So you’re wondering how to find a job in Australia? I have been in your position before but you’ll be happy to know that finding a job in Australia is quite easy – if working in hospitality is your thing.
Even if it isn’t, stick around to find out how you can get into this industry, or how to find jobs outside of hospitality too!
The majority of Australian’s don’t work in Hospitality; this being bars, restaurants, cafes, hotels, face-to-face sales, etc. I think I actually only met one Australian working in the hospitality industry during my time in Australia, and he was a manager.
This is great news for anyone coming over on a Working Holiday Visa, because you get to work in a fun, social environment, alongside travelling and exploring everything that Australia has to offer.
Backpackers are always coming and going which means there are job openings popping up all the time.
Why don’t the Australian’s work in Hospitality you may ask?
They’re not on holiday like you are, and are usually very career focused. You can find them working long hours in the beautiful offices around the city. Salary is another reason that they steer clear of this industry. For anyone coming from abroad however, the pay for this type of work isn’t usually an issue as it is still twice, if not three times the amount of what you’d be paid at home for the same job! Win-win.
What if you don’t come from a hospitality background?
Now this one is completely up to you. If you want to work in hospitality but don’t have the experience, most places will consider hiring you if you have a good level of English. I had always worked as a photographer but managed to get a job in a restaurant in the very busy area of Circular Quay. If you can show that you are willing to learn, and are keen, they will most likely give you a shot anyway! Practicing to carry 3 plates around the house will also be of huge benefit. Some places will ask you if this is a skill that you posses, and answering “yes” will help you to secure the role.
The best way to get yourself a job in the Hospitality industry is to walk in to the venue itself. People seem to prefer seeing you in person. Managers will usually tell you on the spot whether to come back for a trial or not.
Print out a number of CV’s and walk around for an afternoon. Hand them out to places you would be happy working at.
TIP! Choose the time of day that you visit a restaurant carefully. Do not go during the morning, lunch or dinner time rushes as you won’t be taken seriously. Time it perfectly and aim for around 9.30-11am or 2.30-4pm in the afternoon.
How to Find a Job in Australia
Finding a Job Outside of Hospitality in Australia
If you don’t want to work in hospitality that is a different thing. Of course there are other jobs available – they just take a bit more effort to achieve. Seek is a fantastic website which I use all the time. It allows you to type in the job you are looking for and select the area in which you wish to work, and it will bring up all available roles. Applying through Seek is a good way to apply for jobs, as you are more often than not contacting the companies directly yourself. One thing to note is that is usually takes around 2-3 weeks for somebody to get back to you, so it can become slightly disheartening. This seems to be the standard for most roles.
Recruitment Agencies
Another way to find a job outside of the hospitality industry such as reception, admin, accounting roles, etc. is by signing up to a few recruitment agencies. In my first year, I signed up to some of the bigger companies;
https://www.hays.com.au/
http://au.hudson.com/
I personally had no luck with them. They are large companies and took around 2-3 months to get back to me. They may however work for you and there are a lot of roles available on their sites so it is worth having a go. The way it works with a recruitment agency is you go into their office, sign up and complete a skills test. The test takes a few hours and measures your admin/typing/adobe abilities. Once you have the results you can send them to any recruitment agency that you sign up with as they all use the same tests which is a bonus.
This year I signed up to two smaller recruitment agencies and I have had work from both of them. I definitely recommend you use someone smaller, as they were back to me within 2 days.
www.coadys.com.au
www.lotuspeople.com.au
It’s important to know
One problem with finding a job in Australia outside of the hospitality industry comes from being on a Working Holiday Visa (WHV). There are many jobs available and it is definitely possible to find a job, however the WHV has a 6-month work limit with one company. This means that you are only allowed to work for the same company for a total of 6 months. If you are looking for a more complex role, the company can be hesitant to invest time and money into your employment, for you to then leave after 6 months. The only way around this is by either 1. Getting sponsored by the company (which will cost them a significant amount of money) or 2. Getting permission from the Government (which rarely happens unless you are undertaking extremely important work).
The amount of times I have been turned down for a position purely because of my visa situation is very frustrating!
There are still many places that will hire you so don’t give up before you try. Another thing to consider is temporary work which the recruitment agencies are able to provide you with. This way you can get your foot in the door of a company on a temporary basis (usually covering somebody’s annual leave) and who knows, they may even keep you on!
Other Suggestions – How to Find a Job in Australia
If the above suggestions aren’t working for you, you can try a number of Facebook pages. There will be pages available to help you find a job relevant to the area you are in.
If you are in Sydney, have a look at:
Irish Around Sydney
Sydney Jobs or
Jobs in Sydney
These pages have general news, alongside many job opportunities daily!
One other thing you could try is Airtasker. This is a website where people who need small jobs doing such as moving a wardrobe, translating a document, writing a CV, cleaning a house, etc. will post their job on the site. Alongside the post is the amount they are willing to pay you to complete the task. If you are interested, you can put yourself forward for the job and hope to get picked. It definitely isn’t a way to make a stable income, but it can earn you a few extra pennies every week! 🙂
I wish you a massive good luck as I know how stressful it can all be!
Looking for Somewhere to Live?
If you are struggling to find Somewhere to Live in Australia, check out my blog post on useful places to search!