As an international student, your student visa enables you to work 40 hours a fortnight and unlimited hours during semester breaks. You may find that you can easily fit a casual or part time job into your routine and that a little extra income can make a big difference to your budget.
It is very common for students to find jobs in the areas of hospitality, retail, sales and admin. A casual job role in any of these fields can pay an hourly rate of anywhere between $20 and $40 depending on the position and day of the week. The current national minimum wage is $17.70 per hour (before tax) with casual employees enjoying at least a 25% loading on top.
There are several ways you can go about finding a job with the most common one being online. Several websites can help you narrow down your search and find what you are looking for:
www.seek.com.au– the largest job site in Australia
www.indeed.com.au – find jobs from various sources on this one platform
www.gumtree.com.au– community website where you can buy, sell and find pretty much any service you may need. Good place to also check out for free furniture and goods when you move into a new place
www.careerone.com.au– get a FREE Resume Evaluation by an expert. Very useful to ‘Aussify’ your cv before applying for a job
The next most popular way of finding a job is by handing out your resume to the establishments you think you would like to work at in person. It is not rare for a coffee shop or hostel to offer you to come back for a trial on the spot if they happen to be hiring at that time.
Another way you can gain exposure and make valuable contacts that can link you with someone who may be able to offer you a job is by attending networking events. These can be found on platforms such as www.eventbrite.com.au or on Facebook. Feel free to also join and post on Facebook groups and find out if your institution has a student job notice board. If you have a particular skill or language you think you may be able to teach, you could also try and offer tutoring services for a fee.
You may find that having a restriction on your work hours can be perceived as a limitation but there are plenty of employers and job roles that are looking for just that. Don’t be put off by this visa condition and instead go out and make the most of it. It is also a great way to feel more involved and experience Australian lifestyle and culture outside of your studies’ environment.