What’s the biggest fear when moving to work in Australia?  The sharks, right? Wrong. (Okay, this is also a legit fear). It’s probably knowing whether you’re going to be able to find a job . Meet Ella, our Aussie aficionado. Before working at BUNAC, she spent two years Down Under on a working holiday visa. Here’s her advice on finding work and getting set up when you arrive.

What’s the biggest fear when moving to work in Australia? The sharks, right? Wrong. (Okay, this is also a legit fear). It’s probably knowing whether you’re going to be able to find a job . Meet Ella, our Aussie aficionado. Before working at BUNAC, she spent two years Down Under on a working holiday visa. Here’s her advice on finding work and getting set up when you arrive.

When thinking about heading out on my working holiday to Australia, my main concern wasn’t that I was travelling to the other side of the world – it was that I wouldn’t know what I would do for work. Here’s some of the questions I had before I went out, and how it all worked out for me.

Where do I start with work in Australia? 
For me, I was lucky. Heading over on BUNAC’s Work Australia support program, I had 12 months' job support.  Not only did this mean I had access to an online jobs board, but also a job posting at their in-country partner’s local offices in Sydney and Melbourne. I also benefited from 1-to-1 job finding support from the team out there who were awesome. They assisted me with finding different types of work and also ensured my CV was fit for the Aussie job market.

How easy is it to get work? 

With the job support from BUNAC, I found a position in the first two weeks of arriving. My advice to anyone doing an Australia working holiday would be to try and be as flexible as you can. BUNAC offer so many cool jobs, and with Australia’s minimum wage being one of the highest in the world, I was able to start making easy money straightaway.

What work will I do?
Typical backpacker jobs are usually working in hospitality, tourism, retail, construction, sales, and seasonal farm work such as fruit picking or working in a vineyard (winning). However, if you’re looking for more career work related to your profession, trade or degree – that's also possible on an Australia working holiday visa. But just like finding a professional job at home, where there are more comprehensive interview processes and referencing to go through, it will take longer. I picked up quite a few positions in hospitality during my time in Oz. From working as a night manager at a resort, to bar work and everything in between. I also worked in a boarding school and as an au pair! How did I get my second working holiday visa? Oh, by picking oranges for three months.

Do I have to stay with one employer? 

On Australia’s working holiday visa, you can only stay with one employer for a maximum of six months. This does mean that you would need to move onto another job, but this wasn’t an issue for me, because I wanted to see a lot of Australia and keep moving. It gives you the perfect work/travel balance.

Feeling ready to start getting to work Down Under? Let’s talk. All our team have worked or interned abroad so can give you firsthand advice on the visa you need, where to go and what to do. Get in touch.