[rayfoley2]

Hi all.
Heading out to oz next month (july) and absolutely petrified. I only have a few fetac courses under my belt and freaked out i wont get a job. I'm heading to melbourne.
What's jobs like in the retail sector over there?? Any tips at all is appreciated!

[jackbhoy]

Retail is pretty much in the sh1t here but if you are not fussy you should find something with relative ease. On plus side you are arriving mid-winter so probably not as many backpackers looking for jobs as there will be come spring/summer.

[rayfoley2]

cheers. anything you would recommend??

[universe777]

Originally Posted by rayfoley2

cheers. anything you would recommend??

Retail is in the ****ter here at the moment, if you have any cafe experience? I have seen signs around town wanting people. It is tough to get work here so please bring all the cash you can and learn to live frugally i.e. save the wild nights until you are earning.
Try JB Hifi, they are a large electrical store, lots of shops here, walk in with a resume (cv), ask for a manager and sell yourself!

[rayfoley2]

Originally Posted by universe777

Retail is in the ****ter here at the moment, if you have any cafe experience? I have seen signs around town wanting people. It is tough to get work here so please bring all the cash you can and learn to live frugally i.e. save the wild nights until you are earning.
Try JB Hifi, they are a large electrical store, lots of shops here, walk in with a resume (cv), ask for a manager and sell yourself!

Thanks so much for the advice! really appreciate it!

[darcy07]

I moved here a few weeks ago first thing i will say is have your cv ready first thing you do when you get here is get a tax file number and an ozzie sim

if you want office work contact agencys when u get here or go onto seek.com.au and apply for jobs

for construction or bar work make sure u get your working cards straight away

white card is needed for construction (like a safe pass)

rsa card is for working in cafes and bars

and when you get to a hostel first make sure you look at jobs boards and just talk to people but like the other poster said budget save every penny and watch spending till u start working

[rayfoley2]

Originally Posted by darcy07

I moved here a few weeks ago first thing i will say is have your cv ready first thing you do when you get here is get a tax file number and an ozzie sim

if you want office work contact agencys when u get here or go onto seek.com.au and apply for jobs

for construction or bar work make sure u get your working cards straight away

white card is needed for construction (like a safe pass)

rsa card is for working in cafes and bars

and when you get to a hostel first make sure you look at jobs boards and just talk to people but like the other poster said budget save every penny and watch spending till u start working

Thanks so much for that! Can you tell me how much the rsa card is?

[debs1]

Originally Posted by rayfoley2

Thanks so much for that! Can you tell me how much the rsa card is?

It's about $100 to do the 1 day course

[darcy07]

I think the rsa is different prices depending what state your in ?

all the info regarding it is online or in the hostels afaik it ranges from 70 to 120

[rayfoley2]

Thanks for all the info guys and girls. Really do appreciate it!!

[markymark21]

If your looking for a job in retail your best bet for a job is probably Chapel Street.

[manlad]

Originally Posted by markymark21

If your looking for a job in retail your best bet for a job is probably Chapel Street.

Have to agree with this. Was walking down it last night and a lot of shops have signs up requiring staff. Similar situation in the city.

[rayfoley2]

Originally Posted by manlad

Have to agree with this. Was walking down it last night and a lot of shops have signs up requiring staff. Similar situation in the city.

Great! Thanks again for the tips!

[minsbarron]

Seen Woolworths (supermarket) in South Melbourne are looking for staff as is Subway. Plenty of jobs in hospitality if you have RSA & some waiting experience. When you say retail do you mean clothes shops, etc? What sort of FETAC courses have you got? Bring warm clothes with you is all I can say. Chilly in Melbourne at the moment. We arrived only 5 weeks ago & had to get our winter coat & rain mac jackets posted out for walking around the city. Bring a cosy jumper or two for when your lying around in the evenings as the central heating over here is pretty much non existent.
Agree with Darcy, go apply for your TFN the first day you arrive & set up your bank account & get your Aussie sim card also. Vodafone has a $30 cap & it's really good, you'd never use all the credit in a million years in the month. You can call back into the bank then once you pick up your TFN to update them of this & your permanent address at that stage. Your TFN can take up to 28 days to come through but you'll be taxed on the lower rate once you tell your Employer you're awaiting your TFN. No recruitment agencies will call you back on your Irish number so defo get Aussie sim right away.

[markymark21]

Originally Posted by minsbarron

Vodafone has a $30 cap & it's really good, you'd never use all the credit in a million years in the month..

I know I harp on about this a lot but http://www.amaysim.com.au/ is the way to go in regards to phone operators. for $39 a month you get un-limited calls and texts and a whopping 4GB of data. If you have a smartphone all you gotta do is use your phone as a hotspot and you've got a fairly decent amount of data to use of your laptop..