Ok, you’ve read up on getting a working holiday visa in Australia, applied and got it. You land, check in to a hostel and now find yourself looking for work….what next? Here we’ll give you some tips on getting jobs in Australia whilst on your working holiday visa (or not on a working holiday visa).
It’s good to remember that you can only work for 6 months in one company and then MUST move on so bear this in mind when choosing a job. However, if you impress, companies can always sponsor you to extend your stay in Oz and if you work in a farm fruit picking or the sort for 3 months or more you can apply for another year in Australia.
Depending on the type of job you’re looking for there are different sites (or techniques) to use:
Fruit Picking
If you’re planning on touring the country in your camper van and working on route the sites below should be able to help you find harvest jobs whether that be fruit, veg or working on a vineyard. Doing the fruit picking stint definitely has it’s advantages as you’ll get to travel round Oz, earn some cash and also have the option to extend your working holiday for another year at the end of it… happy days.
http://jobsearch.gov.au/harvesttrail/default.aspx
http://www.fruit-picking.com/
http://www.fruitpicking.org/
Office Jobs
You might be coming on a gap year before university, maybe after uni or maybe as a break from your old life back home. If you’re looking for an office job these are the main sites to use in Australia and they are broken down into so many different categories, whatever your skill set you should be able to get a job on here. I personally prefer Seek for my job hunting needs and found my job in Sydney on here. Each to their own though and you’re better off hedging your bets so use them all.
www.seek.com.au
www.careerone.com.au
www.jobs.com.au
Casual Labour Jobs
If you’re not hanging around for a long time and want a restaurant, bar job or labouring job you should be able to find these through a variety of sources. You can use the websites above to look for specific jobs or there is even a job section on www.gumtree.com (make sure you check it’s on the right city before finding that ideal job). Alternatively, if you’re staying in a hostel there are often job listings on their notice board amongst other things. If all else fails, dust your resume off and hit the streets, resume in hand. There’s no better exposure than walking into shops and restaurants making yourself known; if they really like you and you flash your pearly whites they’ll probably offer you a job on the spot. Please note, if you’re going to work in a bar you need an RSA certificate which is basically a one day course ‘teaching’ you safety laws etc and about responsible drinking (info on that here: http://www.onlinersa.com.au/ – in some states you can even do it online)
I remember when Johnny and I were looking for jobs living at our hostel in Sydney – Johnny got in less than 7 days, me in about 20..not too bad I’d say. It’s definitely achievable living finding a job and getting the cash levels up – it’s just knowing where to look so you can hit the ground running. Once you get to Australia you’ll have a job in no time at all.
Hope this helps guys and if you have any other sites that you think would help anyone throw them in the comments section below.
Enjoy your Australian adventures,
Duff