Job interview experiences of Non White Migrants in Vic/Australia

Hey peeps. I have a Master of Health Promotion from Australia and almost two years of working experience in the same field in Regional Victoria. I am looking for jobs in Melbourne and gave up to five face to face interviews in the last five months for multiple positions in one of the same organisations. I am getting calls saying my interviews went really well but I am unfortunately unsuccessful "this" time. I have started to think there is something more to this than my actual skills and qualification. I am not over qualified in this field. I have started to believe there is something more to this than meets the eye. I fear my Indian name and appearence is denying me opportunities and that I am being called for interviews as a part of the recruitment procedure. I am lost and I am going to apply for Centrelink benefits as I do not have any other options to support myself. I am Permanent Resident. What should I do now? Please help me !

Any genuine responses regarding this would be greatly appreciated. Cheers

Maybe go back to your home country & give it a shot there.

alfie wrote:

Maybe go back to your home country & give it a shot there.

But Health Promotion field is not evolved in India and there is no such course available either. I am looking for a job in Australia. And I do not want to be bludging on dole like you either.

Sujad wrote:

<quoted text>But Health Promotion field is not evolved in India and there is no such course available either. I am looking for a job in Australia. And I do not want to be bludging on dole like you either.

You could evolve it though, a country like India needs educated citizens like you to educate the rest so your country can slow population growth and stop the ecological disasters it is causing.

Australian Bigot wrote:

<quoted text>
You could evolve it though, a country like India needs educated citizens like you to educate the rest so your country can slow population growth and stop the ecological disasters it is causing.

I don't think India caused as much ecological disaster as the once mighty British Empire have in countries such as India and Africa. I must return the compliment and will start from here.

Id just go on the dole... racist white posters on here do it...

and seem proud of it

plus have no shame in it, or no problems voicing their opinions...

on here either

Sujad wrote:

<quoted text>
But Health Promotion field is not evolved in India and there is no such course available either. I am looking for a job in Australia. And I do not want to be bludging on dole like you either.

Hey Sujad (Apu). I work every day. Do you? And I'm not a head wobbling smelly Indian piece of shit like you either. I haven't invaded another country like you have either. Take the hint, go back to India & take all your fellow Indians with you, we don't want you here.

alfie wrote:

<quoted text>
Hey Sujad (Apu). I work every day. Do you? And I'm not a head wobbling smelly Indian piece of shit like you either. I haven't invaded another country like you have either. Take the hint, go back to India & take all your fellow Indians with you, we don't want you here.

With a name like yours, I'd be surprised if you even get a job of a toilet cleaner. Did you mean the "work" out you get on your back side? I suppose one of the many benefits working in gay bars. Good luck eunuch alfie

61 PERCENT OF THE DEBT wrote:

Id just go on the dole... racist white posters on here do it...
and seem proud of it
plus have no shame in it, or no problems voicing their opinions...
on here either

So true.. Done !

Sujad wrote:

<quoted text>I don't think India caused as much ecological disaster as the once mighty British Empire have in countries such as India and Africa. I must return the compliment and will start from here.

Ah yes back into the past, why do Indians do this?

"Our country may be hugely over populated with 80% living in poverty and majority of our animal species either extinct on about to be, but the British Empire was bad".

Good arguement.

61 PERCENT OF THE DEBT wrote:

Id just go on the dole... racist white posters on here do it...

and seem proud of it

plus have no shame in it, or no problems voicing their opinions...

on here either

Ahhh the white person hating racist!
How are you today?

Sujad wrote:

<quoted text>So true.. Done !

When are you Indians going to realise you're just as racist as the bogans?

Who are bogans?

White Abo wrote:

Who are bogans?

The name racist colours use for white poor Australians.

Sujad wrote:

Hey peeps. I have a Master of Health Promotion from Australia and almost two years of working experience in the same field in Regional Victoria. I am looking for jobs in Melbourne and gave up to five face to face interviews in the last five months for multiple positions in one of the same organisations. I am getting calls saying my interviews went really well but I am unfortunately unsuccessful "this" time. I have started to think there is something more to this than my actual skills and qualification. I am not over qualified in this field. I have started to believe there is something more to this than meets the eye. I fear my Indian name and appearence is denying me opportunities and that I am being called for interviews as a part of the recruitment procedure. I am lost and I am going to apply for Centrelink benefits as I do not have any other options to support myself. I am Permanent Resident. What should I do now? Please help me !

I might be able to help.

There are plenty of Indians working in regional Australia in various health related positions. Indeed after my last trip to Rockhampton I was surprised that the local hospital has a significant proportion of Indians working as nurses and doctors.
Here's a few things you need to know;

1. Racism in employment does occur but it's not as widespread as touted. A major recruiting company was asked and they mentioned in some sectors such as IT there is bias but that's largely because they are inundated with foreign graduates.
2. Secondly regional areas are short staffed in many areas of health so I should expect work is/will be available.

So lets now examine you;
- Are you presentable (do you wear a suite are you well groomed)?
- Do you have any visible disabilities (i.e. wheelchair)?

If you ticked those two boxes then lets go to the next questions;
- How is your written communications skills?
- How is your verbal communication skills?

If you ticked those two lets move onto the next questions;
- What grades did you get in your masters/undergrad?
- Are your qualifications equip you for the jobs you are applying for?

I assume that 2 yrs work experience means your grades are ok?

I am assuming you are involved with health marketing/promotion so these are the type of positions you are applying for. Next questions
- How many vacancies are there?
- Are my qualifications competitive with other applicants
- Is my work experience sufficiently competitive

Now here's where you might be caught short. Do you know who else is applying? I know there lots of marketing graduates, many with experience who are looking for work. Judging from your feedback you are being pipped at the post at the interview stage. So now lets examine the facts.

Fulltime promotional positions would require exceptional communication skills, they also require you to be presentable. An Indian appearance is not an obstacle as there hundreds of Indian graduates working in marketing, events management and promotional work in Melbourne.

One of the things you can do is contact the interview panel and get feedback. If you don't know why you are being knocked back then it's important to get feedback. I used to do this in my 20s and 30s and found the major reason was that the other applicant had either performed better in the interview or had a set of skills that were better matched to the job. See if there are skills that you can pick up? speaking in public? multimedia? health diploma?

Finally lower your standards. I know plenty of people of different backgrounds who think the world owes them a favor because they have a Masters degree. Sometimes you need to eat humble pie for a little while till you get the break you are after. Rather than head to centrelink braoden the type of jobs you are willing to do, keep yourself occupied even with a clerical/admin position.

Sujad wrote:

<quoted text>
So true.. Done !

i thought they stopped the dole thing like last year to almost everyone except the handicapped folks?they still have it??like teaxas man said..since everyone here looks like u owe them a living...it is natural to just take the $$$$ for all the discrimination done even here ion the internet.

think i wouldnt take the dole unless it leaves me without a place to stay and food.i have noticed the dole has a side effect on most people though just like opium.it blunts their natural ability to survive.

cant believe the dole is still on!!i could have sworn i saw julie julliard say theres no more dole ion tv myself last year!anyway its up to u.

actually i think centre link payment is peanuts and cant be compared to a real job.

Sujad wrote:

Hey peeps. I have a Master of Health Promotion from Australia and almost two years of working experience in the same field in Regional Victoria. I am looking for jobs in Melbourne and gave up to five face to face interviews in the last five months for multiple positions in one of the same organisations. I am getting calls saying my interviews went really well but I am unfortunately unsuccessful "this" time. I have started to think there is something more to this than my actual skills and qualification. I am not over qualified in this field. I have started to believe there is something more to this than meets the eye. I fear my Indian name and appearence is denying me opportunities and that I am being called for interviews as a part of the recruitment procedure. I am lost and I am going to apply for Centrelink benefits as I do not have any other options to support myself. I am Permanent Resident. What should I do now? Please help me !

think i got the same deal as you in regional areas.they sent me letters saying ," i regret to inform u etc etc".im not in the medical side.But when i went "undercover" for that big company in a much lower position,i found out that they got people of lesser experience and troubleshooting skills than i was,one was even a welder and another an unlicensed electrician doing electriczl works!!!!!.in fact they had a machinery there that couldnt work for like 6 mths and needed 7 people to lift it up physically .all these was observed by me on the "undercover" lowly job.of course i ended up being the one to fix it in the end after i got that job.it was nothing difficult.took it out...found the problem in less than 8 minutes....fixed it back and got it to work again in 10 minutes while multitasking.
Can u imagine these folks that needed 7 guys to pull up some heavy machinery physically for 6 mths while it only took me 10 mins to fix it.

from then on,i discovered they actually loved having 7 people pulling up heavy machinery.who am i to change their evolution?if they like it that way....so be it.

asian dude wrote:

<quoted text>
i thought they stopped the dole thing like last year to almost everyone except the handicapped folks?they still have it??like teaxas man said..since everyone here looks like u owe them a living...it is natural to just take the $$$$ for all the discrimination done even here ion the internet.
think i wouldnt take the dole unless it leaves me without a place to stay and food.i have noticed the dole has a side effect on most people though just like opium.it blunts their natural ability to survive.
cant believe the dole is still on!!i could have sworn i saw julie julliard say theres no more dole ion tv myself last year!anyway its up to u.

I tend to agree with you.