How did I get here? Attempting to find a job in Sydney was far more challenging than I ever envisioned.

I’m not sure whether it was arrogance, or ignorance but I thought it would not take me four months to find work.

The pandemic has fundamentally changed how lots of people think about their jobs. They began to question what they were doing with their lives.

Lots of people quit jobs that they had hated and began their own businesses. Some people who were less fortunate lost jobs. Some people moved into the only areas that were employing. Sometimes moving into what was named as ‘unskilled work’ in supermarkets.

As someone who proudly worked in two of the UK’s leading supermarkets I find this term vulgar. It can be quite physical in nature with often very little pay. The type of abuse that is still being hurled at people for simply doing their jobs is disgusting.

I was working for Scope when the pandemic hit, if you want to know about them and what they do you can do so here: Scope. Whilst I was very grateful to still be employed and working from from home, I was questioning myself if I was happy in my job.

As much as I like marketing, there are elements within the practice that do not sit with me on an ethical level. However, because it is the type of work I have the most experience in this left me in a little bit of a muddle. Businesses, typically want someone that can get on with the job immediately. Not necessarily wanting to do a lot of training on an new employee.

Contemplating whether marketing was something I wanted to do, my job search was not easy. I was applying for all sorts of roles. I applied for jobs in marketing, events, research, administration and even in publishing.

Something completely new to me was pre-screening questionnaires on your origin of birth. Lots of industries would ask the question if you were Australian, a permanent resident, or a New Zealand national. Well, what happens if like myself you don’t fit into these catagories?

I would often be rejected before I had even the chance to apply. One of which I was particularly hurt by because it was an un-named international newspaper, as a research assistant. A role which I think I would have been brilliant at had they given me half a chance.

Depending on the company and role type I’d apply differently. I had used Indeed, LinkedIn, Seek and specific company websites. Sometimes I would do CV’s, Cover Letters as well as ‘Personal Statement’ type letters. Often these applications would take hours and the companies to whom you applied would not even acknowledge you. I became frustrated at the lack of response after a while. Thinking that companies would not hire me at all due to lack of Australian experience.

The only responses that I got for interviews were almost all via LinkedIn. Aside from one, which was for a charity where I wrote what I thought was a very compelling cover letter. Of the 11 interviews I had, most of them were for the same company.

In my experience, at least from the UK I have only ever had one stage job interviews. In Australia there are multiple levels of interview, even for ‘entry level’ roles.

I have come to appreciate their reasoning. They only want to make sure that they hire someone who is right for their company. However, it doesn’t make the process any less stressful. At least for me.

All of the interviews I have had were virtual, aside from one. When Sydney was not in a lockdown (New South Wales went into lockdown the day after this interview).

I have since learned that I can tell within about 10 seconds into the interview whether the job, and company is a good match for me.

There was one company on my list YouGov that I had wanted to apply to for a long time. I recall that even in the UK I had applied to jobs with them a few years ago, but thought that if the opportunity arose in Australia then I would have to give it a shot. To my surprise they wanted to meet me.

When I met my now manager Giles it was it was so much different to the other interviews I had been in. He was actually listening to what I had to say. Sadly, this was not always the case in all of my interviews (outside of YouGov). One woman was very obviously reading emails or doing something else the entire time.

So here I am almost three months in. I am enjoying being in a working environment again, even though it has been working from home. However, it has not been easy sailing with sales being completely new to me.

Where it will lead we shall see, but for now I am happy in learning sales, trying something new and pushing myself to do things that I have not tried before. Sometimes we have to get uncomfortable and try new things to really grow and develop. Both personally and professionally.

Find out more about YouGov Australia.

Credit to the photographs on this page goes to Danielle MacInnes via Unsplash

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