Moved to Australia for love; finding work has been hard

I moved to Melbourne in January to join my husband after a long-distance relationship and arrived on a bridging partner visa with full work rights. The first major rejection landed in my inbox one Monday morning: the team had chosen a candidate with stronger Australian-market experience.

It was an entry-level role, yet I have 10 years' experience as a writer, editor, and communications specialist, and the result made me feel as if that decade suddenly didn’t count. Most listings here ask for demonstrated experience engaging Australian stakeholders, familiarity with the local media landscape, or a track record of pitching to local outlets.

The subtext is clear: employers want people who can hit the ground running, but local experience usually requires local employment. That mismatch has a name — underutilization — and a 2024 Australian report by Deloitte Access Economics found nearly half of migrants work below their skill level.

Australia, Melbourne

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