Real stories of migrants who began with courage and achieved a skilled job & permanent residency

This is Ha's
Ace A Job^®

success story

HA

Hydroclimate Modeller

Challenges

INTRO.............................................

When I moved to Australia, I thought my extensive academic and professional experience would make finding a job straightforward. However, reality proved otherwise. I applied for more than seven jobs over two months and only landed two interviews, both of which left me feeling defeated.

During those interviews, I was overwhelmed with ideas but struggled to articulate them. My answers were often messy and confusing, and at times, I even went blank. The same happened in my second interview, leaving me unconfident and hesitant to apply for more jobs.

Adding to the challenge was my background as a university lecturer in my home country. Despite having a Ph.D. from an Australian university and numerous academic achievements, I knew my resume looked overly academic, which didn’t align with the private sector roles I was targeting. On top of that, I had no local experience, making me feel inferior to local candidates.

Strategies

LEARNING............................

When I started working with Thea, she quickly helped me identify the root of my problems—and it wasn’t just my interview skills. She explained that many job seekers overlook a critical step: fixing the resume first. I’d been focusing on the wrong stage of the process.

Together, we completely revamped my application. Thea taught me how to identify the key skills the job required and then match them to my experiences. This exercise not only strengthened my resume but also helped me rediscover past accomplishments I’d forgotten about.

Through this process, I gained clarity about my strengths and how they aligned with what employers were looking for. It also gave me a solid foundation to prepare for interviews. By focusing on the key skills and evidence from my resume, I was able to craft convincing answers before I even walked into an interview.

Thea’s interview preparation strategies were game-changing. She taught me how to analyse job descriptions to anticipate likely questions, making it easier to prepare thoughtful, targeted responses. She also encouraged me to leverage my connections, including staying in touch with my professor, who ultimately referred me to the job I landed.

Results

SUCCESS.................

The first job I applied for after working with Thea was with the government, a perfect fit for my professional background. With my newly polished resume, I quickly landed an interview with the hiring manager and HR.

The interview lasted over an hour and focused heavily on my technical skills. Thanks to Thea’s strategies, I walked in confident and prepared, answering questions far more effectively than in my earlier interviews.

After passing the interview, I was invited to complete two tests on behaviour and cognitive thinking, which I also aced. This led to a second interview with two managers from other teams. Thea coached me on what they’d likely ask and how to structure my answers. With her guidance and the confidence I’d built from the first interview, I performed even better.

Shortly after, I received a job offer! This role perfectly aligns with my expertise, and it comes with a decent salary and the opportunity to grow my career long-term in Australia.

Incredibly, I also landed an interview with a top-notch Australian organisation, but I turned it down because I was already thrilled with the offer I had. Just a few weeks ago, I was unsure if I’d ever find a job. Now, I’ve secured an amazing position and even had the luxury of turning down additional opportunities.

Working with Thea transformed my job search. Her strategies helped me restructure my application, refine my interview skills, and build the confidence I needed to succeed. Thank you so much, Thea, for your incredible support! I couldn’t have done it without you.

This is just the beginning of my journey, and I’m excited to see where this opportunity takes me!

Ready to secure a full-time job & PR to call Australia home?

_{Results are not guaranteed. Please see the earnings disclaimer for more details.}