Advice from Transitions candidates to other candidates on jobsearch strategies

November 2014

Advice from Transitions candidates to other candidates on some jobsearch techniques 

v Try not to use the same website over and over again.

v Taylor your CV to each job. Think what the employer needs and provide to that need.

About how to organise your jobsearch, especially if someone is a Jobcentre Plus customer 

v Do not leave job hunting to the last minute, try to space it out in the two weeks before you visit your advisor.

 About how to engage in a panel interview 

v Be prepared. After each question pause and thing of example, and answer the question. Try not to waffle.

How to spot and deal with cross-cultural misunderstandings in the whole process of applications and selection between employers and candidates.  

v I am from a different cultural background for example in treating managers, and those above me in the organisation. I have learnt in this country to speak up and let your voice be heard.

 About assumptions you perhaps made around how employers in the UK view Qualifications and Experience 

v Most employers want to know if you can handle the work therefore they value experience. Be prepared to talk about it. If you do not have experience explain what you have learnt and widen out by talking about your qualification and how it would apply to the job. 

About recruitment agencies 

v It is very hard to find agencies that would secure you employment from my personal experience. Therefore try to be selective.

About explaining overseas qualifications and career gaps

v Personally I would put what I have been doing in the gap whether I was claiming JSA or attending a course.

 About explaining what refugee ID documents entitle people to

If you have a foreign name try to include in your CV that you have a work permit and you do not have restrictions. This way your potential employers would let go their fear that you may not have a right to work in the country. 

Wish I had known that…

Only two more years left to be a decade since I have started searching for a professional job related to my qualifications and previous work experience. I was a qualified Community Development Worker and coordinated Children and Young People Programme at national level for a big non-governmental organisation. I came to the UK for further study.  I have been living in London and it is the only ‘battle field’ where I have fought with many employers to get skilled job as a skilled refugee (immigrant). The battle was not easy – time consuming and very challenging that put all my experience and qualifications and my ability under question. I was frustrated and depressed because I was unemployed and homeless refugee. 

In the first two years of my endeavour I felt alone and a helpless person. In fact, jobcentre plus was at my side and by giving me jobseeker allowance and a sort of advice and information. The information and advice was very limited, most of the time checking a Claimant Commitment form i.e. plan what you need to do to find a job, keep a record of what happened and prove to your adviser that you’ve been looking for work. It helps to get jobseeker allowance but not a job. I applied for many jobs but almost all my applications were rejected. I was invited for an interview but only for few jobs. The respond from all organisations was the same. It starts with ‘we regret…’ not ‘we are pleased…’ and then it ends with …at this moment you were not successful’. After spent 18 months within this situation I started working in a Supermarket as a Cashier. I lost my confidence, my communication and interpersonal skills. But, I have continued the journey or fighting.

I have got more friends in the battle, individuals and organisations such as RAGU, Time Bank and Transitions which are committed to help people like me in providing information, advice and training. They admitted that the battle is not easy. But, they told me not to give up and they advised me to know the situation of the battle ground (the UK labour market), my circumstances (to asses my skills and knowledge, communication skills, culture and interpersonal skills) my plan, strategies and instruments (which job, where to find, how to find, CV and covering letters).

By their help particularly, by the help and support I got from Transitions I learned more about the battle ground and I changed my plan and strategies and my instruments as well. Of course, I am still not where I wish to be professionally and still  I am fighting but I am working.

I wish had I know when I started searching for a professional job about eight years ago, I would contact organisations like Transitions and assess my overseas qualification and work experience which I brought from abroad, my  knowledge of English language and the UK culture, my understanding about the UK labour market and my CV and interview skills.

Then, I would reflect on past experience and plan (SMART) what to do based on the result of the assessment by using the help and support of the organisations and individuals. 

Accordingly, I will write down

·       What I want to achieve within short, medium and long terms.

For example, taking short term courses like QCF with work placement (voluntary work), within 6 months or a year in order to get the UK qualification and work experience and to improve communication (language) skills including IT skills or to look for long term study if it is possible. After training or (while on training), looking for paid job. (When I started searching for a job my main aim was getting work related to children and young people and their families. But, I was requested to show NVQ qualification even if I have more than ten years of experience in working with children and young people or community development. That is why I mentioned QCF as important part of the options.)

·       What will I do to achieve this?

-       Take training (QCF)

-       Participate in Work placement (voluntary work)

-       Update CV

-       Searching for job

-       Networking

-       Interview practice

·       Support I need

-       Register with an organisation (e.g. Transition) to get information, advice and other support

-       Participate in workshop to update CV and to practice interview and application form techniques

-       Getting feedback from supporting organisation or career adviser

-       searching for job and apply  

·       Other support

-       Looking for organisations which can provide training

-       Networking through social medias, contact friends and other individuals

-       jobcentre for support

-       Searching for information on different organisations’ websites, employment agencies, newspapers, leaflets, libraries, etc.  

  

Migrants and refugees: similarities and differences

Labelled migrants: Forced or economic, employment and integration Written by a refugee In this article, I am not going to argue whether refugees, (or asylum seekers with permission to work) should be considered more favourably by prospective employers during recruitment process or economic migrants should be treated less favourably – Instead, I am going to argue what common push factors force these groups to leave their homelands, what type of similar challenges they face and how individuals are labelled and its implications on employment and integration... Common push factors.... • Political and religious persecutions • Armed conflicts –ethnic and racial • Fear, bullying and harassment • Poverty and economic conditions • Family and social problems Similar challenges... • Integration with host population • Language, culture and barriers • Recognition of qualification and experience • Lack of contacts and loneliness • Struggling in UK labour market, pursuing and selling labelled skills to employers Labelling individuals and communities has become mandatory practice across the globe, to boost corporate ratings and for political gains and bureaucratic categorisations. Particularly, since early 1990s, the mass media - electronic, print, social and tabloid all have attached a variety of labels to individuals and newly arrived communities, such as – economic refugees, forced migrants, self exiled, economic migrants, benefit scroungers, failed asylum seekers, genuine asylum seekers, ... For example, initial refusal on asylum application is defined as, not genuine but economic migrant. However, in the courts, decisions are overturned and vice versa. Therefore, researchers, scholars and legal experts across the globe suggest that one must adhere to the sensitivity of the matter when labelling individuals. The labelled individuals find very hard to function and integrate in the host society. They have to live with those who have labelled them. Their integrity is challenged every moment. There are many examples where some individuals were unable to disclose their very personal sensitive issues to immigration and courts due to low self esteem and embarrassment. Many decisions are made following tick boxes. The individual picture is totally ignored and people go into limbo and long wait. By the time they get green signal from the host country to stay circumstances in their homelands further change and new problems arise... In conclusion, today’s forced or economic migrant becomes tomorrow’s civilised settled citizen. You can’t go into hearts of people, merely interpret dispositions, behaviours and actions. Through compassions, patience and tolerance, we can build long term constructive relationships rather than labelling.

Refugee professionals: pushed to leave home behind to face career uncertainty ahead !

Refugee professionals:  pushed to leave home behind, to face career uncertainty ahead !

Mohamed Mennawi
abunommo@yahoo.com

Employers in the UK usually mix and confuse forced migrant professionals (refugees) and other skilled migrants who left their countries and made their way to the UK by choice. The net result  is always negative on refugee professionals’ employability levels in the UK job market.
 
The 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1976 Protocol made a clear distinction between a refugee and a migrant:

Refugees are forced to flee because of a threat of persecution and because they lack the protection of their own country. The most common reason is political pressure, persecution and targeting on ethnic grounds.

Migrants, in comparison, may leave his or her country for many reasons that are not related to persecution, such as for employment, family reunion or study. A migrant continues to enjoy the protection of his or her own government, even when abroad.  Migrants voluntarily went to foreign countries, because living conditions and opportunities for jobs are not good in their own countries - sometimes they are called economic migrants.

Virtually all refugees share one distinct characteristic: almost all come from the Third World and Middle East countries. There is one common factor between refugee and migrants: their shared desire is to find a place in the civilized free world, where there is a respect for fundamental human rights and where the economy is comparatively healthy and potential work opportunities exist.  

 Based on my short experience in the UK, economic migrants are usually advantaged over refugee professionals in the UK labour market, because for them the movement to UK is previously planned and had already explored, and - to some extent- better job opportunities. They do not have significant career gaps in their CVs, opposed to refugee professionals who normally waste time in the process of arriving in the UK, added to that the resettlement period  that the asylum seeker could wait for the Home Office decisions on his/her Case, from a couple of weeks to several years.
 
There are no UK statutory employment services at all for refugees, and for that reason, their ability to compete in this deregulated labour market is very tough.

There are a number of factors associated with professional refugees, which affect adversely their employment competitiveness:
• Interrupted career progress and CV gaps
• Lack of access to overseas references and lack of experience in the UK  job market , where referencing is of a paramount importance  
• Difficulty of applying to entry-level UK jobs due to over qualification and  vast experience and age  differences
• Lack of information , contacts , etc
• Job Centre Plus pressures on refugee professionals , to push them to search and accept any job , just to get them off and clear their records and shorten their lists of job seekers , for the purpose of meeting their own targets
• Some cultural and linguistic barriers, which are normally be overcome easily by  refugee professionals      

Glimpse of hope and a light at the tunnel:

In the absence of any government legislation, to positively deal with refugee professionals as stated earlier, a small organization of very limited resources was established in London in 2010 to support refugee professionals. Surprisingly, this organization is now doing a great job and started to attract the attention of refugee communities in London. Transitions  offers both information and advice, so that individuals can use that to enhance their career progression, and also offers direct services, including effective Job search workshops, internships that targeted to result in recruitment and gain UK experience .  

Personal experience:
Being one of Transitions candidates  and specialized in banking and finance over 15 years, with exposure and interest in international development, recently I attended a very fruitful workshop organized by Transitions, in co-ordination  with one of the Largest professional services companies in London , one of the Big Four. The workshop was intended to bring together a number of volunteering staff from the said Firm with equal number of Transitions candidates (refugee professionals) to engage themselves in one -to -one effective cross-cultural CV and interview skills. What impressed me in that workshop was the young age of the Firm’s participants and the level of high skills they demonstrated during the discussions, the issue that defeated the long standing misconception with some refugee professionals, that directly relates experience and skills to the number of years spent in service. One more interesting cultural issue came out of that meeting, when the group discovered that I am the only participant fasting Ramadan in that occasion, the incident created a combination of empathy and curiosity among some of the participants!
Empathy in the sense, the group felt that I am depriving myself from the refreshments and the lunch that has been served by the Firm. Regarding the curiosity, that was another interesting story. My partner in the 1-1 mock interview practice, asked me innocently and sincerely, if I could have postponed and suspended my fasting in that particular day, to cater for this occasion. I told him that, religiously that is not allowed, but he asked again (seriously this time) if we (Muslims) carry on fasting even during the weekends!
Such a question is of course quite valid in the predominantly Western Christian society with less experience in Islam , but it sounds funny in the Muslim societies, but the importance of such interaction is that , it creates  mutual cultural awareness and understanding , that I personally like!        
Mohamed Mennawi   London
August 4, 2013
 

Working together with JobCentre Plus..

This is great, Sheila. Really spot on. I’ll pass it on.

I recently spent hours trying to get £400 from JCP for our 16 week course of Teaching theory and internship for an Overseas Trained Teacher. I failed.

Seven out of  ten of our trainees are in work in schools after 3 months.

I don’t understand..

Lynne

                     

Empowering Learning is a Teacher Training & Recruitment Consultancy specialising in EMA/EAL professionals at all levels.

Lynne Hannigan (Director)

Empowering Learning Ltd

Zetland House, 5 - 25 Scrutton Street

London  EC2A 4HJ   

Tel: 020 7739 1144      Fax: 020 7739 3223      www.empowering-learning.co.uk

Electrical Engineer story of finding work in UK

Biniam Haddish                                                                                                Electrical and Electronic Engineering                 From Eritrea                                                                                                                                                                                                                            What were the issues keeping you out of work? An MSC helped: Initially, although I was an experienced Graduate overseas, I felt I needed to transfer my engineering skills to UK/EU specifications and learn some more, so I decided to take a UK MEng. I gained a First. My Eritrean Degree is seen as an HND by Naric and many employers. UK Business Culture.  In Eritrea it is not business practice to push yourself forward for a job. It is the norm not to! Graduates are allocated jobs in Eritrea and are not asked to present their hard and soft competencies.  It took some time for me to acquire the understanding of what UK employers were looking for. I was playing the wrong game! Very stressful Refugee situation. It is enormously difficult to be forced to move countries by persecution, lose your job and home. There is little assistance in the UK and I had to restart my life under a lot of stress. It is very hard to have to claim asylum, sort out housing, financial assistance, try not to succumb to depression – and try to find a professional job. Getting refugee status did not result in additional help to find a job. I had to struggle. Jobcentre Plus were not helpful at all  - in fact the opposite. Many employers don’t understand what refugee status is. Most recruitment agencies want 3 years’ references – ideally UK references. Graduate employers want UCAS points…  What things made a difference? Learning from experience how to jobsearch effectively   I got better at jobsearch after a lot of false starts. Transitions support When I came across Transitions on Linked-In I started using their services. That definitely fast-tracked things. They invited me to apply to National Grid via their agency and provided workshops and 1-1 support to assist with that. UK Engineering work experience: My internship at the time when I was doing my MSc really helped me to become more familiar with UK business culture. The engineering principles were quite similar to my existing experience. How is your career going now?   Great. I have a well paid job with great CPD and prospects.

Telecoms Engineer: route to finding job.

Case study

Date: August 2012

Theme: Telecoms Engineer now working for Virgin Media

What was keeping me out of work?

Initially, A range of things, including

Ø  I was unfamiliar with competency based selection systems. We don't use that system in Iraq. and, having no UK experience, it felt as if it was designed to keep people some people out!

Ø  No specific services for me from Jobcentre Plus. They appeared to blame me for not having a job

Ø  I was already in a state of distress and insecurity at having had to flee from Iraq for safety and leaving my family, home and job. Housing was always a problem.  I felt very unsupported both emotionally and materially in the UK.

Ø  I had no UK work experience or UK work references, though 3 years’ Iraqi experience.

Ø  Iraqi Degree. I had a UK MSc and an Iraqi Degree. But NARIC and some employers and professional bodies viewed my degree as less than the value of a UK Degree.

Ø  I wasn’t a Member of the IET professional body. I am now.

Ø  Recruitment agencies wouldn't register me. I don't know why not.

Ø  Refugee status Many employers don't know that refugee status is a proper status, with permission to work. There is often no box for refugees to tick that applies to their status. Definitely this affected my competitiveness

What things made a difference?

Ø  Transitions:  Then I heard of Transitions, who specifically have services to enable the graduate labour market and refugee graduates to engage with one another.  i participated in several  workshops on effective job search for refugee professionals, with a range of guest engineer and other professional speakers as well as meeting for 1-1 support.

Ø  Talking with decision makers:

Brunel University: I borrowed money and persuaded Brunel University to over-ride the NARIC opinion and accept my academic and experiential knowledge to pursue a Mobile Telecommunications MSc. I  got a Distinction in my dissertation.

Guest speaker I also made a presentation myself as a guest speaker at a Transitions network meeting with colleagues from Jobcentre Plus, aimed at enhancing services by Jobcentre Plus to refugee.

The IET: I contacted and joined the IET as a Member, as advised by Transitions.

I also participated in a Transitions advisory network meeting with NARIC and the IET professional body, a recruitment agency and National Grid where we  discussed some of the miscommunications to happen between these organisations and refugee graduate candidates. it was good to have that opportunity to talk for myself to decision makers.

Effective presentation: I was initially approaching employers without referring specifically to the competences listed in the job they were advertising and not getting interviews.

I built up a portfolio of information about me and about the telecoms sector and the uk graduate recruitment system then started to frame my written applications better, using the competency system. Through Transitions I was interviewed by a major national employer for a job on their graduate trainee programme and got interview practice.

I got the interview with Virgin Media, who I now work for, by putting in a good written application, with assistance from Transitions, that highlighted and targetted my strengths for that job and motivations to work for them. Initially the agency who were doing the recruiting didn't shortlist me. Transitions called them to request the reasons why. The consultant put me forward a couple of weeks later for another role. Transitions assisted me to prepare for the phone and face to face interview, building up my self confidence, my ability to articulate my strengths and reasons for applying to Virgin Media and  my positive approach to the interview.

How are things going now?

I'm now on the road to rebuilding my career, which was interrupted by the events in Iraq and further interrupted by the lack of information advice and  support in the UK as a jobsearching refugee professional, which was very stressful! Transitions enabled me to learn how to approach the graduate labour market system here, have a chance to challenge and inform the decision-makers, and  finally to compete effectively for the great job that I now have.