sandia911

I am coming to Australia on a 1 year working holiday visa, this February. I intend to stay the full 12 months, and circle Australia, counter clockwise, starting, and finishing in Melbourne, with an immediate flight to Tasmania (as the 1st stop). The total amount of road I may cover is 20,000km. The amount of time i stay in any region will depend on the climate, and job opportunities. I am generally familiar with the Australian climate. My question is what is the feasibility of finding job opportunities outside the typical backpacker/hospitality industry.

I don't want to work in hotel housekeeping, or restaurant kitchen help. Although i like cooking for dinner guests, I don't have any professional training as a Chef. Fruit picking is also out of the question, as I am looking for a position that not many other holiday makers are seeking. I am very good with Internet, and computer software (especially cleaning up peoples injured computers). I am interested in mines (mostly due to the long hours/earnings, and I am OK to be alone/isolated, so long as I have high speed internet). I am also OK to work weekends, nights, Sundays/holidays, and I like to receive overtime. But i don't have experience in any heavy industry, like Oil/gas, neither any licenses of any kind. My past work experience revolves around customer service, Journalism (writing/editing), and EFL teaching (but to non-English speaking people), however teaching English to immigrants in Australia is not what I'm seeking, as I only want to work for 1, or 2 months in any given position.

When the climate takes a dive, i want to move to more desirable areas of Australia. My ideal climatic requirements are sunny, or mix sunny/cloudy, optional breezy, or windy, but less rain, and no sticky humidity. I like the desert. My interests are varied. and I can do anything in little time given practice.

So what do you think, what job industry is a good bet next year? And i know in rural Australia, my interests, and chances are better, but I also know sending email applications doesn't work, and it's about word of mouth, and direct inquiry, friend of friend, and right place/right time. I just want to hear from people (either former holiday makers with jobs outside hospitality, or more importantly local employers with direct experience hiring holiday makers for jobs outside the hospitality industry).

Thanks, and sorry for the verbose post. But i wanted to be clear, and detailed.

eddie007

So with no licenses, no experience in the industry you would like and not wanting to do hospitality or fruit picking.... One wonders what there is left?

and why would some one employ you for a few weeks in a high tech setting or "desirable" industry especially with no Australian experience!

Not wanting to piss on your parade... But some one needs to ask....

Welcome by the way...

NickyC

Frankly, I doubt you can afford to be too fussy where you work once you get out of the cities.

You'll be doing the same route around the country as thousands of other backpackers (starting south in the summer, going north in the winter and returning south in the spring) so you'll be competing with plenty of other people for any casual work around.

The reason most WHV holders do fruit-picking, bar-work etc on their circuit is because that's the only casual work that's available.

You could check out working on outback properties/stations. Some might take on WHV holders for short periods, though I think most station jobs need a much longer commitment than 1-2 months and it can be very hard work in extreme conditions.

man_called_Horse

I came to Australia 8 years ago on a WHV and my first job was $35 p/h and a company car as field service Engineer, looking back it was pretty crap the WHV can be rather limiting.

I'm not sure if this is what you are looking for, but that's my personal experience.

sandia911

Yes. that's exactly what im looking for, something different, i dont mind how remote it is, so long as i have access to s car, just like you did, and off-time entertainment, like internet, and i want to cook as well, i can't eat cans of meat, and junk food, like so many others (i am vegetarian, and dont like to drink on a regular basis, just on occasion, hence why bar work isn't for me) and of course I would like a wage higher than backpacker jobs, which is too low for Australian living, imo. About the duration of the contract, i dont want to focus on that now, just like to have some ideas, about jobs, leads, etc.. will be helpful.

I also realize i have competition from mostly European backpackers, under 25, but i am 30 now, and I won't be taking the coastal route north i am more interested in the inland route, via national parks, and the outback, if that makes a difference, for example i have the intention to avoid the beach party crowd altogether, and all the jobs that go to them. Also, i can't work in a roadhouse, i need a job that needs a bit of brainpower, and/or creative thinking, and I don't want to check with someone before i do everything, also i dont want my only friends, or social group to be other backpackers, i like the do it yourself independent approach common in rural Australia. Another reason i am uninterested in bar work is because I think there is no tipping in Australia, and i can't be bothered to deal with drunks around music i hate for minimum wage, i wouldn't mind bar work in America, though, but i can't go there on WHV. Fruit picking on the other hand is heavy on the body, and ive heard it's not by the Kilo, so working faster doesn't mean better earnings, please correct me if i am wrong, and depending on the fruit (watermelon, for example), the damage to the body may not be worth $20/hour. All that lifting under the sun for hours on end. What would you do in my exact place?

bitzenpces

On my WHV I just did normal office work contracts for however long I was allowed to stay (think it was 3 months in any one city), then moved on to the next city, travelling inbetween. Didn't earn a fortune, but enough to travel everywhere I wanted to go. There often aren't that many jobs in rural areas.

If you're here on a WHV, or are just new to the country, you can expect to have to check with other people before you carry out tasks at work. Other backpackers might be independently-minded, creative or critical thinkers, so I wouldn't put them all in one basket. I think you might need to take a more flexible approach to your trip here.

Tr1boy

hmm, Australia you say, inland you say, high speed internet you say?

Pollyana

The more I read, the less realistic the OPs ideas seem.......

classybird

+ 1

Bermudashorts

+2

verystormy

Ok, so you intend to do Oz via a fair bit of the outback. Firstly, where?- its a damned big place. Do you have any idea what it willi ivolve being in that type of type of terrain and climate? Do you have enough funds to rig up a vehicle suitable - it is expensive to buy a 4x4 and then add on all the various bits. For example i am writing this from the edge of the Great Sandy Desert in northern WA. If you were to find yourself on foot here during the day at the moment you can be dead in 2 hours. Even driving in a air conditioned vehicle can be hard as the air con just doesnt cope with the heat. Then, even in winter, people die here from simply getting lost.

Second, forget mining. Firstly there is a slow down in the industry, second no mine is going to hire someone for a month. It can take that to get medicals, police checks and inductions done.

There is outback work available on stations. But, be aware this is very physically hard.

Realistically, i am sorry, but even in the cities, nobody other than bar work and things or fruit picking will touch you for a months work.

sandia911

I understand, but i wouldn't be using my own vehicle to get around rural Australia. i would rideshare, or better hitchhike i have done it before in WA, and NT i am familiar with the terrain, i hitchhiked almost 10,000km in rural Australia last year. Please don't advise me about hictchhiking, i know the risks, and I accept that. I have never rode a horse, but the idea of getting on a motorbike and controlling livestock on a station appeals to me, but the person hiring me has to be patient with me, so i can get the hang of it. I've heard that's a very lucrative area to work, i can only work 1, or 2 months anyways before moving on (since i have 20,000km to cover, by season). The whole year is set aside for Australia, and the focus is on making approx. $10,000, in order to fund current, and upcoming trips, secondary priority is visiting national parks in Australia, i want to visit dozens of parks over the year. I understand i may end up in Hospitality, or Tourism, but i guess then i have to find the position in these industries that pays more than minimum wage. I have never worked in construction before. However. i have lots of experience in retail customer service. My qualifications in computers is practical, i have no schooling there, just in journalism, and EFL. But, i don't expect to find a job based on my academic qualifications, i foresee an opportunity when a local needing someone right away, and i happen to be in the area passing through, and he/she catches me, but it's just speculation at this point. One other idea i had was to do Helpx, or Wwoof, in exchange for food, and accommodation, working 2-5hours/day for the householder, for example cooking dinner nightly and odd jobs around the house, (without pay), and then in addition around town, i may be able to find casual work (paid), in essence, accommodation, and food are free for as long as i choose to wwoof, and the paid outside job for as long as i decide to stay in that town, and for the householder i can also do the computer work, which for elderly Australians is always welcome, as they are illiterate in technologies. I believe such an arrangement would be ideal, as then I would have barely any expenses, since I don't visit bars, restaurants, taxis, cigarettes, or anything like that so almost everything I make, i will save. That means 1 or 2 months of work is all I may need to secure a move to the next state. Even at minimum wage, casual work without expenses should provide OK. I can't/won't work in an office environment, i don't like the idea of getting along with office employees, or wearing neckties, i work better on my own, or with a supervisor, who is a friend. One opportunity i had last time i was inn WA, was working for the local newspaper, but i remember from the days as a journalist, it doesn't pay well given the deadlines, and that means stress. One job i really like doing is cooking, but not with animal meat (i.e. Australian restaurants), so i like in-house kitchen work, where i control the menu (i will do it for free in exchange for a place to stay). Then it's just a matter of finding a paying job alongside that. That is my best idea so far.

Almo

I think you have an awful lot of very specific requirements and I'm not sure that you will be successful in finding what you're looking for. You seem to have a long list of what you don't want to do, and some pretty stringent requirements for the kind of work you're willing to do. WHV holders are not particularly rare, I think it would be hard to dictate the work you'll do. I really think you need to revisit your plans.

Not trying to be mean, just telling the truth.

Dorothy

I have to agree with the other posters who say you're being a bit too specific. You're coming here on a working holiday visa. WHV holders/backpackers are a dime a dozen. You will not be in a position to dictate where/when/how you work.

And I'm not trying to be picky, but your posts are very difficult to read. Some spaces between sentences and maybe some paragraphs would make it much easier.

Sherlock Holmes

Some outback stations / roadhouses might give you a job as a cook with free board but trust me, you will be be cooking meat and not much else!