Sep 6, 2026 · 9 min · 6 segments
The sad truth about working across cultures is that talented people often arrive in a new country with deep experience and then watch it get quietly discounted. In this episode, Helen McCabe and…
Jamila RizviHostHelen McCabeHost
And Helen, I think the first point we need to make is that that bias is not personal, right? It's structural.
So, for example, a CETA analysis found almost one in four permanent skilled migrants in Australia work in jobs below their skill level.
Only about half of overseas-born qualified engineers actually work in engineering.
We all run into someone we think is incredible and we wonder why they can't get great jobs.
And I think it's important for us to double down on that because otherwise when that bias does hit you, it can start to be pretty demoralising personally and you can start to look inwards and think, well, what's wrong with me? What am I doing wrong? How do I need to fix myself? That is not what is going on here.
There are some employers that do discount your experience because they are stereotyping about where you've gained that experience.
They might be overvaluing people who have been trained or worked locally because they think, oh, that's going to be a good cultural fit, right? All of that is really unfair.
But there are some steps that we can take to get ahead of these unspoken fears because the labour market needs people with overseas qualifications, Helen.
Like we can't fill all of the skills and labour needs we've got here in Australia if we didn't have migrants.
And Helen, I think the first point we need to make is that that bias is not personal, right? It's structural.
So, for example, a CETA analysis found almost one in four permanent skilled migrants in Australia work in jobs below their skill level.
Only about half of overseas-born qualified engineers actually work in engineering.
We all run into someone we think is incredible and we wonder why they can't get great jobs.
And I think it's important for us to double down on that because otherwise when that bias does hit you, it can start to be pretty demoralising personally and you can start to look inwards and think, well, what's wrong with me? What am I doing wrong? How do I need to fix myself? That is not what is going on here.
There are some employers that do discount your experience because they are stereotyping about where you've gained that experience.
They might be overvaluing people who have been trained or worked locally because they think, oh, that's going to be a good cultural fit, right? All of that is really unfair.
But there are some steps that we can take to get ahead of these unspoken fears because the labour market needs people with overseas qualifications, Helen.
Like we can't fill all of the skills and labour needs we've got here in Australia if we didn't have migrants.
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