Working while studying is not a new concept, even for international students. It is a great way to gain experience, which you can add to your resume afterwards while earning money to meet your needs and desires. However, as a student, it represents a real challenge in order to find your balance between your student, professional and personal life, but not impossible, with a little bit of motivation and organisation.
Furthermore, with your student visa, the number of working hours is well regulated, so this will help you find your balance in order to succeed in your academic goals but also your professional goals without being overwhelmed! As an international student, it will require more effort because you will be confronted with the language barrier and to a new job market with sometimes different ways of doing things to which you will have to adapt yourself.
You will see that all the efforts made during this period will benefit you in the future. Here are some examples of what professional experience can bring you during your studies and the types of jobs you can claim.
The Advantages of Working While Studying
Despite the intense rhythm that you can have when you work in addition to your studies, it offers you a lot of advantages and helps you prepare for your entry into the professional world much more easily than students who are only focused on their studies. We have listed some advantages for you below.
Gain skills
Working while studying abroad can help you develop new skills that will benefit you later. Depending on the profession carried out during your studies, you will acquire technical skills (hard-skills) that can be useful in your future job. For example, if you are required to work as a salesperson or waiter, this will give you skills in customer relations/service. Important skill for most trades! It will also allow you to improve your level of English because you will often be required to work with Australians but also other people from all over the world, which will allow you to be in total immersion, nothing better to see your English improve day by day.
But these student jobs will bring you much more than just technical skills, you will develop your interpersonal skills (soft-skills or know-how), things increasingly sought after by employers, which can allow you to stand out against another candidate with equal technical skills. Indeed, having a student job in Australia will allow you to develop your ability to adapt to a new environment and a new culture but will also demonstrate your motivation, your determination, as well as your sense of organisation, qualities highly valued by employers.
As mentioned above, being immersed·It is in a multicultural environment that will allow you to develop good intercultural communication. Indeed, by working with people from different backgrounds, you will learn more about their respective culture and customs, which will allow you to acquire a certain open-mindedness. This may be useful to you later if you are brought·e to deal with customers from different countries for example, in order to adapt your communication and your approach to them.
Build your networks
Working while studying abroad can also help you create and develop your network, that is to say, to constitute your “professional entourage”, often composed of colleagues, managers, classmates and friends, to which you can refer if you are looking for a job, if you need letters of recommendation or simply if you want advice. These people will also be able to put you in touch with people in their network to help you on a specific request, and this will also allow you to expand your network.
This network will be really important if you plan to develop a career in Australia, following your studies.
Finance your life on the spot
If you have a job, you will earn a weekly salary, so one of the advantages of working alongside your studies when you study in Australia, is that it will allow you to receive an income that can help you finance your life there, your pleasures and your school fees.
Note that the minimum wage in Australia is $21.38. As a student, you currently have no work restrictions until the first of July 2023, after this date, you will be allowed to work a maximum of 48 hours per fortnight. So, you will be able to claim a gross salary of $1026.24 per fortnight.
The Types of Jobs You Can Apply For as a Student
It will all depend on your age, experience and what you are looking for, but there are plenty of options out there!
We have listed for you different options that you can explore when you arrive in Australia.
Jobs offering great flexibility
There are jobs that offer more flexibility in terms of hours than others, such as catering and hotels (this can be evening shifts after your classes, weekends); moreover, if you work as a waiter/waitress, you can also increase your salary by about 10% each week with the tips (tip) left by customers, which is not negligible.
Working in retail is also an interesting option for a student from a flexibility and financial point of view. This allows you to work on weekends, with a higher minimum hourly rate than on weekdays, perfect for combining your studies and your student job! In addition, some shops also work on commission (usually luxury brand shops), allowing you to have your fixed salary each week plus your variable, which will vary depending on the sales you will have done.
Office jobs
If you already have some professional experience before, you can also apply for part-time positions. Nevertheless, it will be necessary that your working days desired by your future company coordinate with your school days.
You can also check with your campus if they are not looking for a part-time person to strengthen the admin team!
Be a freelancer
Another option is available to you if you want to be completely free and manage your time as you want, it is to create an ABN (Australian Business Number).
Once created, this will allow you to work, on your own but for reliable structures such as UberEat, as a delivery guy but also for specific missions with event agencies for example.
Depending on your previous experiences and your area of expertise, you can also look for freelance jobs as a community manager, graphic designer, etc.
To go further and have all the keys in hand to find the student job that suits you, don’t hesitate to watch our video, which will give you some tips on how to find a job in Australia!
Conclusion
Working part-time while studying in Australia may seem complicated and intense, but with the right approach, proper organisation and determination, most international students succeed. Therefore it is an adventure that is all the more gratifying from a personal and professional point of view!
If you would like more information on this subject or personalised advice based on your profile, StudyBird, our agency specialising in education, is there to give you the best support throughout this adventure. Thanks to our strong network of partners, you will be able to obtain the orientation you have always dreamed of! We can also help you with the administrative procedures concerning your visa and your search for accommodation, so don’t waste more time and contact us to tell us more about your project.
