Finding Work in Australia
One of the best locations for work during a year abroad. Although the Australian economy has been suffering over recent years there are still vacancies in areas such as tourism, fruit picking and labouring. Despite their 'whinging Pom' tag the Brits are usually considered good workers and you should never be short of work for too long here.
The best way to qualify for employment in Australia is to apply for a Working Holiday Visa. This is valid for a maximum of a year and you are eligible if:
1. You are aged between 18 and 30.
2. You want to travel in Australia and supplement your income with periods of employment for a maximum of three months in one place.
3. You hold a valid UK, Irish, Canadian or Dutch passport.
4. You have enough money for a return ticket and to support yourself for the first few months of your stay. (This is approximately £2,000 for a year) and you will have to produce an original bank statement and not merely a statement showing the account total. Any large sums paid into your account must be explained.
There is a charge of $A170 for a Working Holiday Visa and you should not apply more than three months prior to your proposed departure date. You can only have a Working Holiday Visa once so make sure that you are going to take full advantage of it.
Once you are in Australia you may want to use the Commonwealth Employment Service (CES) in your job search. This is the Australian equivalent of the Jobcentre. Newspapers such as the Melbourne Age, the Sydney Herald and the Brisbane Courier and Mail have extensive sections of classified advertisements for casual employment. For additional information and contacts, consult Laura Veltman's Living & Working in Australia (8th edition 2005) and my own book Getting a Job in Australia (5th edition 2001) - both published in this series.
Suggested Jobs and Regions:
- Apple picking - Tasmania, Western Australia.
- Banana picking - Queensland.
- Grape picking - New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia.
- Jackaroo - any outback sheep station.
- Mining - Western Australia, South Australia.
- Prawn fishing - Northern Territory and northern Queensland.
- Tourism - Queensland (northern Queensland and the Gold Coast near Brisbane), Northern Territory (Ayers Rock and Alice Springs).
Australian visas can be obtained from:
Australian High Commission
Australia House
The Strand
London
WC2B 4LA
or
Australian Embassy
Fitzwilton House
Wilton Terrace
Dublin
Ireland
