Knock, Knock – Any Jobs?

As you travel around Australia you may want to pick up work to help fund your continued travels. And there are many job options available in Australia that you could undertake. But how do you find one? Here are my 6 suggestions to use to help you find a job.

1. Consider where you are

The first thing to consider to how to make money while travelling Australia is to consider where you are.  Thinking of where you are can lead to work opportunities. Instead of sitting around thinking I can’t find work, think along the lines of ‘I am in a particular area and this area specialises in this industry or industries. Therefore, I could find work in this industry or related to this industry. Some examples of what I mean are:

I am in a:
– mining town – therefore I could find a trade position. Or, as miners need to eat I could find a job in a cafe or restaurant.

– major city – therefore I could find office support, accounting, hospitality, trades, etc.

– town – servicing the farming community therefore I could find a position as a jackaroo/jillaroo or picking fruit and vegetables. If you are looking for a job picking fruit and/or vegetables read my post here.

– beach suburb – I could find a hospitality position in a bar or cafe or maybe if this suburb has a fishing industry I could find a job on a boat.

– holiday centre – such as The Gold Coast therefore I could get a job in hospitality in one of the many cafes, bars and restaurants, or as a cleaner/room service in one of the many hotels or hostels.

– high country area – and there are snow resorts can I get a job in hospitality, ski or snowboard instructor, etc. If you are looking for a job in the ski resorts read my post here.

– an Industrial area –  therefore I could find a trade position.

So when you find a place you like and wish to stay a while, find out about the local industry and take it from there. You need to be a little innovative when you are looking for work while travelling around Australia.

2. Word of Mouth – Ask around – Door Knocking

Having Barista skills will stand you in good stead to pick up a job as you travel around Australia

Following on from my first of finding a travel job in Australia suggestion, sometimes it is not what you know, but who you know, or who you meet. While travelling around Australia don’t be afraid to let it be known that you are interested to find work. Because someone you might talk to just might know of a job going. And that leads me to ‘asking around’. Ask the hotel or hostel receptionist, the bar tender, the coffee shop owner if they have any jobs going. You just never know. So arm yourself with your CV and walk in to an establishment and ask if there is work available. You just never know, they can only say ‘yes’ or ‘no’.

3. Tourist Brochures

Read through tourist brochures

Even though tourist brochures, available in a travel agency, are designed for potential visitors to a certain place, they can be a good source of work information. This is because they provide general information about a specific area, maps of these areas (including popular tourist areas), mention tours available, details of special events and provide extensive lists of accommodation. You can use this available information to your advantage.

For instance, if you were seeking to work on the Gold Coast the tourist brochures would include extensive accommodation listings which will not only mention how many rooms are available but what services are available. These could include beauty salon, tennis court, swimming pool, fitness centre, retail stores, coffee shop, restaurant, business centre, etc. Therefore, if you are a beautician, fitness instructor, shop assistant, chef, etc. you could approach them about a specific work opportunity. The contact details will be listed in the tourist brochure. 

Or you could find more details about properties on accommodation booking sites such as Booking.com.

4. Hostels

Growers often contact hostels looking for people to pick fruit and vegetables

As well as being a cheap accommodation option hostels are a great source of information, from what to see and do to help with finding a work while travelling Australia. There are many employers, particularly farmers who contact hostels requesting staff. This is because they know they are full of travellers who would be glad of a day or more work. There are some hostels known as working hostels, they are particularly prominent in Queensland where the hostel owner has teamed up with local farmers. The hostel provide accommodation and the farmer provides work and both usually offer a lift to/from the farm to/from the accommodation.  Hostels in Queensland towns such as Bowen and Bundaberg are often good places to start for this type of arrangement.

Travellers mostly staff hostels so if you manage to get a job in one you could be working on reception, cleaning or driving the courtesy minibus to pick up other travellers from the airport or bus station. This work is usually found by being in the right place at the right time. So become friendly with the staff already there and make it known that you are looking for work.

Hostels mostly have a noticeboard where jobs can be advertised. As I travelled around Australia I’ve seen quite an array of jobs on offer. Some were: cricket umpire, swimming pool attendant, lawn mower, security guard, serving beers at the races, serving pies at the Easter Show, setting up tents and manning stalls in a circus, food preparation on a crocodile farm, telemarketing, singing telegrams, leaflet drops, handyman, courier, dog walker, Santa Claus, house removalist and jackaroo/jillaroo. So have a look.

5. Recruitment Agencies

Recruitment agencies are one way to find work while you travel around Australia.

Employment or recruitment agencies were originally the way women re-entered the work force; thus the abundance of office support agencies. Employers have realised the potential and flexibility gained from employing experienced staff through temping, out-sourcing and contracting so now there are agencies covering a whole gamut of professions. This is good news if you are hoping to find work as you travel around Australia.

So basically you need to register with an agency. This will involve you providing them with your CV and references. You should then have an interview, either face-to-face or via the phone and hopefully you will be put on their books for casual work. Then you need to wait for an employer to contact the agency requesting someone to fill the position. This could be for a day, week or longer.

To find a recruitment agency I suggest you google the profession in the area you are and see what pops up. For instance, care work  recruitment agencies in Melbourne, trade agencies in Sydney or nurse recruitment agencies in Brisbane, etc.

6. The Internet

There are a number of specialist websites where you can search for a job.

The Internet is a popular way to find a job as you travel around Australia. There are a number of specialist recruitment sites. Simply type in the type of job you are looking for and the area and then see what comes up. Sites to visit include Seek, Indeed, CareerOne and Gumtree. There are also some specialist job sites:

• Backpackerjobboard – lots of jobs all over Australia
• Programmed Employment – recruit for a variety of jobs
• Rural Enterprises – harvest and farm work
• Caretakers Australia – Caravan park and motel relief

Facebook also has a number of pages/groups to like and join. Here are a few I have found:

Here are a few of the sites that I see work advertised on all the time.

• Workabout Australia – become a member to see jobs first
• Grey Nomad Jobs – register to be able to apply
• Australian Sugar Cane Farming/Harvesting – Facebook Group
• Jobs for Families Travelling Australia group – Facebook Group
• Working On The Road In Australia – Facebook Group
• Australian Rural and Remote Jobs – Facebook Group
• Harvest Jobs Australia – Facebook Group
• Working while living on the road – Facebook Group
• Short Term Bush Jobs For Travelling Tradesmen – Facebook Group
• Farm Work Australia – Facebook page that shares job ads

READ MORE: Discover different Jobs you can do as you travel Australia.

Are You Ready to Make Money While Travelling Australia?

Are you working on the road in Australia or hoping to make money while travelling Australia by picking up a job while travelling Australia? I’d love to hear in the comments.