Imagine moving to a new country and having to learn from scratch the systems of society. But the culture is so different and you’re expected to sell yourself in a way that would have seemed rude and very inappropriate back in your country of birth.

This is the reality for many new to this country: while modern Australia has been shaped by waves of immigration, newly-arrived migrants, refugees and asylum seekers still have trouble finding work, no matter how much they want to.

Ahmad Raza, a recruitment and field officer with the Brotherhood of St Laurence, discusses Given the Chance, a program that gives one-on-one support to refugees and asylum seekers.

John Van Kooy, a PhD candidate and a migration and social inclusion researcher with Monash University, also tells Life Matters about some of the best ways to support newly-arrived migrants to find jobs.