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Aussie job search a tough gig for returning expats
Australians who believe working overseas will give them an employment advantage on their return home might struggle more than they think, a new study has warned.

Aussie job search a tough gig for returning expats
Australians who believe working overseas will give them an employment advantage on their return home might struggle more than they think, a new study has warned.

Recruitment site Indeed has undertaken research that revealed more than 1 million Australian expats are at a domestic employment disadvantage due to fears of gaps in local industry knowledge and the perceived inconvenience of hiring an expat.
According to its research, more than 90 per cent of “repats” believe Australian businesses are underestimating the degree to which skills are transferable across industries.
Returning overseas
Constant knock-backs in the Australian market are apparently proving too much for a number of returners, with two out of five expats returning to overseas posts in less than a year.
The majority of these “rebound expats” acknowledged they head back overseas because of job search issues, while 67 per cent leave again because they feel their international experience has been undervalued.
Salary expectations
Returned expats said the time spent gaining international experience and perfecting skills was worth more money, and employers should expect to adjust their salary expectations, the survey revealed.
On the other hand, recruiters reportedly believed returning employees have a “self-inflated sense of skills and experience” and “misjudge their earning power in Australia”.
Foster relationships in Australia
Reaching out to former employers or groups in an employee’s network can be advantageous, according to the survey.
It noted 49 per cent of expats found work through utilisation of their network.
It’s an experience lived by former expat Dan Home.
According to the former CEO, after eight years in Chicago, he was unable to land a job in Australia on any ASX-listed companies, and instead began his own firm.
He advised expats to “start fostering relationships back in Australia two to three years before you return because it takes a long time to break into the local industry.
nestegg has previously reported on the tax implications for returning expats.
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