Hi my name is Sarah, I am from France and I started to study English in Brisbane in October 2013. Like many of you, I needed to find a job while I was studying English to pay for my living but also my travels around Australia. I knew from the beginning that I will need to improve my English before being able to find a job. After 4 weeks of studying English at Langports, my level of English increased and I felt more confident approaching shops.
When I decided to travel to Australia, I knew it could be difficult to find a job but I was determined so I stayed positive about my job search. As I have a working holiday visa, I can work as many hours as I want, except when I am studying English at Langports. My friends on student visas can also work for 20 hours per week.
I first started to look for a job in Brisbane on the internet and I remember seeing a lot of ads for different jobs such as: barman, waitress, kitchen hand, cleaner etc. After I began my search I received a few offers working with French people, but I was not interested as I really wanted to improve my English and meet Australians.
One afternoon, I decided to go for a walk and hand few resumes in South Bank. The staff at Langports encourage students to visit bars, restaurants and shops in person to present your resume. The first restaurant I visited was the right one for me! The manager told me to come back the next day for an interview and I got a job washing dishes. I can say that I was really lucky to find a job so quickly. On average, I work two days per week from 5pm until 12am and it’s enough for me. What I enjoy the most at the restaurant is my team and the good atmosphere. We always joke and laugh so I don’t feel under constant pressure and lunch is free!!
For students who are looking for jobs in Australia, I would really recommend you to print resume and approach all the places you would like to work for. You need to be very motivated but at the end, it will work.
Langports offers:
– FREE Job Help Seminars every 2 weeks
– FREE Help writing your Australian resume
– RSA courses for students