There is no magic answer to any of this. I can't tell you that by rewriting your resume that you WILL find work. All I can say is that you can improve your chances if you:

Your best chance of getting work with no local experience is with temporary work. Clients are more willing to consider overseas candidates if the consultant is confident they can do the work – often this requires you to do work at a lower level than you would have done in your home country. Once you get temp work, work hard and try hard to exceed expectations. This will lead to more work and will give you that local Australian experience that can lead to long term options. If you feel rusty using Excel, ask your consultant to send you online Excel training, which you can use to brush up your skills.

The world of accounting has changed. Ten years ago, we couldn't find good accountants to save ourselves. Now, university graduates are struggling to find work. Companies have offshored clerical accounting roles, and others have developed large shared service functions, which are often located in one central location, removing opportunities in branches or interstate. Good roles can be hard to come by, and clients are demanding a lot more for their money. We see more applications for accounting roles now, and there is definitely more competition for good jobs.

Client expectations are getting harder to meet, but they are also less likely to compromise – electing to wait for the perfect person rather than lower their standards for someone with less than ideal experience. This means that the recruitment process takes longer for everyone involved. Your key to success is flexibility and a willingness to roll your sleeves up and get on with the work.