as we were preparing our big move across the globe. I had met two of the friendliest people in market research in Australia, and they were happy to talk to me and give me advice. It gave me a sense that we were making the right choice, and that things might be OK.

A few months after those phone calls, we ended up making the big move. Moving countries was one of the more stressful events in our life, and despite all the planning and preparation, in our first few weeks we were living day by day. In that period, we worried about having a place to live, arranging the basic things in life like a bank account, a driver's licence, insurance, a phone number, etc. We made a lot of important decisions that in a normal situation we would have time to think about, plan for, and talk to family and friends about. It was a very stressful experience to find our feet in a new country with new rules, new ways of thinking and working!

In those first weeks I also started looking for a job. One of my first actions was to start connecting with people. One of the ways I did that was through a local event of the Australian Market and Social Research Society. I also contacted companies directly and asked to meet key decision makers. To my surprise I was able to find a job quite quickly, and within a few weeks after I started looking, I was lucky enough to find a job at McGregor Tan Research. My first two jobs in Australia I found through networking, through contacts I made at my first event of the Australian Market and Social Research Society.

Now back to last week. Thursday last week I met with Saeed and his friend. Saeed and I had already met before in October 2021. When we met, Saeed had recently moved to Adelaide from Malaysia and was looking for work in market research. I spent an hour of my time with him, we talked about my experiences, and I explained to him how I found my first jobs in Australia. I gave him advice on how to approach potential employers and connected him with a range of people. We drank a coffee (I probably had a hot chocolate) and went our ways.

Last week Thursday Saeed and I met again, and he introduced me to his friend. Saeed told me he had found his first job in Australia through one of the people I recommend he contacted back in October. He worked on a project for this employer, and while the project has just finished, he has been offered another contract to stay on another year.

Saeed's reference (his friend) was contacted by Saeed's prospective employer when he applied for the job.?His friend was still living in Malaysia when she was contacted to be Saeed’s reference. During this reference check, she asked whether there were more jobs going at the organisation. Very soon she was offered a job at the same place, and in early 2022 she ended up moving to Australia to work here.

From little things big things grow

The single hour I spent to speak Saeed in October 2021, has led to two migrants finding employment in Australia, giving them the base to start their new lives in a strange country. I have met with countless people who are looking for a job or a job change over the past 12 years. Not all of them I hear back from, and not all I am able to help. Generally, the only thing I do is share my experience, provide some names, and in some cases review a CV or a cover letter.

This article is not about me spending time with migrants. This article is about the little things that we can do, and the difference those little things can make in other people’s lives.

Are you an employer?

Take some time out of your day and sit down with someone looking for a job. Help them find the right people to talk to. Give them feedback when they apply for a job with you.

Are you an employee?

Have a think about how you can use your experiences or skills to help others. Can you become a mentor? Can you train or coach others? Can you help organise events to get people in your industry together? Can you use your skills to help your local community? Do the marketing for the local footy club? Use your PR skills to raise funds for the fire brigade?

Are you a fellow migrant?

How can you give back to the community you have joined? You might feel like you’re always a little bit behind everyone else. Or you don't really feel at home where you are. You might feel resentment because you left what used to be familiar but no longer is, to a place that you’re not sure will ever become so familiar as you’d like it to be. Your perspectives as an outsider give you a unique ability to add value to the society you are now part of. Helping others is one of the best ways to get more out of your move to another country. What can you start giving? How do you make a difference?