Welcome to Australia, where the national minimum wage is $17.29 per hour the sun is shining and there’s plenty to see and do.
Having operated working holiday jobs for the past few years I’ve seen tens of thousands of working holidaymakers come through our site. Many succeed at finding work while others often fall short. I’ve compiled this quick summary to give you the edge in finding work and to help you along the way.
Put yourself in the eyes of the recruiter / employer
Provide the information they have requested with a concise resume and cover letter. For basic roles a cover letter could be a one paragraph outlining your suitability for the role and motivation to work. Sending a message “ ready to start tmrw” won’t help you stand out from the pack. It will increase your chances of going straight to the bottom of the pile
“The more jobs you apply for the greater your chance of landing one”
While this may be statistically true if you haven’t put in effort with your resume and cover letter don’t expect a fantastic response. The key is quality over quantity or both combined.
Take that extra minute when applying for a position
Write a short targeted cover letter or intro paragraph to get the recruiter’s attention and tweak your resume to make it more relevant to the current position. Adding an extra line about the company’s operation will go a long way.
Cross Check Employers
If you’re ever suspicious about a potential employer you can do an ABN Lookup this will analyse the company registration. Simply ask the employer for the trading name, ABN or ACN.
Best Ways to Find Working Holiday Maker Jobs
Use popular working holiday sites like
- Working Holiday Jobs www.workingholidayjobs.com.au
- Fruit Picking Jobs www.fruitpickingjobs.com.au
- Backpacker Jobs www.backpackerjobs.org
Walking shop to shop in busy employment areas is also a fantastic way to find vacancies and pass on your resume. A balanced approach is key.
Second year visa
The hottest talking point down the east coast, apart from happy hour! Finding specified work for your 2nd year visa is not as straightforward as getting a bar job in town.
If you’re serious about doing farm work I strongly suggest following these tips:
- Do it within the first few months of being in Australia ( This is great if something goes wrong, season ends early and means you can relax and travel or move to the big smoke afterward)
- Get out to the regions you’re applying to work in. Finding regional work is a balance of online fruit picking job search, being in the town and meeting local farmers and recruiters.
Too many people devote the last 4 months of their first year to getting regional work, it’s a recipe for disaster.
How to approach getting a Farm Job
Speaking with farmers and agricultural labour recruiters the common theme is that working holiday makers solely want to do the farm work for their second year visa. While this may be true you don’t need to directly tell them this is your sole motivatIon. A recruiter we work with wrote an informative insight article after reading 230 resumes in a row. I strongly recommend reading it.
Don’t Pay a months rent upfront before arriving
I’ve heard of many a scam where jobs are promised to desperate working holiday makers on the proviso they send over a month’s rent, bond and a job finders fee. Only to find that the company never existed, the email address is no longer active and the phone has been disconnected.
Any trustworthy operator will have a fair rental agreement and not propose such preposterous conditions. If you’re ever unsure contact Fair Work Australia and ask the employer for employee referrals.
How to handle certain situations when you’re underpaid or feel unfairly treated
As is the case with all workforces around the world there can be difference of opinions and people are treated unfairly. This is a sad but real part of life. The key is to know your rights and where you stand. If you feel you are being underpaid or treated unfairly do the following:
- Ask a friend what they think of the situation, how would they feel? Get a second a opinion
- Lookup the national minimum wage for you sector / fair work legislation
- Contact fair work Australia
Fair Work Australia is an Australian government organisation setup to be the national fair work relations system as is there to help you.
Interview Skills
Chances are you will have to do a phone or face to face interview. Before commencing try learn a little more about the organisation. Along with other key tips:
- Practice responses to commonly asked questions – have a concise answer ready
- Always be natural, be yourself!
- Brush your teeth if it’s a face to face interview!
Tips for find jobs quicker
- Keep your resume updated and relevant to each position/sector you apply for
- Write a targeted cover letter even a short intro to separate you from the herd
Follow up to see how your application is going. - Ask for feedback when you went wrong
- Quality over quantity or both combined.
I hope you found this piece informative and it helps you during your stay in Australia. If you ever have any questions just drop our team an email info@workingholidayjobs.com.au and we will be more than happy to help.You can get your job search started below, best of luck!
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Cheers and have a good one,
Dimi
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