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Migrant employment issues need to be dealt with in a more constructive manner, says an AUT University careers advisor.
Michael Richardson says the media has publicised the problems migrants face getting a job in New Zealand. But, he says, too much attention is being paid to the problems instead of the solutions.
Richardson has been a careers counsellor at AUT for more than three years and has seen many migrants struggle to find a job, despite holding degrees from Auckland universities.
He says the situation will not improve without action from both migrants and employers.
Migrants tend to take a passive approach to job hunting, sending out curriculum vitae and hoping for the best, he says.
"People from cultures with traditional and conservative educational backgrounds tend to be receptive learners. In some cultures it isn't appropriate to approach an employer on equal footing.
"But new migrants need to step outside their comfort zone."
According to Richard Bolles' job-hunting advice book What Colour Is Your Parachute?, about 80 per cent of advertised jobs are given to people who actively network.
"Sending out 100 CVs will not get you a job, but attending work skills courses will," says Richardson.
Migrants also need to learn to "walk in both cultures," he says. They need to be able to communicate with people outside their culture, as well as within their own.
Richardson says many migrants find this daunting, but it can be easily accomplished.
"They can do volunteer work, make friends and contacts in the area of work they want to go in to, join clubs, mix more broadly and generally take on the knowledge and skills of how other cultures interact."
Rohith Anabheri moved to New Zealand from India a year and a half ago. The 23-year-old has a bachelor's degree in engineering and computer sciences from India's Osmania University. He has also completed a post graduate diploma in computer and information sciences at AUT.
But despite his qualifications he says it has been difficult to find a job in New Zealand.
He attributes this to employers wanting to hire people who have experience working in the country.
He also says "inflexible Government policies" mean there is a lack of resources available to help companies train new graduates.
Anabheri completed a course at AUT last year, which taught him to build networks and learn about the New Zealand way.
He has since been employed as a development research assistant for AUT.
He agrees with Richardson that migrants need to be proactive, but says employers need to be "more open to hiring migrants".
"Migrants come to New Zealand with hope that they will be given opportunities. They have great ambitions and once their hopes are shattered it's quite disturbing," he says.
Richardson says one of the major keys to migrants finding employment is their ability to speak English. He says the levels at which some migrants speak the language are not adequate for the workplace.
Richardson taught one student who had a bachelor's degree in business, but was continually turned down for jobs.
"The person only spoke English about 20 per cent of the time and tended to mix only with people from their own culture."
The Employers and Manufactures Association agrees that language skills are important.
Advisory services manager David Lowe says New Zealand is a multi-cultural society and having employees who can relate to and communicate with customers of various ethnicities can be a competitive advantage.
But at the same time a lack of communication skills can hinder employment possibilities.
"It is important that employees can be understood, and foreign accents can be problematic," he says.
"This does not reflect a fault on the part of anybody, but it is an issue."
New Kiwis is a project run by the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the NZ Immigration Service.
Migrant employer liaison Lynn Whitehead says the migrants she helps to find work are "overwhelmingly willing" to make the changes suggested by people such as Richardson.
"Often people don't know where they are going wrong, but once they are told and shown they are willing to change."
Whitehead says it is the risk-averse approach of employers, and their insistence on New Zealand experience, that is holding back progress.
Richardson says employers need to be more open minded when it comes to employing migrants.
He believes New Zealand should look to cities such as Brussels for examples of inter-cultural compatibility.
"There are people from every country in the world working side by side, efficiently and productively. Why can't we do this?"
However, Lowe says employers are doing their best to employ migrants - especially to fill New Zealand's skill shortages.
It is difficult to verify some migrants' qualifications, and if it turns out the person hired is not suitable for the job, it is a long-winded and drawn-out process to rectify the situation, says Lowe.
Lowe recommends migrants have written verification of their qualifications and the standing of the institution they are from to present to prospective employers when required.
Ten tips for job-hunting migrants
1) Be proactive: Don't just send out CVs - knock on doors; network; join clubs.
2) Learn the kiwi way. Understand New Zealand culture and social mores so that you can relate to and successfully communicate with other New Zealanders.
3) Find out what your prospective employers are looking for and take steps to satisfy their expectations.
4) Keep up to date with current affairs - they can be good conversation starters.
5) Make sure your English is fluent and easily understood.
6) Be willing to learn and improve on skills you already have.
7) If you're lacking NZ experience in your area of work, give volunteer work a try.
8) Contact organizations such as New Kiwis and other migrant services for help.
9) Make sure that any international qualifications you have, and the academic standing of institution they come from, can be verified.
10) Be patient - finding a job can take time.
