| Throughout Western Australia there are plenty of opportunities to get work, although the type of work depends on which part of WA. you head for. Perth is the obvious choice if you are looking for office work of some description. For those with specialised computer skills Perth is probably your best bet in Australia. The North West and the area around Kalgoorlie is good for
mining, the South and all along the coast for fruit picking dependant on the season.
Access (formerly the Commonwealth Employment Service)
The CES, run by the Federal Government, is a chain of job search agencies. Most have boards with positions vacant listed which you can browse through before arranging an interview via the Access staff. In Perth some Access centres specialise in specific job markets, such as the hospitality industry.
Remember that the main task of Access is to find jobs for locals and, therefore, it may take a while to get a job through them.
Hostels
Hostels offer good local information on jobs and may even arrange work for travellers at building sites, factories and sales. Ask at reception or check noticeboards. You may even find work in hostels (eg cleaning, reception, driving). It’s a case of being in the right place at the right
time.
Newspapers
Newspapers in the capital cities are normally full of job ads, as are regional papers in the country. For many tourist-suitable jobs, you’ll have to move quickly and even consider staying up late to get the first edition early in the
morning.
Temp Agencies
These offer weekly pay, flexibility, variety and are probably the quickest way to find office, computer or financial work. In Perth the temp market is variable, although clerical work is always easy to come by. IT related work grows on trees in Western Australia, if you have the desired skills, check out the following Web pages. (Note some of these pages also contain other areas of work, however most of these are not contract based, unlike the IT employment).
By signing with a number of agencies, you will increase your chances of keeping the money coming in. Agencies will insist you hold a valid Working Holiday Visa. Read your employee contract carefully before signing, and check that you can terminate a job when you wish and still get paid. Some agencies have clauses which prevent this — ask before agreeing to a job. |
