This seems to be the biggest concern to backpackers coming out to Australia, and to be honest, it was one of mine too! At the end of the day, it’s a scary thought coming all the way out to a foreign land with only X in your bank and plans to live and travel for months or even years!
So, what work can you expect to find? How hard is it to really get a job? Where can I look for jobs? What I shall say first off, is stop stressing! It may not be easy to get a decent job with a good pay, but it isn’t impossible! Think about the amount of people who come out every year, and 99% of us manage to work our way through just fine. So I thought I would put together some tips for finding work and what the reality is out here!
What to expect
Do NOT expect to land yourself in a job straight away!
Lot’s of travellers ignore the governments recommendation of bring $5000-6000 out with them and think that because the economy is good, they will find a job as soon as they land. This is not the case. Plus, why would you want to? When you get here, travel about a bit. Find your feet and have fun! There is plenty of time to get into a 9-5 job!
Do NOT expect to find work easily in big cities!
Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane are your top dogs in terms of cities out here and finding work is hard, because the competition between backpackers and locals is high! Is it possible? Of course it is! Plenty of people land jobs in these cities, some decent, some not so. But just be prepared to search for longer, especially in high season!
Be prepared to move!
As we all know, a lot of jobs are out there in places not a lot of people think of working! Take me for example, I have found it super easy to find work in the Outback, in bars and on farms compared to finding work in Brisbane for example. If you want to have a 3month stint to save money, then head to rural areas! You can’t spend your earnings out there, and even though the wages may be slightly lower, you will normally be given bed and board and a heap of hours. Then once you have had enough to country life, you can take all your savings and head back to the coast to explore. OR, if you loved the country, head even more inland and continue your outback adventure! Most of Australia’s beauty lies in the bush!
Expect to take some weird and crappy jobs!
We can’t be picky! It is every backpackers dream to land a full time job with decent pay in a place they like. But that is not realistic. When times are tough, and your bank balance is only going down, you will take anything! Maybe become an extra in a movie, telesales, fundraising. Even if you only hold it for a week and leave because you hate it so much, it gave you a weeks wages to pay the hostel and buy yourself a bottle of wine!
Write yourself a good resume!
When sending out your resume here, there and everywhere, you want it to stand out, so put some effort into it. Also, have a few different versions. One for hospitality, where you only include relevant job positions. One for admin/office work etc etc.
Did someone say LIE on your resume? Nope. Not me. I haven’t landed good jobs by lying! EVER. *wink wink* If you do plan on “tweaking” your resume, then make it realistic and only put skills you could have when it comes to the company offering you a trial!
Also, don’t just rely on your beautiful resume to get you a job. When applying online you need to send a cover letter. Don’t make it to long, but make it pop, because this is the first thing the employer will read and you will want to grab their attention. Highlight your best assets and most relevant experience, then mention you have attached your resume for more information and that you look forward to hearing from them soon.
Where to look for work
GUMTREE
GumTree is every backpackers dream and nightmare! Lots of companies who are looking for travellers and short term staff tend to advertise through here. So have a browse through but we wary of scams! When you use keywords such as “Backpacker” or “Traveller” you will be bombarded with people offering you lots of $$$$ and the opportunity to travel whilst you work. This normally means street fundraising (been there, hated it) or door to door sales (been there, worse than street fundraising). They don’t tell you straight away that it is commission based, or if you have a base wage, you need to get 4 people everyday to hand over the bank details on the street for you to keep your job.
OR instead of searching for hours and pulling your hair out, put an ad out of your own! Lots of us have seen them “American backpacker looking for work” and we have all wondered whether they really work. Well, I can tell you now, yes they do! I put an ad up looking for my farm work and I had three responses within the first 2 hours and they continued to flood my inbox! Some were volunteer positions which I declined as I wanted to be earning in order to continue funding my travels. I called each person back and heard what they were offering. I then picked the one I liked the sound of and arranged a date for me to arrive. Greyhound coach booked and 17hours on the road later, I had arrived! I have put a copy of my ad below for you to have a look at.
English backpacker looking for farm/property work
Hi,
My name is Aly and I am hardworking traveller from England. I am currently looking to complete my 88days regional work on a farm/property in Australia in order to obtain my second year visa. I am a dedicated and efficient worker who is able to work well as a team and also independently. I’m also not afraid to get my hands dirty!
I am willing to move anywhere in Australia for the right opportunity. I am currently in ___ and would be available for work straight away.
Please feel free to contact me via email or phone.
I look forward to hearing from you.
YOUR HOSTEL CAN HELP!
With the majority of backpackers out here being on a WHV, lots of hostels are geared towards helping you find work. This can be just a simple job advertisement board or the chance to join a job club. Lot’s of local businesses (especially for construction) may call the hostel and say they need 3 workers for a weeks work. They will then send the message out through the hostel and voila! You have a weeks work and maybe more if they like you!
Plus, a lot of the time, you can work at the hostel in return for accommodation! If it is full time, they will normally offer you accommodation and a small wage, and part time, just accommodation but if your struggling then it’s a free bed to keep you going whilst you look elsewhere! Plus, you can have some real fun working in that kind of environment
IT’S ALL ABOUT WHO YOU KNOW!
We all know this expression is true and with the amount of travelling buddies you will make along the road, keep your ears open! I found one of my jobs because I overheard someone say they were leaving their bar job, so I headed down, resume in hand and asked for a trial! Be forward! Sell yourself! Don’t just hand over a copy of your resume, tell them you heard there is a job opening (even if you didn’t).
WANTED ADS
Some places still post a sign in the window asking for workers! So keep your eyes pealed for these, and keep a couple of copies of your resume on you to hand in. Don’t forget to sell yourself! First impressions stick! Make yours a good one!
SIGN UP TO AN AGENCY
Do you have a certain set of skills in construction/nursing/factory work? Then sign up to a local agency who can help you find temporary work which may lead to bigger things!
USEFUL JOB SITES
http://www.backpackerjobboard.com.au
http://www.workstay.com.au
www.taw.com.au (This service charges you to apply for jobs, something I wouldn’t recommend)
OTHER JOBS SITES
There are a lot of other sites such as Seek and Indeed, as these have a lot of positions on them they are not normally suitable for backpackers, as we look for short term work, but check them out because you never know!
Don’t just keep it all to yourself! Share the love! =]
