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Understanding The Hidden Meaning In Australian Job Advertisements
Finding work in Australia can be a complex and difficult task, especially if you are not aware of the secondary meaning of certain phrases used in job advertisements. Whilst I always recommend networking as the best way to find your first job in Australia when it comes to looking for your next job after you have gained some Australian experience (paid or voluntary) you need to be able to interpret what is being implied in job advertisements. Whilst the following examples are extracted in isolation, it is important to read the entire advertisement as the overall message and description could be interpreted differently.
"Fantastic bonus structure" – The company provides a very low base salary rate and you have to do the work first before being paid for extra work in either dollars or incentive (products and services).
"Fast-paced, dynamic environment" – You may be expected to work really hard, often without breaks. This may imply that they would like a younger person.
"Ability to multi task and prioritise daily tasks to meet critical deadline" – You may be responsible for all sorts of duties, not necessarily staying within the job description and you may be under pressure to support a manager who is busy doing something else. In the workplace, you may need to be careful not to say yes too often and do all of the work..... or you may quickly suffer burn out.
"Have Australian industry experience (essential)" or "Solid track record" – You must have been working in Australia in a similar role in a similar type of company as they want you to be able to walk into the role immediately and take over from the previous person who has had extensive Australian experience (and possibly also local connections).
"Fast growing company" – means they may or may not have a lot of systems and processes in place so you will need to be able to work independently within general guidelines, possibly long hours too.
"Excellent weekly pay and fast track career growth for the right people" – they may pay you very little money each week and will only reward you financially or with opportunity if you accomplish difficult to achieve targets. In a sales role, this would mean that you may have to work many hours for little or no pay.
"You must live and work in this location to apply for this job" – it would be best if you were a permanent resident or an Australian citizen to apply for this position. However, this is a standard "tick box" when an advertisement is being lodged, so it may be worth making an enquiry if you have a different type of visa – contact the advertiser first before applying to see if your application would be accepted.
"We work as a team to share the load and support one another" – this was for a call centre role – you need to remember that in these roles, everyone's activity is monitored and there is an implied understanding that you will all work within the same way within very specific criteria.
"Be rewarded for your hard work" or "Make a difference" – this may mean that they would like you to do lots of extra work in your own time.
"Be commercially focused" – this may mean the employer wants you to increase revenue substantially.
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