Steve Bethell

In UK, prior to moving to Australia, I had developed a very successful career in Information Technology (IT).

IT at that time was a relatively new industry.

As part of my duties as Systems Manager, I was selected and trained to find/recruit/retain talent for a number of rapidly growing companies.

I completed hundreds and hundreds of interviews. It was all going very well.

Then ‘life’ intervened. We decided to ‘up pegs’ and move to a warm dry climate to help our new born who was really struggling with the cold and humid UK weather.

We chose Australia as our new home and, on the 4th attempt, we finally received a visa!

When I emigrated to Australia in 1980 I didn’t really have a clue as to the local aussie ‘culture’.

Plus I didn’t have too much savings and the imperative was to find a rental home, and a job, before my wife and one year old baby followed me out 3 weeks later.

I could barely have picked a worse time to land in a (strange) new country.

No jobs on offer, no bank was providing credit, no friends bar one couple that kindly put me up till I found a rental.

The first year or so was challenging times to say the least!

But I certainly gained masses of knowledge along this journey.

I remained in IT at this time and I was back recruiting people because recession quickly became the 80’s ‘boom times’.

Although busy, I always found time to help and mentor other (struggling) people that came into my orbit over the next 12 years.

In 1992, all my experiences helping both myself and other people find work was melded to form the original printed version of this work.

And indeed when I first wrote “How to Get That Job..” I had it in mind that it will certainly help new arrivals following my earlier footsteps.

The book provides many insights and tips to western business culture, especially relevant when looking for your first job in Australia.

(For example, you don’t really know what Australian interviewers are expecting you to say in response to a question).

It can be summarized, in my world, as having the right team ATTITUDE. This is the edge this book will give you.

You’ll be armed with how to vocalize and demonstrate a positive attitude.

These tips will undoubtedly help you to secure that job, and then support a stellar career onwards from there.

The book was refreshed in 2020, and Kate Civitella contributed a new highly informative section related to helping those looking for State Government jobs.

With Government job applications, to give yourself a fighting chance, you should understand the basics of how your application (and interview) will be evaluated and this section explains it all in great detail.

Follow the process, learn some of the language used, add in your own personality and positive attitude .. and your endeavors should bear fruit quickly.

I continue to conduct voluntary mentoring and sales training to those that need a ‘leg up’.