I'm arriving in Sydney on October 1st. Just wondering if anyone has any useful tips for finding entry-level work. Ideally hospitality, but I'm really open to anything. Any specific places that are known to hire WHV's?
Tips for Finding WHV Work in Sydney?
I unfortunately don't have any useful advice on specific locations, but I'd recommend strongly that you don't immediately look for work in Sidney - it's a very expensive place to stay at compared to the rest of Australia, and many are the backpackers who return after a year, having seen very little outside the cities, which is an absolute shame.
Go travel around for 2-3 months first - get to know the Australian vibe, and which places you really like - then find work there. (Doing 2-3 hours of cleaning in hostels for a free night's stay is an excellent way of stretching your money; they tend to want a commitment of 2+ weeks in the same place, though.)
That said - if you don't have the funds to travel for 3+ months before finding work, then do actually make certain to find work asap, as the availability of work tends to dry up very strongly in November/December, going into the holidays; it'll pick right back up when January gets started, but yeah, something to keep in mind.
edit: oh wait, you were the guy who had to leave early due to covid, right? So you might've already seen quite a bit of Australia? Then I guess the above doesn't apply to you all that much - will leave it here for other people who'll stumble upon the thread in the future, though...
Maybe one potentially useful tip, since you're just interested in basic jobs: the hostel you'll stay at will have a job board. And there's absolutely nothing stopping you from also visiting a couple of the other big hostels in town and checking out their job boards.
[ Edit: Edited on 15 Sep 2022, 08:02 GMT by Sander ]
Quoting Sander
I unfortunately don't have any useful advice on specific locations, but I'd recommend strongly that you don't immediately look for work in Sidney - it's a very expensive place to stay at compared to the rest of Australia, and many are the backpackers who return after a year, having seen very little outside the cities, which is an absolute shame.
Go travel around for 2-3 months first - get to know the Australian vibe, and which places you really like - then find work there. (Doing 2-3 hours of cleaning in hostels for a free night's stay is an excellent way of stretching your money; they tend to want a commitment of 2+ weeks in the same place, though.)
That said - if you don't have the funds to travel for 3+ months before finding work, then do actually make certain to find work asap, as the availability of work tends to dry up very strongly in November/December, going into the holidays; it'll pick right back up when January gets started, but yeah, something to keep in mind.
edit: oh wait, you were the guy who had to leave early due to covid, right? So you might've already seen quite a bit of Australia? Then I guess the above doesn't apply to you all that much - will leave it here for other people who'll stumble upon the thread in the future, though...
Maybe one potentially useful tip, since you're just interested in basic jobs: the hostel you'll stay at will have a job board. And there's absolutely nothing stopping you from also visiting a couple of the other big hostels in town and checking out their job boards.
Another area that interests me is the Gold Coast. Didn't get there first time around. Have you been? What did you think of it? My main goal is just to find some sort of job to cover basic day-to-day costs. I'll be fine in terms of money, but if I can come close to breaking even after I leave that would be ideal.
[ Edit: Edited on 15 Sep 2022, 23:47 GMT by PaulAllen ]
I spent a couple of days there, but it's not really my type of place. Besides Sydney, where I fell in love with the overall vibe of Glebe (amazing bakeries and second hand book stores), I mostly enjoyed hiking in Tasmania, the live music scene in Melbourne (plus its wider surroundings; Wilsons Promontory and the Great ocean road all the way up to Adelaide, particularly Cape Otway, the twelve apostles, the Grampians and Port Elliot) and the area south of Perth (Leeuwin Naturalista National Park e.a.). There is just so much to see in Australia.
I actually came out ahead with money after my time in Australia, but I was very lucky to have IT skills. For most basic backpacker jobs, you'd have to work absolutely fulltime to even come close to breaking even. Imho not worth it, as saving up money is much easier at home.
[ Edit: Edited on 16 Sep 2022, 08:33 GMT by Sander ]