Finding Work

If you want a job in Australia your prospective employer has to like you. I know I sound like a broken record and I can't overemphasize this point enough. People want to enjoy themselves at work and will take you if they feel you are capable of doing your job in a happy way.

There is plenty of work down here. There's no reason why anyone can't have a job the same day they start looking. It always happens, you will always find work. There is work everywhere, too much of it. You just have to keep your eyes open. These tips, broad as they may be, are the most useful ones you'll need to know in Australia.

The average hourly rate is between $15-25. If  you aren't earning over $20 an hour you're not getting all you're  worth. Some places will offer lower wages for whatever reason. You'll  find better paying jobs if you look around. Those that scrounge on wages  are usually the ones that scrounge on everything else, making them  undesirable to work for in the first place.

On an average full-time city wage expect ot make about $600-900 per week after taxes.

Casual part-time work may get you about $200-$300 per week.

Rates are usually higher in the Northern Territory and especially in Western Australia.

Get  a list of companies you want to work for and call them up. They always  appreciate people who take the initiative and don't merely respond to  ads or are from the agency. Both of those cost them money.

Leave on good terms with all your employers. Even if you were only at the job for a few weeks, it doesn't matter so long as you left on good terms with your employer. Having an Australian 'referee' that will vouch for you is a strong advantage down here. They usually check.

Have a look around town. Are there any jobs being advertised anywhere? If you see one and are keen, just go in and say hello. Don't even worry about your CV. It's all about the impression you make here.

Gumtree posts jobs sometimes. Check them often and know that you're up against a lot of competition.

Agencies are good places to look for work. There are heaps of them and they all have work. As long as you are presentable and enthusiastic you'll be considered. Having Australian accreditation certainly helps. You'll have to fill out a long form with your employment history, qualifications, experience etc so have all of this information handy when you go in to register.

Realistically, in order to make a good impression I would suggest registering at 3-5 agencies per day. You'll go through a lot of the same routine questions and paperwork each time. It's not always easy to maintain the same enthusiasm 5th time around. Try and stay at each place for at least an hour each time you register.

Suss out the good agencies from the bad ones. Before you are simply made to fill out a form (these things are very long) get on friendly terms with the person working there. Find out what sort of work is going on and hint that you might be interested/good at that. If all goes well you'll have just given yourself the best possible chance to get the best available job. Some agencies are extremely useful this way and other times they can be a dead end. If the person working there looks clueless and uninterested in getting you a job you know you're in the wrong place.

Ask people that are already working if more help is needed. You may even get a job right then on the spot. When people are needed, as with agencies and newspaper ads. They need someone with initiative that makes a good impression in person.

Jobs away from cities where you may be able to save more:

Roadhouses

Roadhouses are scattered all over the country. They all serve food, sell gas and have motel style rooms. They are very busy as Australia is so vast with people travelling through it all the time for work. You'll do a bit of everything at a road house, from cleaning rooms & the kitchen, to working behind the register and even cooking food. They offer you free room & board, plus a salary for you to work with them. This is a great way to get your 88 days of regional work out of the way and save a bit of cash in the process. Rates vary according to each place. Get a list of phone numbers and call them up enquiring. This saves them having to go through agencies and it ensures you take home all you are entitled to.

Farms

On farms you'll do...surprise..surprise....farming! Milking cows, herding sheep, clearing pastures, digging.. Not the cleanest work. You'll be offered free board and meals plus a salary. You usually get a raise if you stay there longer than a month.

Tree Planting

Look out for ads in gumtree towards the end of summer. This is when the tree-planting jobs start to be advertised. Good rates & boring work. You'll save quite a bit doing this if you don't go crazy after 3 months.

Stations

If you think sheering, herding and slaughtering sheep is your thing then go work at a station. It's a great experience.

Pearling

This is quite a cruisey job to get because it means that you'll spend all your time by the ocean. Rates are very good and there's usually good living arrangements offered. You'll be on a FIFO roster and will spend your days servicing lines, cutting up & fertilizing the shells, general maintenance. Head to Darwin for this, that's where the headquarters are. Knock on doors.

Mining

Not easy for backpackers to get into, although there is one very promising lead which I will let you in on once I leave the country. Mining companies want people with the experience. They need to know that you can hack it out in the wilderness and work long gruelling hours. They need to know that you'll stick around and while quite a few backpackers that already had trades are able to get in. For an unskilled, inexperienced backpacker it's nearly impossible.

Retail

Work at a shop, such as a bottle store in a small rural town. Chances are you'll get your accommodation taken care of and get a salary on top of it. There is usually casual work to be found in small inland towns.

Catering

Do some research and find out which catering companies service remote areas. Wherever this is, there is bound to be good money to be saved without any living expenses. You may get a job as a cook or cleaner on a mine site if you are super lucky, or just as a waiter at an asylum centre. Do your research. These are some of the best jobs out there.