Transitioning back into the Australian market from overseas

There’s something uniquely Australian about the desire to chase your career horizon overseas, swapping Circular Quay for the Central Line or Wynyard for Wall Street. Packing your life up into suitcases to chase bigger and more complex deals in more mature markets. The opportunity for personal and career growth can seem endless but the thought of returning home to Australia’s shores rarely departs an expatriate’s thoughts. This is especially so at this time of year, when the northern hemisphere winter closes in, and we see an influx of candidates exploring the idea of returning to Australia. With that comes a wave of questions about how to turn these thoughts into reality.

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However, the process is rarely as simple as booking a flight - the Australian hiring landscape has its own rules and operates at its own pace. For those returning after years abroad, it can feel less like stepping back into something familiar, and more like navigating a whole new market. The Advance Global Australians Report 2025 found that while 95% want to return, only 15% have concrete plans, held back more by uncertainty than desire. As a recruitment firm we are positioned between clients and candidates, hearing both the reasons behind the pull of home and the barriers that can hold people back. 

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I spoke with people across investment banking, private capital and corporate roles who had already made the transition to reflect on these challenges and opportunities faced. From those conversations, four key themes emerged: timing, specialisation & translation, employer scepticism, and rebuilding networks. We explored how these challenges affected their return processes and what the best strategies are for the smoothest transition.

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Timing Matters 

The appetite for hiring is influenced by time of year and market activity. Several professionals said that even with strong, relevant experience, it took longer than expected to find the right fit. Some said they anticipated a quick transition, roughly a month or two, only to find themselves still searching after four or five. At senior levels, the challenge becomes even more apparent. There are simply fewer seats in Australia, team sizes are leaner, with structures narrowing towards the more senior end – there may only be a single VP or Director headcount for each team. 

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More recently, firms seem to be hiring more opportunistically rather than running structured processes, requiring flexible timing from candidates. Many described periods of waiting for the “right role” to come to market, with processes taking months as decisions moved through local teams but often stalled in offshore headquarters. We found local firms proved far more independent and agile, often moving faster than a candidate’s own timeline. 

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What we recommend: start early & be patient

It is recommended to start conversations early, roughly six to twelve months out, allowing returnees to understand where the market is active and when opportunities might align. Not only will this make the return more manageable, but you become re-immersed in the rhythm of the Australian market, building an awareness that goes far beyond what’s available online.

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But timing isn’t just about how long it takes to find a role, it’s also about when you start looking. We’ve observed at East that hiring and movement often follow seasonal trends, with momentum building around bonuses and tapering off through holiday breaks. Being prepared for these seasonal changes may also include understanding that you may need to move earlier than you are ideally ready to.

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Sector Product Specialisation & Translation

While riding the wave of larger markets and bigger deals, you run the fine line between gaining global experience and becoming too specialised in areas less prevalent in Australia. Australia’s deal landscape is more generalist by nature, and many teams expect coverage and understanding across multiple sectors and products rather than depth in one.

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Several professionals said niche experience limited their options when returning. Some had to wait for the right opening, while others found their international work respected but not directly relevant to how deals are done locally. The longer they stayed abroad, the harder it became to reconnect with domestic networks and market familiarity. 

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This overseas experience was valued, but rarely a leg up in the recruitment process. Employers appreciated the exposure, yet relationships and local credibility still carried more weight. For some, particularly those with global fund or infrastructure experience, that alignment worked in their favour. The difference wasn’t where they’d worked, but how well their experience fit Australia’s current market.

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What we recommend: Tailor your narrative

Perhaps the most insightful advice was how crucial it is to frame overseas experience in local terms. Those with successful stories of returning could decisively explain the relevance of their international work; showing how it applied to Australian teams, clients or sectors. It’s less about what you specifically did abroad, and more about how it fits in here. The ability to translate global experience into local value often shaped how quickly returning professionals regained traction in the market.

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Employer Scepticism

From afar, it can be difficult for hiring managers to tell who is genuinely returning and who is simply testing the market. Many returnees said they encountered a degree of hesitation from employers when they first began their search. This uncertainty often slowed conversations or led to silence. Some professionals expected this, being told by recruiter friends that they could be immediately discounted if they weren’t on the ground, with interest usually picking up only once they had confirmed plans to return or were already back in Australia. Even then, hesitation didn’t disappear entirely, it just shifted.

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Some who relocated first to show commitment, said employers then questioned why they didn’t already have a role lined up. Others, particularly those who had been away for longer, faced uncertainty about whether they intended to stay for the long term. Yet, it’s felt that these hesitations weren’t personal but reflective of a cautious market. 

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What we recommend: Leverage recruiters & networks

Self-promotion maybe, but it’s undeniable the importance of connectivity within the Australian market. Many stated that ongoing contact with trusted recruiters kept them visible and informed, while reconnecting with former colleagues or contacts helped reopen deal and hiring networks in a trusted space. And while LinkedIn has become a prominent tool for connection, networks and recruiters help avoid the automatic sweep of offshore profiles. Just as importantly, recruiters have to ability to help mitigate this scepticism by framing your story in a way that gives employers confidence in your move.

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Rebuilding Networks

While the market felt familiar when returning to Australia, the people within it often hadn’t stood still. New faces have been promoted to origination roles, firms had changed strategic direction, and long-standing commercial contacts are no longer as close.

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This change was felt most by senior professionals. The further they had progressed, the more their roles depended on origination; and those overseas client relationships, rarely transferred back home. While technical skills and deal experience carried easily, client access and credibility took time to rebuild. One professional suggested that the challenge can be overstated, as capable performers often re-established themselves quickly. 

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For those who had been away for shorter periods found the adjustment easier, noting that their connections and reputation remained intact. For others who had been away for longer, it underscored that time away from the market naturally dulls familiarity, often meaning building from the ground up.

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What we recommend: Adjust expectations

Titles and team structures differ, and some took a sideways step or a step-down to re-establish local relevance before progressing again. In our experience, market responsiveness is strongest between the Senior Analyst and Junior VP levels where networks aren’t a big player, with Senior VP & upwards opportunities becoming increasingly shaped by individual rain-making ability. Across conversations, there was a shared understanding that international experience alone doesn’t secure an upwards, or even equal, opportunity in Australia, it still must align with local needs, timing and ability. 

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But after all, the largest theme that stands out is preparation. Being prepared, knowledgeable and adaptable will make the journey home smoother. The recruitment process is no different; understanding the landscape, timing and expectations helps turn uncertainty into opportunity.

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