Landing your first role is often the moment Australia starts to feel like home. It helps with the bills, but it also gives you local experience, new friends and a reason to practise your English every day.
If you are wondering how to find a job in Australia as an international student, you are far from alone, and a few simple habits may give you a real edge. In our short video on this topic, our team shares the three tips we give students most often, and this guide looks at each one in more detail.
The short version
- Walk in and hand over your resume. Employers often remember keen, in-person applicants.
- Tap into your network. Many jobs are filled by word of mouth before they're ever advertised.
- Use your college's clubs and groups. They may help with your resume, your English and job leads.
Job boards are worth checking, but everyone else is watching them too. When we advertise a role at Pathway to Aus, a single opening can draw a flood of resumes, and most employers deal with the same thing. Even a strong application may slip past unread, so a quiet inbox often says more about the crowd than about you.
The three tips below are all about getting noticed in other ways.
Key Takeaways
- To find a job in Australia as an international student, use online job ads as only one part of your search.
- Visiting businesses in person with a printed résumé may help you stand out from a crowded pile of online applications.
- Regional Facebook groups and friends' workplaces often share jobs that never get advertised.
- College clubs and groups may help with your résumé, conversational English and access to job boards.
- Always check your visa work conditions in VEVO before accepting shifts.
Tip 1: Walk In, Say Hello and Hand Over Your Resume
This is the most useful tip we can give you. Find out which local businesses are hiring, print a few copies of your resume, and go in person to introduce yourself.
It sounds old-fashioned, yet it often works in a way an email rarely does. The manager can see that you're keen and ready to work, and they may chat with you about the role then and there. When most first contact happens through a screen, a friendly face at the counter tends to stand out.
What to say when you walk in
Your intro doesn't need to be long. Something like this is plenty:
"Hi, I'm Ana. I'm studying nearby and looking for part-time work. Could I leave my resume with you?"
Keep it simple and warm, and let your enthusiasm do the rest.
How to prepare
- Keep your resume to one or two pages, with your contact details and availability near the top.
- Visit at a quiet time. Mid-morning or mid-afternoon usually suits cafés and shops better than the lunch rush.
- Dress neatly for the kind of job you want.
- Follow up a few days later if you haven't heard back.
|
Online application |
Walking in with your resume |
|
Joins a large pile of applicants |
Puts a face to your name |
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Hard to show your personality |
Shows your energy straight away |
|
Replies may take weeks, or never come |
You may get a chat on the spot |
From Our Clients
Nopparat came to Australia from Thailand to study and worked part-time at a Sydney bar and restaurant alongside his degree. After graduating, he asked his employer about sponsorship, and they agreed.
Tip 2: Let Your Network Do Some of the Work
Plenty of jobs in Australia are never advertised. They are often filled by word of mouth before anyone writes a listing, so the people you know may matter as much as the resume you send.
Join regional Facebook groups for international students
Almost every state, and many regions within them, has Facebook groups for international students. These groups are a lively place to connect, ask questions and spot openings.
Students working for a cleaning company or as labourers on a building site often hear from their boss that more hands are needed. Those roles then get shared in the group or passed on to friends, sometimes within hours. If you join a few local groups and check them often, you may be among the first to see these leads.
Talk to your friends and classmates
Ask the people around you where they work, what the job is like and whether their employer is hiring. Your mates can vouch for you, and a manager is often happier to meet someone a trusted staff member has recommended. Over time, those casual chats may turn into your first shift.
Tip 3: Make the Most of Your College's Groups and Clubs
Most colleges that teach international students in Australia run activities, groups and clubs throughout the year. Many students don't realise how much help is available on campus.
Depending on where you study, these may help you:
- Build or polish your resume
- Improve your conversational English, if it isn't your first language
- Find job boards, career networks and employer events
- Meet people outside your class
Joining in costs little more than your time. The confidence you gain from regular conversation tends to show when you walk into a business or sit an interview.
Still choosing where to study?
The support a provider offers may shape how quickly you settle in and find work. Our education team can help you compare courses and providers, and our course advice is free.
Before You Accept a Shift, Check Your Visa Conditions
Landing your first job is exciting, but your visa always comes first. Student visa holders have work rights, with a limit on how many hours you may work while your course is in session. At the time of writing, that limit is 48 hours per fortnight. Check your own conditions in VEVO before starting work.
Rules can change, so check your own conditions through the Department of Home Affairs' VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) system before you say yes to any work. Keeping a simple log of your hours across each fortnight may save you a lot of worry, because going over the limit may put your visa at risk.
Not sure what your visa allows?
A short chat with one of our registered migration agents may help you understand your conditions before you commit to a roster.
Where Your First Job May Lead
A part-time job at a café or on a building site may not feel like a career move, yet it often turns into one. Local work history may help you settle in, sharpen your English and show future employers that you understand how Australian workplaces run.
Marko is a good example. He worked at several gyms on his student visa until one employer asked to keep him on full time and agreed to sponsor him. His path wasn't mapped out on day one. It grew, in part, from showing up, working hard and building trust. Read Marko's story
Once you finish your studies, you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), which may give you more time to build experience. Every case is different, and no single job or visa leads automatically to permanent residency, so it helps to plan early with someone who knows the system well.
Your Next Step
Our team brings together registered migration agents and education counsellors who have guided many students through their first months in Australia. Some of us started out as international students ourselves, so we know how daunting that first job hunt can feel.
Where you go from here depends on where you are right now.
Planning to study in Australia?
We can help you choose a course and provider that suit your goals, with student support that may make your job search easier.
Already studying here?
Talk to a registered migration agent about your work rights, your graduate visa options and the possible pathways that may open up after you finish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can international students start working before their course begins in Australia?
Generally, no. Student visa holders usually cannot start paid work until their course has officially commenced, so confirm your conditions in VEVO before accepting any shifts.
Do international students need a Tax File Number to work in Australia?
You should apply for a Tax File Number through the Australian Taxation Office when you start working, as employers may withhold more tax without one. A TFN does not give you the right to work, which comes only from your visa conditions.
Can international students work full time during course breaks?
Student visa holders can generally work unlimited hours when their course is not in session, such as during scheduled semester breaks. The fortnightly limit applies again once classes resume. Please note that a week without scheduled classes is not necessarily an official course break.
Do compulsory work placements count towards a student's work hour limit?
Work placements that are a mandatory part of your course are generally not counted towards your fortnightly limit. Optional internships or placements outside your course requirements usually do count. Check with your provider before assuming a placement is exempt or reach out to your education agent.
Are international students paid the same minimum wage as Australian workers?
Yes, international students have the same workplace rights and protections as anyone else working in Australia, including the right to at least the minimum wage and a payslip. If something doesn't feel right at work, the Fair Work Ombudsman offers free help, including in other languages.
