'Not what I came for': International students complain about having to get fast food jobs in the 'lucky country' - but others say they're to blame for not finding better work
- International students speak out about the difficulties of finding a desired job
- Some say they find themselves in fast food jobs instead of their chosen field
- Expert said course choices played major role in lack of desired job opportunities
International students studying in Australia have spoken out about the job market forcing them into the fast food and service industries instead of the occupations they're qualified for.
A number of international students told SBS they came to Australia to study with hopes of securing a job within their chosen field.
However, many of them say they find themselves working in fast food or hospitality without getting so much as an interview for the jobs they truly want.
One of the students from India, who spoke with SBS anonymously, said he respected the role of working in fast food but it wasn't why he came to Australia.
International students studying in Australia have spoken out about the country's competitive job market forcing them into the fast food and service industries
'Flipping burgers was not my idea of a life in a lucky country, I respect what I'm doing, it pays the bills, but this is not what I aspire to do or came here for,' he said.
He said he had tried a number of avenues for finding work including searching online, going to a recruitment agency, and asking friends and relatives for leads.
Chief Executive Officer of Outline.Life Gerard Holland said looking for jobs through any online job portals was possibly the 'stupidest' thing the students could do.
'Instead focus on building a network, venture out, and speak with your peers, friends and acquaintances outside your community. Attend seminars and meet-ups to build your network,' he said.
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Mr Holland added that students should also pick courses which provide an internship as part of the curriculum.
Meanwhile, part-time database manager Jobandeep Kaur told the publication it drives her crazy when people say she 'lucked out' by finding her preferred job.
She said they don't take into consideration the hard work it took to track down and secure the position she desired most, and agreed that looking for jobs online was stupid.
'I distributed my CV, attended in-house network summits organised by the university, unlike most Indian students who think it's a waste of time and prefer to look for jobs online,' she said.
Figures from the Australian Department of Education show there are currently 876,399 international students enrolled in education programs in Australia, almost 399,078 of those in the 'higher education sector'.
The department also conducted a survey of international students in 2018 which showed an 89 per cent overall satisfaction rate, an 88 per cent learning satisfaction and 83 per cent employability.
Experienced career coach Vivek Gupta told the publication many students from India were choosing courses based on their permanent residency prospects pushing them to settle for sub-optimal work (file photo)
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