Government Jobs Case Study: Removing Cultural Bias

I love the high-quality resume and cover letter the team formulated for me. Despite not having substantial years of experience in the field and being non-native, they still managed to highlight all the relevant information and skills. TPR gave me a great fighting chance against industry experts. – Chao-xing 

This case study narrates the story of a young and compassionate graduate who is far away from home. With nothing else, but her Social Work degrees and genuine desire of helping people, she bravely jumped into the job pool with the hope of establishing a career within the health and disability sector. Regardless of being in a foreign country, Chao-xing never felt alone throughout her professional journey. Discover how the Perfect Resume team supported her all the way! 

Chao-xing and her Desire To Apply For Government Jobs

From a very young age, it was noticeable that Chao-xing was a wanderer. With her nǎinai or grandma, the little adventurer would walk around the busy parks and squares of Beijing every afternoon. As she grew older, her feet would bring her somewhere farther and nǎinai became slower. Chao-xing would patiently walk side by side and guide her grandmother. Sometimes, she would also help other elders and even other kids in their community.  

“What do you want to be when you grow up, Chao-xing?” This is a usual question asked by her grandma. “I want to help kids and other nǎinais like you who have no one,” she always responds with a big, warm smile. Little did she know that years later, this reply will become her mission and oath that she would live by. 

Years later, Chao-xing achieved her bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Social Administration. Sadly, her grandmother was not there anymore to celebrate with her. However, she had the children from the Centre where she was volunteering to rejoice with her. As an avid learner, she knew that her current degree was just the beginning of something better. With just a wing and her infinite hope, she flew to Australia to pursue her master’s degree in Social Work. 

New Country, Better Opportunity, and A Major Difficulty 

According to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), more than 7.6 million migrants were living in Australia in 2020. Chao-xing, a part of the 650,600 Chinese-born population, has been extremely grateful for her new home where she has learned a lot from. In return, she worked extremely hard to finish her master’s degree and give back to the community as a volunteer. 

 Sadly, despite the opportunities that she has received and the achievements she has accomplished, Chao-xing encountered a challenge in employment. She knew that she possessed all the relevant skills and knowledge that were required to enter the Government Administration Industry particularly in the mental health and disability sector, yet her resumes and applications documents have been consistently thrown into the “NO” bin.  

Chao-xing is not alone. Many settlers have been struggling to land a job in Australia. Another report from the ABS has revealed that one out of three employed migrants found it tough to land their first job. Unfortunately, these numbers have been the same for over three years. Knowing this, Chao-xing searched for ways to start a full-time Social Worker career in Australia.  

Chao-xing and The Perfect Resume: From Strangers into Family 

After scouring the internet for days and weeks, Chao-xing finally found a way to enter the mental health and disability sector and serve her purpose. Through extensive research and speaking to people with the same academic background as hers who managed to secure stable jobs within the industry, she realised that her key is her resume. 

Chao-xing decided that she needed professional help. Initially, she considered going with recruiters but due to being uncertain about their quality of services, she opted to look for the best resume writing services who could help her create the perfect resume at a reasonable price. Does it ring a bell? 

After considering all her options, Chao-xing chose The Perfect Resume after finding out that the organisation’s Director, Melissa Peacock, has established a successful career within the sectors of Human Resources and Public Health.  

Her email to the team became the catalyst to a fruitful relationship.  

Receiving a warm approach from the team, Chao-xing felt like she was home. The Perfect Resume Team welcomed her and made sure that she felt comfortable. As soon as trust was established, it became easier for the client to voice out her concerns and requests. With the aid of the team, Chao-xing wanted to achieve the following: 

• Produce a high-quality resume and cover letter that would showcase her achievements. 
• Ensure that the documents are ATS-friendly and effectively address all the requirements on the position description. 
• Divert the attention of her readers from noticing that she only has one year of professional experience in the field and directing eyes to her qualifications and skills. 

Now, having all the needed information and knowing the client’s expectations, The Perfect Resume Team enthusiastically started working on the order. A writer was busy creating the skeleton of her resume whilst two other resume writers were in charge of researching and gathering the keywords that Chao-xing’s resume and cover letter must contain. Completing this process ensured that all her application documents are 100% ATS compliant, thereby increasing the client’s chances of reaching the interview stage.  

After receiving both her finalised resume and cover letter, Chao-xing skimmed and noticed that some information involving her cultural roots were eliminated. “Why?” She felt very sceptical and a bit vexed.  

Observing the client’s discomfort, the team, which was led by the Director, brought out into the open the reason why information about her beloved homeland was removed. Despite the denial of many recruiters, hiring managers, and even employers, recruitment biases are still very much present within the recruitment industry.  

Melissa revealed to Chao-xing that one of the main factors to why she has been having difficulties in securing her dream job is due to triggering several biases, including the cultural bias. For the client to feel at ease and to gain her trust, the Director shared her theoretical knowledge in psychology and gave tangible examples from her exposure across the Human Resources industry. According to Melissa, giving out crumbs of how she attained her education, and some experiences overseas can compromise her application. What not many applicants know is that employment is usually given to residents or professionals with local expertise. 

After hearing Melissa’s point and realising that she is speaking to a professional with over a decade's worth of experience, her trust was restored. The Perfect Resume embraced her as a family and assured everything the team did was for her own advantage. She smiled and thanked them. 

However, little by little, sadness was creeping back in. “Back to being alone,” she said. She thought that it was going to be the point where her acquaintance with the team ends.  

Government Jobs & Building the Australian Dream

Chao-xing was wrong for the team never stopped checking up on her. Both parties kept consistent and open communication. She was very happy because despite completing her orders, The Perfect Resume team showered her with support and encouragement.  

With the team’s help, she gained more confidence in putting herself in the job pool. A couple of weeks ago, Chao-xing excitedly sent her resume and cover letter out for career opportunities that would allow her to help build the Australian dreams of others in need.  

Happily, Chao-xing shared to The Perfect Resume Team that not only did she get a call for a promising opportunity, but she has also been shortlisted for another great role! Proud of our client, our team will continue to cheer in the background and boost her confidence.  

If you're looking for a fresh start in your career, The Perfect Resume can help! We will make sure that like Chao-xing, your application documents will catch the attention of and impress potential recruiters and hiring managers without triggering any recruitment bias. Why keep on imagining when you can start living the Australian dream and your best life with just a phone call to 1300 217 374. You may also send us the latest copy of your resume to info@theperfectresumes.com, and one of our Professional Resume Writers will review it for FREE. The Perfect Resume Team is ready to take care of all your resume-related needs whether you’re a fresh graduate or an Executive. So, stop stressing because we've got everything handled from A - Z., literally. 

I hope this case study helped and inspired you! If it did, please don't forget to share and pass the kindness along to your fellow job seeker. 

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