How to find a job in Australia
When you’ve your Work Holiday Visa you want to have a job and travel right? The travel part is probably not the hardest part but how to find a job in Australia? In this blog post, I help you with tips how to find your job in Australia. If you have tips or suggestions for travel buddies, don’t be shy and drop them in the comments.
Before you start looking for work in Australia.
Keep in mind: Don’t be too picky to accept your first job be social and build your network in Australia you will find the real job you want. I cycled through Melbourne the first two weeks. Hard work, but I was able to see Melbourne and build on my network at the same time.
“Never stop dreaming, never stop believing, never give up, never stop trying, and never stop learning.” ― Roy Bennett
Lets starts: How to find a job in Australia
Preparation advice
Make sure all the document what you can create before you apply for a job, save them in the cloud. So you have always access to that documents, and you can edit / send them wherever you are.
Make an English resume
Translate you resume in English and update your resume. If you want to work for particular branches, try to create resumes that fit the particular branches. If you are looking for jobs multiple branches, tailor multiple resumes. Write specific cover letters and tell about your passion related to the job.
Tip: add a picture to your resume what match your job title. People will recognize you and have a first impression.
Find a job from your country in Australia
When you are at home, you can already do some things to find a job. If you already know where you want to find a job you can look online for jobs in that area. Even find jobs in the online yellow pages.
Contact friends in Australia
If you have people you know in Australia, contact them! Even when it is the brother of one of you friends, that old colleague or classmate. Just do it and ask if the know something.
Find companies where you want to work
Look on the internet for companies where you want to work. Apply for the jobs they provide on their websites. Send them emails of start calling them. (use for example Skype to save money! You can call with your own number.)
Look for Australian jobs online
As in a lot of western countries, you can find a lot online. So go job-hunting online! When you are smart, try to do it a couple of hours and the rest of the week just one hour a day. Make a list of websites you like the most and check them every day for new jobs. See a list of websites that provide jobs in Australia
Gumtree
Gumtree.com.au is a massive website with ads. From rooms to work and from bicycles to whatever you can think off. If you are looking for a job visit Gumtree and check the ads for work.
Do on Gumtree
Make an ad yourself! Promote yourself be active. Employers like people that are pro-active. Create a nice Ad. Copy the content and keep it on your phone or laptop. Maybe after one or two days you delete the first ad and place a new one to get back into the new and top results.
List recruiters in Australia
Make sure your profile is known by recruiters. Try to find some online or just walk in at some recruiters in the city.
- https://www.randstad.com.au/jobs/
- https://www.seek.com.au/
- https://jobsearch.gov.au/
- http://www.jobserve.com/au/en/Job-Search/
- http://au.all-the-jobs.com/
- https://www.adzuna.com.au/
- https://www.hays.com.au/
- http://www.applydirect.com.au/
- http://www.skilled.com.au/
Top 100 job websites Australia
When you are looking for serious work, it is good to update your LinkedIn profile. If it is not in English, create an English version of your profile. Ask people of your last jobs to write some recommendations. If possible also in English.
Update your Social Media Channels
When the people can’t see you live, they will go for a search on the internet. Make sure your social profiles look good and match with the position you want to apply on.
Tell everyone your plans and that you’re looking for work!
Spread on all the channel your plans. People love to help, but they need to know about your plans. Maybe that “friend” on Facebook has an uncle in Australia. Social Medial is big, do it! 🙂
Follow groups on Facebook to find a job in Australia.
On Facebook, there are several groups where they post jobs in Australia. Sometimes that are local groups with a lot of job offers. Some groups are huge and all over Australia, other groups are just owned by a farm or restaurant.
List job groups in Australia on Facebook
- Australie WHV
- Work and Travel Australia
- Farm Work Australia
- Regional Farm Work Australia
- Australia Work and Travel
- AuPair & work and travel Australia
If you know more groups or you own a group that fits the criteria don’t be afraid and put them in the comments.
Use your blog
When you are writing a blog, promote yourself on your blog. What are your qualities, what do you want to do. What kind of person are you and what are your main goals in Australia with your Work Holiday Visa.
Make it easier in Australia to find work
Do some things what makes it easier to find a job.
1) Open a bank account
2) Get an Australian telephone number (easy to get a prepaid card)
Be social
In Australia, it is quite easy to make contact. Use that contact to explain your goals in Australia and tell them that you are looking for a job. It is smart to create business cards or small papers what you can give away fast and easy with your contacts on it.
Hostels
When you stay in hostels in bigger cities, there are probably many people working. Ask them where they work, how they got the job and if their boss is hiring new people. Often hostel owners or employees know businesses. Talk to them about jobs and ask if they know something for you.
Walk into companies and spread your contacts
Drop your contact details and resume at several places where you walk by. First, think of the companies you want to work for. Later of all companies where you can work. Be smart! For example, don’t walk in bars at happy hour and don’t walk in restaurants during lunch or dinner. Go on the time that possible is the best to speak to a relevant person that can make a decision.
Get your diploma’s
When you want to work with alcohol you need to do a course to get your RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol SITHFAB201). For construction work, you should have your white card. When you are looking for certain jobs, having that diploma’s makes it easier to get hired.
Follow up!
Very important when you’re looking for a job is to follow up. Make a list where you sent/brought your resume to and follow up. If you can, do it personally and go there. If that is not possible, call them. If you could not reach them sent them an email or a text message. (depends on your contact information you got) Show them that you want that job! What worked for me was a simple Excel sheet to track the dates and information. If you build on that list you also build on your contacts in Australia, and maybe in a month you can try them again, you got your list now! Download here the example Excel sheet.
With this Excel sheet, you can filter on apply date, follow up date and more. So you always know when you have to follow up and on which time.
Consistency is key
When you find every morning five new opportunities the end of the week you’ve 35 new chances to get a job. Every day you’re building on your job list, and you will see the progress.
Tip: Use Google drive to create folders. If your employer gives you information, you can easy save the documents there, and you can always find them back.
Probably you got knocked down a couple of times.
BUT NEVER GIVE UP!
My first two months I was based in a hostel. A lot of people were looking for a job and I saw people chilling and waiting till the perfect job was comming to them. In stead of that the last penny of their bank account was there and they had to go home. Don’t wait for the perfect job at the perfect moment. Make it work and search for your perfect job in the meantime!
I found an awesome job in Melbourne! In a company with a great culture, we play table tennis together, learn together, drink together, go to the gym together ohhhh and we work together! Later I will show more 🙂
