"My first position in Australia - Thanks SLQ!" - Jaya's Story

My name is Jaya, and I live in Springfield where I wrote this small story about my challenge chasing a career in Australia.

I landed in Australia on 4th of April this year with a hope of finding a suitable position in order to settle down permanently. I had no plan at the time of landing for how I was going to get into the Australian market, but my heart beats were positive. The first thing I learnt was to just get out from your room and breathe the fresh air, visit beautiful lakes and explore your surroundings.

At the same time, one of my friends told me about State Library of Queensland (SL) which offers computers for people to use and books for them to borrow. I felt a little nervous and shy about going into SL but my heart convinced me to speak to SL staff about membership. I did not think it would be easy until I met the staff who were friendly and thoughtful and helped me to get a membership. To this day I still feel that all the SL staff are very friendly, helpful and ready to listen and resolve any concerns.

From my first day onward, I have spent almost 7 to 8 hours a day in the library researching about opportunities, companies which I am targeting, and ways to prepare for job applications. My heart convinced me again to continue with my research rather than just sit in front of the computer. I got the opportunity to read a book called “Resumes that get shortlisted” by Jim Bright and Joanne Earl, which made me realise that my current resume is not going to be helpful for landing the job I want.

I decided to start building a resume from scratch with the following tips from that book:

• Achievements need to be mentioned after each listed role;
• Keywords need to be identified and repeated;
• Cover letters should not repeat what is already in the resume;
• Research market opportunities relevant to your field;
• Build up a relationship with the relevant human resource contact person by following up with them after sending applications. This is not always helpful but until you find someone who is ready to listen to your skills and experience, you have to keep on doing the follow ups.

I decided to keep myself positive and more focused on finding the right opportunity. On the 56th day after my arrival I have received a phone call from a potential employer informing me that I have been selected for the position which I applied for. State Library of Queensland and its environment are part of my success in finding my first position in Australia.

I clearly know that this is just the beginning, but I am building up the strength to face any challenge in the future.

Do you have an SLQ story to share? Tell us – visit our information desks or email us: VisitorServices@slq.qld.gov.au

As told to Amanda Ladds, Visitor Experience