I regularly get calls from middle managers asking for support covering all sorts of industries and roles. Super-skilled and highly qualified are complex profiles that need clear communication to win. But what is the strategy for skilled and under-qualified? Well, like a typical consultant, I can only say “that depends”. Usually, skill level and industry are main factors when under-qualified. The most challenging situation I most often see where my service has limited value is when an underqualfied middle manager is looking for a managerial role in a a high risk industry.

What is so difficult about a hiring a super-skilled, under-qualified middle manager?

I always kindly decline anyone unless I can see a clear shot at job success in the profile. When I arrive at this decision, I have sometimes found it difficult to explain to foreigners who may have built 100 different structures ranging up to to multi-million USD in value why they are unlikely to get a managerial job in the construction industry without adequate qualifications. Probably the best explanation can be presented in the graph below.

The above chart comes from a factsheet published by WorkSafe New Zealand. This act is enforced where the potential for injury to employees is reasonably high. Such environments will include construction sites, factories, stock yards, tree harvesting sites, etc…

As this chart indicates, there are severe consequences for those found reckless or negligent – that’s right, you don’t even have to be reckless, you can simply overlook something and it happens. For example, employing an unqualified manager might be considered as a failure to comply with health and safety duties when that decision is later seen by investigators as a cause for a risk of serious injury, illness or death.

If you are a middle manager lacking qualifications working in a high-risk industry, what are your options?

There are other roles below “manager”, including team lead, foreman, skilled carpenter, etc… This may be a viable entry point for a manager willing to work back up to the managerial level, while also allowing the local employer to keep risks low enough so that a hiring decision can be made.

What if you have little or no “hands on” skills?

Upskilling takes time. For some, it is the best option. I would suggest either to acqauire a relevant bachelor’s degree or learn some “hands on” skills to a level of a qualified tradesman. Maybe even get qualified if that is an option.

What if you want to try anyway?

There have been a number of cases where I have successfully worked with underqualified middle managers in high-risk roles. What happened in these cases was that I gave a clear warning, they decided to go ahead anyway and we went to work to maximise their chances on a range of issues including past practice, performance levels, ongoing study and motivation. Three things help: preparation, persistence and going the extra mile. It is about finding and building relationships. It is about a willingness to conduct face-to-face interviews on the spot. And that is how you maximise the chances, and yes, it can work, but I prefer to look at the other options first because I like to maximise the opportunities and not just the chances.

Finish

And that, my friends explains the challenges in terms of risk and the options in terms of job strategy. I am good at assisting with work but I am not touching your immigration or visa requirements. That will be up to you or your immigration agent. New Zealand and Australia have many high-demand job sectors that need strong candidates. The best job strategy in a nutshell is to position yourself as a low risk, high reward candidate. For details how that might apply to you, just send your CV to me at tate@employmentforimmigration.nz for helpful insights in about a day.