Mr Subhuj Pradhan  During the ME Alliance Student Seminar, we spoke to a lot of international students and temporary migrants who were qualified, but under-employed or finding it hard to find full-time employment. In order to get a few pertinent questions answered, ME Connect spoke to a manager in the hospitality industry for an insight into what gets a candidate hired. Mr Subhuj Pradhan is the Assistant General Manager of the Cambridge Management that manages three properties in the heart of Sydney’s vibrant Surry Hills. As a previous international student from Nepal and as a busy manager for three, four and five star properties, Subhuj hires many fresh graduates and we feel his insights can help our readers. Subhuj says international students have the experience and knowledge of different markets that can be extremely beneficial when being hired for customer facing jobs in the hospitality and the service industry. However many students need to concentrate on creating an effective resume and work on their interview skills. He says “Australia has a multitude of opportunities. This country doesn’t judge you by your color, sex, ethnic background etc. As long as you know you have a vision and you are on that path people respect you.” He believes this is a great place to study and work, the hospitality industry in Australia is booming and set to get even bigger in the coming years. The key attributes that any hospitality professional must cultivate are simple but very essential. “When I speak to my team; I tell them to put themselves in the customer’s shoes and treat guests exactly the way one prefers to be treated and they will have a successful hospitality career. Guest is everything. Empathy, understanding, knowledge and time management are definitely the key attributes. However as one progresses in this business one has to become an innovative decision maker, technologically sound and understand the expectations from all stakeholders like guest, owners and staff.” When hiring staff it’s the little things that make a difference between being hired and being overlooked. Subhuj says “Confidence, past experience, their genuine desire to progress and work within a team are things I look for when hiring someone. In this industry personal grooming is very important, as is personal attitude. If one lacks experience training can always be provided to enhance and sharpen the skill sets.”

  On 8 May, the Department of Immigration and Border Protection made public the 2014 Independent Review of the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority. The review was conducted between June and September 2014 by Dr Christopher N. Kendall, who was appointed by the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash for the job. The reviewer made several recommendations to improve the integrity of the migration agents’ regulatory scheme and consequently improve consumer outcomes.   Here’s a brief look at the key measures to be implemented: 1. Removal of lawyers from the migration agents’ regulatory scheme Lawyers who provide immigration assistance will no longer be required to register with the OMARA. This measure will remove the administrative burden requiring lawyers to register with two regulatory bodies. Minister Cash said, “Lawyers are already subject to one of the strictest regulatory regimes of any profession.” 2. Strengthening the training and entry qualifications for new entrants into the migration agent profession This will ensure that they (new entrants) are of an appropriate standard, without being unduly prescriptive or inflexible; and to protect socially and legally vulnerable clients, many of whom come from non-English speaking backgrounds. 3. Reviewing the re-registration process for migration agents This will help streamline procedures, including considering opportunities to reduce the regulatory burden for those agents who have a proven record of ‘good standing’. 4. Improving the management of CPD courses The framework will be reviewed with a view to creating a more competitive market for the provision of CPD.  The role of the Office of MARA will reduce to that of monitoring the registration and eligibility of providers. This measure will provide greater flexibility to providers of CPD to manage the delivery of their courses. 5. Consolidation of the Office of MARA into DIBP This will improve information-sharing with the Department and provide consumers with timely, effective outcomes which are essential to maintaining consumer protection and public confidence in the integrity of Australia’s migration programme. 6. Reviewing the scope and content of the Code of Conduct The Migration Agents’ Code of Conduct will be reviewed to ensure that the required standards of professional conduct are clearly articulated.   Full report can be viewed here: http://www.immi.gov.au/pub-res/Documents/reviews/omara-review.pdf Source: http://www.immi.gov.au/pub-res/Pages/reviews-and-inquiries/independent-review-omara.aspx

  An English language expert from Greenwich English College answers this one big question. As a migration or education agent you may often hear customers saying: ‘I have prepared for this test for such a long time and I cannot pass. I know all the tips and tricks about it and I still cannot get the score I need. I am sure they are doing it on purpose so that we cannot apply for a visa in Australia’. IELTS is not just another test. However, like all other tests there are some strategies/tips that can help candidates improve their score. Knowing the IELTS tricks and tips doesn’t mean that a high score is guaranteed. Here are some popular IELTS tips/tricks: Writing Make sure that the style used is appropriate (formal language to be used in essays and formal letters and informal language to be used in the informal letters). Make sure you answer the question. There is no right or wrong answer as long as you answer the question. The language is assessed not the ideas. Focus on both sides of the question (agree/disagree; positive/negative aspects; advantages/disadvantages; problems/solutions; causes/effects) Listening Write your answers in capital letters to avoid making punctuation mistakes. Use the checking time at the end of each section to read the next section. Predict answers. Your prediction may be the correct answer. Don’t focus on spelling during the listening. You can check the spelling at the end of the test when you transfer the answers onto the answer sheet. Reading Answers should be in order in the text. The first two sections of the test are easier than the third one, so answer the questions in order. Don’t leave empty boxes. Write an answer even if you are not sure it is the correct answer. Read the questions first and then find the information in the texts. Speaking Keep on talking. The more you talk, the higher the score. Listen to the questions and make sure you answer the question. Going off topic may mean that you didn’t understand the topic or you are trying to use memorised answers. Give shorter answers for PART 1 and longer answers for PART 3 Make sure you talk about PART 2  for at least for 90 seconds   What are these tips/tricks? Imagine that you are building a house. The bigger the house, the higher the score. How can you build a big house? The answer is simple: by building a big and solid foundation! Will these tricks and tips help you build this foundation? The answer is NO. Grammar, vocabulary and word order help you build this foundation. Once your English level is good, the tips will definitely help you improve your score and not the other way round. When examiners mark your test, they have to look at all the aspects of your skills. Let’s take for example the writing test. There are four criteria examiners look at: Task Response (For example: Did the candidate answer the question? Is the format appropriate? Is the style appropriate? Did the candidate develop the answer appropriately? Did the candidate express his/her opinion clearly and draw a conclusion at the end of the task?) Grammar (For example: How accurate is the grammar? How complex is the grammar used?) Vocabulary (For example: Is the candidate able to paraphrase? How wide is the range of language used? Is the candidate using any collocations, idioms?) Coherence and Cohesion (For example: Are ideas organised logically? Are ideas connected using different ways of linking them, such as linking words, substitution, referencing?) Knowing the tips about the IELTS test will help candidates get a good score for their Task Response and maybe for Coherence and Cohesion. However, if the candidate is aiming to get a high score (7.0), both the Vocabulary and the Grammar must be improved. This is the reason why at Greenwich English College we have designed the only IELTS Online course which covers these two areas.  If candidates constantly get 6.0 or 6.5, this is often because one of the four areas needs improvement. Again luck will not help you get a higher score. Understanding what examiners look for in your test is vital if you want to improve and get a high score. The recommendation is to focus less on tips and more on improving your English skills. This will help you get the desired score.   

  The government response to the 457 Integrity Review was released last month and the following changes have been made to the Temporary Skilled (Subclass 457) visa based on the recommendations of the Review: The list of English language test providers has been expanded. The list now includes TOEFL iBT (full form Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test), Pearson Test of English (PTE), and Cambridge English Advanced (CAE) test (conducted on or after 1 January 2015). an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) overall test score of at least 5.0 with a score of at least 4.5 in each of the four test components an Occupational English Test (OET) score of at least ‘B’ in each of the four components a Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based test (TOEFL iBT) total score of at least 36 with a score of at least 3 for each of the test components of listening and reading, and a score of at least 12 for each of the test components of writing and speaking a Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic overall test score of at least 36 with a score of at least 30 in each of the four test components a Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) overall test score of at least 154 with a score of at least 147 in each of the four test components. An exemption will be granted when an applicant can provide evidence of five cumulative years of study in English at the secondary or tertiary level, rather than proof of five years consecutive secondary or tertiary study in English. The standard business sponsorship term has been extended to 5 years commencing from the date of approval instead of 3 years. The sponsorship period for start-up businesses have been extended from twelve (12) months to eighteen (18) months. The market salary exemption threshold has been reduced from $250,000 to $180,000. This is now in line with the marginal tax rate. The notifiable period for sponsors has been extended from 10 working days to 28 calendar days.

English language expert from Greenwich English College answers this one big life changing question. As a migration or education agent, you will no doubt have been asked: “What score do I need in IELTS to get this visa?” In many cases, the answer puts the customer in a panic mode as many of them need to get the ‘magic’ 7.0 to be able to apply for a certain type of visa. Many candidates decide to study by themselves and use materials available online, while others choose to do a course at an English college in Australia. No matter what option they choose, in many situations candidates still struggle to get 7.0. Therefore, my suggestion is to choose both the online materials and the English provider carefully. First of all, candidates should get help and find what their weakness is and why they cannot reach the level required to get 7.0. Please remember that in an IELTS test not only your reading, writing, speaking and listening skills are being assessed, but also your grammar and syntax (word order). Candidates need to understand what examiners look for when they mark the tests. In this way they will know what to focus on to improve their skills and get the so much wanted 7.0. The IELTS Public Descriptors are available online and they give an indication of what a candidate needs to know/produce in order to get a certain score. Based on this rationale, we have built a very solid process at Greenwich English College. Students who are interested in doing a face to face course are being tested to check their level and ultimately find their weakness and a course recommendation is given. Most of our students follow these study plans and they get the desired scores at the end of the course. Other students choose to study by themselves and use our IELTS Online course (www.preparationielts.com). The IELTS Online course designed by Greenwich English College is different from all the other IELTS Online courses and this is because we focus on two very important language aspects: GRAMMAR and WORD ORDER. Apart from these there are a lot of materials on all the other skills (LISTENING, READING, WRITING AND SPEAKING) and also VOCABULARY. It is a COMPLETE IELTS ONLINE COURSE. We know that there are candidates who have done the test many times and still get 6.5 either in writing or speaking or the scores are not consistent, they are either higher or lower. Is it because of the IELTS centre? Is it because of the examiner? Well, in most of the cases it is the candidate’s level which is not strong enough to offer consistency. For example, being able to write in English is not enough. You need to know how to do it correctly, what structure to follow, what kind of language/vocabulary to use, how to put the words in a sentence, how to combine words in a natural way, what kind of grammar structures to use, and how to use complex grammar, etc. Many of the IELTS candidates call them tips, but are these tips? Is it something you can learn overnight? The answer is NO. If you do not accept this answer, you may have to do the test a few times to convince yourself. That will lead to money and time wasted but it is each person’s decision. Another myth is the fact that doing the test in a certain IELTS centre will help candidates get a higher score. However, it is just a myth! We do know of candidates who have been doing the IELST test so many times trying to step up from 6.5 to 7.0. Once candidates get 6.0-6.5 they think that the next step is to get 7. Luck DOES NOT help candidates in IELTS. You need to know what and how to do the test. The gap between 6.5 and 7.0 is huge and candidates keep on doing the test hoping that the next one will bring miracles. Unfortunately it doesn’t work this way. For instance, perfect grammar doesn’t guarantee a 7.0. It is not how correct it is, but how complex it is. If you use only short sentences (simple clauses) that use one verb only or you connect sentences with ‘and’, ‘or’, ‘but’ and all of them are correct, the highest score you can get in grammar is 5.0. In order to get 7.0 in grammar, a lot of complexity must to be used. What is complexity? The ability to use subordinate clauses (relative, conditional, purpose clauses, etc). In addition candidates think that if they are able to use the so much popular linking words (furthermore, moreover, in addition, etc) again it guarantees a 7.0. Well, not again as when using these linking words, candidates stop using complex structures and other ways of connecting ideas which bring variety in their writing. COMPLEXITY and VARIETY guarantee a 7.0 in IELTS. Five important steps need to be remembered: 1. What do I need to know to get 7.0 in IELTS? 2. What is my current level? 3. What is my weakness? 4. What can I do to improve my weakness? Can I do a course or should I choose to do it online? 5. How do I choose the right online materials? If you need help with answers to these questions, our expert staff at Greenwich English College will gladly help you. (Please email us at info@greenwichcollege.com.au if you need help or would like to partner with us). You may also direct your students to our highly acclaimed online IELTS preparation course, which features over 120 hours of IELTS exercises and personalized assessment and feedback from real IELTS teachers. Also, as a migration and/or education agent, you can sell this course to your candidates and receive great commissions. To start offering this course to your students please visit the Greenwich Website at www.greenwichcollege.com.au.

 A quick guide for international students. The past week has seen the culmination of Orientation Week at many universities and colleges across Australia and a new batch of international students have come here to study, live and work. A warm welcome to those who have arrived recently, you’ve come to the land of fair-go, a multicultural society that values skilled migrants like very few economies do and it is mostly up to you to make the best of your experience here. Curriculum Vitaes (CVs) or Resume During your job or internship search most local employers will require a resume; however it is essential that you prepare one that conforms to local requirements. International CVs are occasionally more personal than a typical Australian resume; including date of birth, marital status, hobbies etcetera. Compared to one you might use elsewhere, your Australian resume may be briefer, yet include more of “selling” your skills and experience. Tips to “Selling” Yourself on Your Resume Use a variety of strong action verbs to describe the experiences you have had in the past (e.g. Coordinated, Organised and Led). Concentrate on your strengths and avoid any statements that could be perceived as weak or negative. Ensure you start with the most recent experience/ qualification on the top and proceed to the least recent. Include awards you have won for academics, work, or campus/community involvements. Include any voluntary work you may have undertaken locally or internationally. Be specific with your language skills and your experience with different cultures. Get someone else to read and revise your resume if needed, spelling and grammar errors are unacceptable. A well-formatted resume can demonstrate how organized you are and is easy to read for the recruiter. Don’t underestimate the influence of your social media presence and your LinkedIn profile as well as connections. Only include links to your social media profiles if it is relevant to the work you are applying for. Cover Letters Create a new letter for each job or internship and include only information that is appropriate to what the employer is seeking in a candidate. Ensure you address all the selection criteria. Focus on Your Language Ability and Confidence Highlight that you are bi-lingual or multi-lingual, a big plus for many multi-national companies. Practice your language skills through informal interactions, class discussions, presentations, and ensure your resume as well as cover letter are impeccable. Highlight Your Unique Strengths and Cultural Knowledge Multi-Language ability and experience work and life in other cultures and nations. Adaptability and flexibility in adjusting to different environments and challenges. Demonstrate your strong work ethic and motivation. Most Universities have amazing people working/ volunteering at the Student Associations. Don’t hesitate to approach them or a relevant student collective for help or feedback. The whole point of moving abroad is to gain real life experience along with your qualifications so don’t be afraid to reach out to people.

We have received a number of queries from our readers regarding the various English tests currently accepted by the department. You can go through the answers supplied by an expert to these queries to help you decide which test is best for you. Roxana Ene has been teaching General English, IELTS and TESOL for the past eight years. She is the Director of Studies at Greenwich College and also an IELTS, Cambridge and BULATS examiner.   Q. Where can I find more information about TOEFL iBT and PTE Academic tests? Resources for these two tests are available online or at bookstores.   Q. What is the difference between the tests? TOEFL and PTE test tend to be more academic so they may be a better choice for university students who have a stronger academic foundation. In IELTS and CAE, tests skills are completely separated, in PTE and TOEFL tests skills are combined/integrated. Candidates have to listen or read and write the summary or they need to read or listen to extracts and answer questions about them. IELTS offers two modules, general and academic so candidates can choose one depending on their needs. CAE tends to be less academic and deals more with familiar topics.   Q. Is the PTE test easier than IELTS? No test is easier or more difficult. A good grasp of language is needed no matter which test is taken. However, candidates should consider their background and needs when choosing the test. IELTS has been a very popular test for many years and the number of resources available is huge. Candidates should consider their weakness when choosing the test. IELTS is more prescriptive, ‘tips focused’ and concentrates on skills in isolation, while PTE combines skills: candidates have to listen or read and write the summary or they need to read or listen to extracts and answer questions about them. PTE can be an option for the candidates who need to do the IELTS Academic Module, but for those who need the general module, taking the IELTS test may be a better alternative as the content of the PTE test is more academic.   Q. Where can I get preparation material for PTE and CAE tests? There are many resources available in bookshops, online, and on the official websites. In addition candidates can do preparation courses which will provide them with practice materials. CAE would probably be a good choice as the candidate needs to communicate mainly with another candidate. Also the given prompts (pictures) may help candidates produce more language and ideas which will allow them to keep speaking about the given topic.   Q. I struggle with the listening test, do any of the tests play the recording twice? CAE listening is played twice and you are also given more time to read the questions (up to 75 seconds) and also the check your answers (up to 2 minutes).   Q. Do any of the tests have a specific grammar test? I have only sat the IELTS and my grammar is not too good. The CAE test has a grammar component called ‘Use of English’ which includes exercises on word order, word forms, paraphrasing. This component and the reading component together last for 90 minutes.   Q. Do all the tests have speaking tests? All tests have a speaking component. However, the length and the structure is different. IELTS ONE examiner- ONE candidate : based on the interaction between the examiner and the candidate Three parts: dialogue-monologue-dialogue CAE TWO examiners (an interlocutor and an assessor) – TWO candidates: very little interaction with the examiners. Prompts ( pictures)  given to help candidates produce more language TOEFL Speaking component is mixed with the writing component and includes tasks like: read the lecture and the text and answer the following question. Texts tend to be more academic. It is a computer based tests so the speaking gets recorded and is marked in America. PTE Speaking component mixed with listening and writing includes tasks like: read the lecture and the text and answer the following question, listen to the lecture and answer the following questions, etc.  Texts tend to be more academic. It is a computer based tests so the speaking gets recorded and is marked by a software.   Q. IELTS tests are conducted every week, how often do the other tests occur? CAE- paper based or computer based tests Computer and paper based tests:  Once a month NOTE: Candidate should contact Cambridge test centres and see if they run the test on the specified dates. Cambridge tests centres can choose when they want to run the test. In Australia many dates are especially available in March, June, July, September, and December. Test results are available online 2 weeks after the test. TOEFL Tests can be taken every week and results are available 10 days after the test. PTE Tests can be taken every week and results are available in 5 business days.   Q. How long does the entire test session last for each of the tests? CAE: 4 hours (speaking test may be held on a different day) TOEFL: 3 hours and 10 minutes IELTS: 3 hours (speaking test may be held on a different day) PTE: around 3 hours (shorter or longer tests depending on the level of the candidate)   Q. I can’t get seven on reading and I have given the IELTS 15 times, can you suggest which test has an easier reading component? In the CAE Reading test candidates need to answer 26 questions. In comparison with IELTS where different question types are being used (multiple choice questions, matching headings with paragraphs, T/F/NG, fill in the gaps) in CAE there are only multiple choice and matching question types. T/F/NG questions and matching paragraphs tend to be the most problematic question types for IELTS candidates. The reason for this is because IELTS tests use a lot of distractors to check candidates’ comprehension. Therefore, trying to guess the answer based on word similarities will not lead to a correct answer. CAE reading questions