October 6, 2009

Claire is a native Dubliner that has been in Sydney, and Australia for that matter, for just 5 months. Unsure of what she wants to go back to university for in Ireland, this 21 year old thought it was just a good time to experience life down under. I recently set up a time so that I could learn a bit more about her adventures here as a foreigner. It was particularly interesting to hear about her work endeavours because, unlike our last month’s interview, Claire has found it anything but easy to find a job in this bustling city.

“When I was getting desperate for a job, I had an interview at KFC. The guy asked me what kind of visa I had, and I said it was a working holiday. He immediately said, ‘No, sorry. We don’t take backpackers.’ It was shocking. I’m not a backpacker. I want to work. I live in Sydney.”

Many jobs around Sydney are currently looking for residents of Australia instead of those that can only be hired on a temporary basis.

When talking to Claire about this hot issue for those on working holidays, she responded, “Residents could just as well leave in 2 months whereas another working holiday person could still work for up to 6 months.”

Claire’s frustrations on the matter are not unwarranted. It took her a long 3 months, numerous applications, and 4 previous interviews before finally getting a job at Wicked Campers. The funny part of this story is that getting that job involved no flaming hoops whatsoever.

“I applied to an ad on Gumtree, and a week later she called me and asked when I could come in. It was really laid back.”

Knowing a little bit about Wicked Campers already, I just had to ask her about the infamous Naked Special they offer customers. Claire laughed and explained, “A couple of people have come in naked that I’ve seen. We have to take a picture of it, too. This woman came in naked and was like “hi” – I was a bit shocked. Last week a couple of guys came in and one asked, ‘If I come in naked, I get a day off, right?’ He went outside and took his clothes off and came back in.”

“It’s a really good job, really. It’s really laid back and friendly.”

Even though Claire really enjoys her job with Wicked Campers, she does work 6 full days every week. She knows it’s not optimal, but compared to other people, she’s doing pretty good.

“I don’t get much time off, but if I had more, I’d love to go to Coogee Beach.”

“If I never had to work, I’d be out in the sun all the time – at the beach or in the park. I love it. The weather is so nice.”

As for jobs in general, I would say Claire has been quite lucky in her life. She has never had to flip burgers or dress up in a funny costume for children and low pay. When asking if she has ever had a horrible job, she replied without hesitation, “Not really. I’ve only worked at three places.”

After a bit more thought, she then added, “…but I guess when I worked at the bookies (a betting place), it was bad. A lot of long hours… Got a lot of drunken people in there. The all day shifts – you have no life. You work, sleep, and work.”

Before leaving, I asked Claire if she had any advice for Furnished Property tenants still looking for jobs in Sydney.

“Try Gumtree. Before, I was looking on Seek and other job sites. The job sites are more awkward. A lot of jobs are commission-based and say you can make lots of money, but it’s basically impossible to make money. Gumtree is more down to earth.”

Claire is planning on sticking around Sydney for a while to work and save more money. She hopes to make it to Melbourne and Brisbane, and possibly stay in Australia for a 2nd year. Thanks, again, Claire for meeting with me, and I hope you enjoyed your dinner voucher for Wagamama’s!

October 6, 2009

August 27, 2009

If you’re thinking about working in a bar, cafe or restaurant in New South Wales that sells alcohol and don’t have your RSA, think again. The RSA, or Responsible Service of Alcohol certificate, is required at establishments around Sydney and New South Wales to ensure that wait staff and other employees are educated in this sector. Serving alcohol should only be completed with the proper knowledge to protect your customer, you, and the business you work for.

photo credit: avlxyz

Who needs an RSA?
An RSA is generally required for anyone wanting to work with a company selling or promoting alcohol products. Wait staff, liquor shop attendants and security workers at a club all require an RSA in order to be employed in the New South Wales state. Other states also require the certificate, but many are not recognised in any state other than the one that issued it.

How do I get an RSA?
The class is usually a 6 hour long program that can be completed in one or more days. The average cost is around $85 and are offered at various venues around Sydney.

• Training Course Professionals
• 5 Star Quality Training Centres
• Australian Training & Safety Institute
• Australian Training Solutions

What will I learn in training?
Even though responsible alcohol service seems to most to be a no-brainer, you might find that the course is actually quite eye-opening. Many people may not really think about how to respond in certain situations until the moment arises, therefore making the RSA course the best practice someone can get. The topics covered include much of the following:

• Alcohol guidelines
• Underage drinking
• Strategies for avoiding overintoxication

When looking at the topics above, it is definitely clear how employers, as well as customers and employees, are benefited by the RSA course requirement. Since it is a needed item in these parts to work in the hospitality industry, your best bet is to sign up for a course as soon as you arrive in Sydney. Really, it is only a small investment when thinking about the importance of the topic, and there is just no point in applying for those jobs if they might immediately cast you off without it.

Good luck, and happy job hunting!

May 15, 2009

So, this post goes out to all the Working Holiday Visa-ers who have found their way to the Sydney area. It was definitely a concern of mine upon arrival, so I’m sure you’ve had to think about it as well. What is the best route to take after arriving – find a job, or a place, first?

photo credit: SOCIALisBETTER

The decision was a difficult one for me to make, even after weighing all the options. If I decided to find a job first, I would then be able to find a place closer to it and have a better idea of the budget I was working with. This could mean the difference between living in a dive, or living in comfort during my time in Sydney. It could also spare the cost of certain travel expenses in the future.

On the other hand, I found it was just too difficult to look for a job while living in a hostel. There’s a certain amount of preparation that goes into getting interviews, as well as looking the part, and living out of a backpack was just not cutting it. Just finding a quiet place to talk on the phone to potential employers was difficult, not to mention the fact that internet use was limited. Some nights, I didn’t quite get the sleep I was in dire need of because of the sounds from my other roommates. Also, getting ready for the interview itself seemed to take me twice as long as it would otherwise.

Because the stress of needing to find a job was breathing down my neck, I cracked one Sunday and decided that I needed to find a place first so that all efforts could be focused towards the job. I hurriedly made appointments to view whatever I could for the cheapest I could. But, what did I know? I barely knew the area, or the market.

I ended up taking something that day, and later regretted the decision immensely. I won’t get into the details just yet, but I’m sure they will come up in future posts. Overall, I do think getting my own place first was the way to go because my ability to look for jobs was significantly improved, but really it should have been done in another way.

What do you guys think? Find a place, or a job, first? Take our poll below, or share your own experiences by leaving a comment.