These easy steps will help get your working holiday started and keep it going without breaking the bank!
You have decided to travel to Australia and have a year to take in the great sights. You may want to spend the majority of your time in Sydney taking in all the beautiful city has to offer, from the breath-taking Harbour views to the white sand beaches down the coast, or you may have plans to venture far and wide trekking through the Kimberleys and exploring the expanse of the Australian outback. However, you may not have the budget to keep you travelling for a year of travel and adventure.
Your Working Holiday Visa will help you do just that, earning enough money to keep you travelling all over the country or keep up the lifestyle you want to establish in one of our major cities. It may seem a daunting task to look for work in another country, however, finding your next job opportunity shouldn’t be a damper on your holiday.
It is easy to get your job search started, here are 5 steps towards starting your working holiday adventure:
- Get settled.
Where will you travel to first and how long will you plan to be there are important questions. Answering these will help you establish what type of work you will seek when you first arrive. It can also be helpful in your job search to have a permanent location. Whether this location is somewhere you plan to stay for the next 6 months or a year or just a few weeks is not relevant. However, establishing a firm base point will provide you with a basic foundation for your job search.
Your location could limit the job opportunities available to you, i.e. no direct bus or train services from your hostel or apartment. Landing in Sydney? You’ll consider staying at a major hostel such as YHA, Nomads or Base. These hostels have several key locations placing you in the heart of the city where job opportunities will be at your doorstep. There is no shortage of hospitality jobs available in the city for example.
Currently advertised on the major job search sites, there are over 5000 job openings in Sydney alone.
- Get qualified!
If you specifically want to pick up work in the hospitality or construction industry you will need a qualification or two! Don’t let this thought deter you, earning your qualification is easier than you think. Qualifications are offered online and can be completed in less than a day from home or on the go. Use the courses as an opportunity to refresh your skills or to obtain new ones and always undertake further training opportunities with an open mind.
If you have previous experience in the construction industry obtaining your White Card in Australia will open up numerous opportunities for work. The White Card provides your basic OHS (Occupational Health and Safety) training for work on any construction site and is your first step if you are working towards greater qualifications in high risk licenses such as roadside traffic control and heavy machinery operations. Even if you want to work in a more specialised field like design sometimes obtaining your white card is essential, especially if you are working on unfinished sites or with homeowners who are undertaking renovations. However, experience is not always necessary in this field. By obtaining your White Card qualification you are equipping yourself with new skills to work as an apprentice. Often times you may find these jobs openings could pave the way towards sponsorship if you wish to stay in Australia longer than your working holiday visa will allow.
While all certifications will require a course payment, there is no need to break the bank to expand your skill set. As you can see below, obtaining your qualification to start work in the construction industry is affordable, especially with course discounts:
- White Card – 50% course discount only $30
- Surf the Web!
There are many job search sites that will point you in the right direction to find a job in Australia. As mentioned you can use Seek, a popular job search engine used to find positions throughout the country. Seek allows you to use the site for one-off searches or provides you with the choice to create an account and receive regular job post updates straight to your inbox. You can even save preferences for job categories so you get emailed jobs when they are posted, so you don’t have to look!
You don’t need to narrow your search by subscribing to one job board. There are many options to choose from allowing you to cast a wide net to catch that perfect opportunity. Other sites like My Career and Careerone are great options as well as Australian Jobsearch. This job search site can guide you in your search for work in any field ranging from contract work and short term employment to government positions. However, if you are travelling around the country and want to be on the move with a specific focus on casual positions, sites tailored with backpackers in mind are good value.
Backpacker Job Board is a great start. There is no need to create an account, simply se
arch for a particular job in their homepage toolbar or click on the browse categories icon and you can narrow your search by city or industry. In Sydney there are over 5,000 job vacancies for the traveller. Specifically, a position in Sydney fundraising for WWF and Greenpeace. This job opening provides future employees with the opportunity to make a difference while travelling as well as many job perks, paid travel, work parties and social events and incentives such as skydiving and whale watching. Sounds like a backpackers dream!
- Network.
In this digital age it is becoming increasingly vital we put ourselves out there so to speak and actively search for and create our next big opportunity. Networking is the key towards success in finding the job you want, or even, as odd as it sounds, creating the job opportunity you want. You can network quite simply by volunteering, joining a sports team in your area or even participating at a trivia night. Often times the people with whom you share extracurricular activities with have great insight into job openings or can introduce you to a few important people or two.
However, more specific, professional networking websites such as LinkedIn are great tools to make the professional connections you will need. Not only can you ‘link in’ with people you already know, colleagues and friends, but you can liaise with other professionals in a range of fields from all over the world that you may have never met but have a common thread with, which could open up a range of opportunities for you and your career. The site is free and easy to use and with over 433 million members worldwide in over 200 countries there are plenty of networking opportunities available to you. You can make steps to approach organisations who you would like to work for, or people who you would like to meet. Most importantly you need to get started so take you first networking steps today.
- Get a visa!
Since you’ve already started your search for work in Australia, you’re likely to hold one the visas offered that make you eligible to live and work in the country. However, if you are travelling from abroad and have not yet obtained your visa to start your working holiday, you will want to learn a few more things about your options. The Australian government has 4 visas that will allow you to work in the country. Their website offers greater detail on the requirements for each visa and the types of work you are eligible to search for on each visa, however, below is a condensed description of your options:
- Working Holiday Visa subclass 462-this visa allows you to have a working holiday for those aged 18-30 for up to one year and be from the list of countries listed on the site
- Working Holiday Visa subclass 417-this visa allows you to have a working holiday for those aged 18-30 for up to one year
- Skilled Independent Visa subclass 189-you must complete and pass a skills test to determine your eligibility. This visa will allow you to work in Australia in a specialised skill ,though you must be invited to apply.
- Temporary Work (skilled) Visa subclass 457- similar to the skilled visa, this visa allows you to work in a specialised field for a period of up to 4 years.
You are more than likely to apply for option 2, as this visa is the most common for overseas visitors aged 18 to 30 looking for work for up to one year. Once you choose which visa is appropriate for you use an all-inclusive visa service site to help you apply for a visa and establish an Australian bank account and TFN (tax file number) so you’re ready to work the second you touch down in the country.
What’s next? – Move around!
Remember that Working Holiday Visas only allow you to work with one employer for a maximum period of 6 months. If you find yourself having trouble landing a job in Sydney then move on. Remember, you’re on holiday as well and your station is not permanent. Where you can’t find work in one place there will be a plethora of job opportunities in another.