We spoke with Khanh skilled migrant working as engineer in a consultant engineering company. 

How long did you work live for? 

 I have been working for about three years.  

How did you get the job?  

Well, I happen to know someone, and he know an engineer in that company. So, he just, he just said that, maybe just come in and have a talk to them see if any available position. So, I came in and came in with my resume. And yeah, I just introduced myself and what? What I have been graduated from University of Tasmania and my major. And then, yeah, got an interview with one of the engineers in the company, and then the principal, engineer, also the owner of the company. Hey, hey, join in and he asked me a few questions.  

A few? Like simple as what I can do. So, yeah, trial that and then it’s okay. You can have a work experience here. So, I started to work there as an indication of position. 

Oh, and then after a few months? Yeah, I think they liked me, and after a few months, so they employ me as a full-time employee. 

You’ve said that they liked you? Are you aware of like what you did differently? To get that kind of? 

 Let’s see sort of approval. I think I just tried to work hard. And like, I will I try many different jobs. It doesn’t matter what type of job they gave me. Just try my best. Yeah, I think trying like walking highs is a key thing that they like. 

How long did it take you before you actually landed that job from the time you finished your studies? 

It took me a few months to find that job. It came with a surprise because I didn’t expect to get anything from that. That night, I came to a combination to introduce myself, because I’ve been, I’ve been applying for many other jobs. And I didn’t get any replies. So yeah, I just think just came in there and have a talk. See what they have. And, yeah, it turned out to be the right thing to do. Because I got a job just by going to the company.  

So Was that your first job that you applied for?  

No, I apply for many other jobs from other websites seek. But I didn’t get any reply from them. 

Would you know where you went wrong on that? Or do you feel like you did your best but you just really didn’t get any response? 

Yeah, I think I tried my best. But most of the company they required to have some kind of experience. And as a graduate, I didn’t have any experience at all. So yeah, maybe that’s the reason they didn’t call me. 

How do you think migrants can scale in the field of engineering can get work experience?  

Yeah, yeah, I think, from my own experience, the best ways to just go into the company, and try to talk to someone from the engineering team. And, yeah, they may have something available for you that you may never know, sometimes, like my company, the company that I’ve been to those very small one, so, they, they didn’t go into a big website to advertise for job. And also, because they want to try and buy some, some engineers, they willing to train new engineers. So, if you come in, and if you have a good chance to talk to them, it may be a good way to get some kind of experience. If you don’t mind like working, it’s casual. Yeah, just to get some work experience. That would be a good start. 

Are you aware of any, like engineering companies that are interested? or? Yeah, in giving migrants job opportunities, even if it’s just, you know, to train them or help them? 

Yeah. Yeah, I’m not sure that because I wasn’t in the industry for a few years now. But I think just go through the Yellow Pages, find some consultant engineers, and just come in. Yeah, try your best to talk to someone. You never know. What you’re going to get from that. Yeah. 

That’s true. Um, apart from because you said one of the constraints that you were facing when you are applying for jobs are was that you didn’t have any you didn’t have like work experience. So apart from that, did you face any other obstacles? 

Maybe the language, the walking culture, but we’re not used to that maybe the challenges. Yeah, but when you can have some catch what experience then is like, a good start to everything else. Yeah, it will get easier after that. 

How did you overcome those challenges? 

For the language, I guess, I just tried to talk as much as I can, asking question if I’m not sure what they mean. So, when life of assembly, my supervisor asked me to do something, and I’m not sure why I just had to ask again to confirm that. Yeah, and just try to get along with only other co-workers. So, Rogers, that would help. 

What did you learn from your own experience? 

Um, I think we, from it always appearance, like I said, maybe you just have to try to go to the company and talk to someone that is the, I found is very practical way. Because even if you don’t get anything out that you can do have these variants to, to talk to someone to try to apply for a job. And then they may even get your CV, have a look at it and make even give you some advice. So, because my husband he is also an engineer and he worked for Bigger a bigger company and they yeah, they happy to, to have people to just walk in and try something introduce something if they have something available, they may think about think of Yeah, think of the person Some even some coming at me often to have work experience on new graduate.  

What other advice can you give to job seekers in the field of engineering in terms of like mindset and the kind of practical you notice practical approach?  

You can try that first to have some kind of experience. You don’t have to just apply to exactly things that you looking for. So maybe that can help with some experience.