Facts about finding a job in Australia as a traveller 


How to start finding a job in Australia

No matter what you start in life, there are a few things to keep in mind, also when looking for a job in a foreign country, here Australia.

Where would you like to start working? Well, it is as easy as this. You should know where you want to work, thus it will have a significant influence on the following steps you have to take to get a job.

Questions that you might want to answer before looking for a job:

What is your goal of the time in Australia? Do you want to make heaps of money within a short time which might include little spare time!? Do you want to have a work-life balance and be more relaxed at the beach instead of working all day? Do you want to enjoy the day or the night with your free time?

Common questions you should ask yourself no matter where you will live while working, whether it's at home or as a traveller. 

The written job application: CV 

No matter what kind of job you are looking for, it is usually necessary to have a CV. Make sure to adapt your CV to Australian standards. The CV in Australia looks quite different from Germany and other countries.  

In the beginning, you just state facts about yourself, you do not include a picture. After this section, you write a paragraph which represents the covering letter. That paragraph should include why you are interested in the job and your characteristics that are important for the position. Once you wrote something like an introduction to yourself, you state your latest job going back in history, thus starting with the last job you had. As you can see by online examples, you state the job, position and company as well as the time you have been there. Underneath that line, you list your responsibilities during that position. Once you stated your working experience, you also state your educational history. Often, you should also include a reference, someone or even a couple of your employer so they can contact them as reference. 

Where to look for a job in Australia

Just like in any other country, there are many possibilities to look for a job. Especially for backpackers, there are many businesses specialized to find you a position at a farm. Additionally, you can use certain online platforms. In some places, it might even be easier to just walk around and ask whether the places, like cafes, are currently looking for someone. I did both. Also, I can highly recommend applying already online before coming to Australia. That might help heaps.

How long does it take to find a job in Australia

It is all a matter of timing and what kind of position you are looking for as well as your preference of location.

The right timing to find a job in Australia 

If you are keen to work on a farm, you have to be aware of the seasons of picking etc. There are farms all over in Australia but obviously, they will only hire during the picking season, thus make sure to know when and where the season starts. That means also that some places might offer many jobs during a time where you will not find one in other places because of offseason.  

Timing is also a thing around Christmas. I had no clue that Australia hires an extraordinary amount of people only for the Christmas season. Unfortunately, I arrived in Newcastle when everyone already hired the Christmas casuals. It meant that there were hardly open positions around. That resulted in a marathon of going into more than 200 shops around Newcastle.  

Beside the fact of Christmas casuals, I also know that many employers do not trust backpackers. The experience taught them that backpackers usually do not stay for long. That was a letdown in my case as I knew that I would not travel around Australia but instead stay in Newcastle for the whole time. 

Position and experience determines your job hunt in Australia

It is just like in most countries. Obviously, you will find a job quicker if you are looking for a casual position instead of a full-time normal job. Also, it makes a difference whether you want to work in a cafe or in a consulting position. But in both cases, it is also determined by your past experiences and what you have done before in your career. So, try and go for whatever makes you happy - you never know what might happen. 

If you are flexible, you might fly to another city to catch the picking season. Thus, you can go wherever the season will start. On the other hand, if you are fixed on staying in a specific area, it might obviously give you a hard time finding a job. 

Finding a job in Australia 

I hope this article gave you insights and helps you to plan ahead for your work and travel in Australia. Where do you want to work? Which position? Which city?  

Also, this is my experience. There are many different stories out there. I just wanted to state and make clear that it is all a bit more complex than many people say or make visible. I was happy that I was staying with friends for almost a month, otherwise, I would have had a huge problem due to the fact that it took me ages to find a job.  

For me, it always looked super easy to get a job but it was not.  In the end, I was walking into more than 200 shops and cafes and left more than 50 CVs. Also, after three weeks, I got different offers which resulted in a sad, fun, crazy chaos. The place where I ended up working gave me many lessons though I was very happy when I left. But that is worth another post.  


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Trial in Australias Job Force

Working trials make absolute sense and I have done it at home as well. Thus in Australia, at least for me in Newcastle, were SUPER shocking. After a few, I finally came to the conclusion not to keep doing it the way I did.

Before you go to a trial, make sure to ask what the open position is like and whether it is actually what you want. Sometimes it is only a 4 hour/ week position. Thus, it often does not even make sense to go to the trial. Even though the position was listed with more hours only it might change once they are hiring.

Additionally, do not go to more than one trial at each place. IFor me it was normal to do it as it usually meant that you get the job. But that is not the case where I was. After one trial a boss should know whether s/he wants to hire you. ALso when they hire ou as casual, they can fire you anytime anyways, thus they do not take risks in hiring you after the first trial. 

Another craziness was that MANY of the places I did a trial or went to an interview never got back to me. I am used to getting notification after a few days, that is also what they told me - but some never did. That was in particular shocking to me when it concerned big known companies or restaurants that my friends told me very well known in Newcastle.