5 Things you NEED to know before getting a working holiday visa in Australia!

Thinking of getting a Working Holiday Visa in Australia? Once your visa is approved, there are 5 things you need to prior to arriving in Australia.

1. RGS (Responsible Gambling Services) & RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) & White Card (Construction and Landscaping):

The most common jobs for backpackers are in the Hospitality industry. If your goal is to work in a restaurant, pub, nightclub or a local café it is important to get the following certificates:

Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA): To work in the hospitality industry in Australia you will NEED this certificate. It is a very easy online course you can take. It includes:

1. General legislation knowledge about the service of alcohol. These rules and regulations are different based on the state you choose to live in, so it is important to know the differences.

2. Basic knowledge about BAC ( Blood Alcohol Content) based on serving sizes in relation to the weight of the patron. This is important as it help you judge the amount of drink it would take someone at a specific weight/ height to become versus someone else.

3. Signs of intoxication

4. Your general responsibilities about serving alcohol.

No matter the country you come from it is probably like your local alcohol service laws. In Canada it is like the SmartServe certificate required to work and serve alcohol in the hospitality industry.

Responsible Gambling Services (RGS): When looking to work in the Australian hospitality industry you might as well get you RGS certificate with your RSA. Most bars and pubs have slot machines and some level of gambling available for their customers. It is very common for employers to favour candidates with both on their Resume/ CV. Like the RSA it goes over basic responsibilities and laws surrounding gambling:

1. Laws and regulations (Different depending on State)

2. Your responsibilities working in the industry

3. How to recognize signs of chronic gambling issues

4. Who to contact if someone is suspected of having issues with gambling.

Construction and Landscaping: Do you have previous experience with construction or landscaping? These types of jobs are also quite common however there are some things you need to be aware of before you work manual labor in Australia

White Card Certificate: The white card certificate is very similar to WHIMIS with some extra safety procedures specific to manual labor. ALL employers that work within the realm of construction and landscaping require you to have this certificate. It is very easy to get and can be done online within 3-5 hours.

Transportation is another obstacle you need to be aware of. Many employers require you to have your own mode of transportation to jobsites. Being a traveler it may be hard for you to afford a car/ motorcycle to get to and from work. However, you may be lucky to find and employer that provides transportation.

I highly recommend doing these prior to arriving in Australia for those who are looking to work right away with no obstacles.

Website: www.eot.edu.au

2. Fruit Picking:

As a traveler needing a few extra bucks to get from A to B fruit picking a viable option for people who want to go wherever their curiosities take them. Aspects you need to know about fruit picking:

1.Usually pays on a Lbs./Kg basis: this means that instead of an hourly wage. The benefits are if you are a hard worker you can make some decent money.

2. Is it Picking season? Start usually in December and finishes roughly in May; so, keep that in mind when you are travelling. It is very common to work 7 days a week in season saving as much as possible so that you can travel in the off-season months.

3. Fruit picking is done in rural areas and towns, be mindful that transportation may be limited in the areas so make sure you have a plan to get from your accommodation to the farm. There are some hostels that provide transport to certain farms for a fee.

Website for fruit picking jobs: https://www.backpackerjobboard.com.au/

3. Job Hiring / Interview process (online) / companies

The last thing you want, or need is to be stuck without work when your traveling in Australia. The cost of living is quite high and can eat away at your saving quite quickly. Here are some suggestions and things to be aware of to avoid this issue:

1. Most employers only accept CV/ resumes online. Gone is the old way of walking into a brick and mortar store asking to speak with a manager. It is very important to make sure you have a cover letter and proofread your CV to ensure you look great on paper.

2. Recruitment Agencies: Use recruitment companies to get work. What are Recruitment agencies? Local businesses and corporations use recruitment agencies to find them people to staff their business. This could be why you are getting little to no responses on your applications. The benefits of going through a recruitment agency is:

1. Usually hirer wages per hour

2. Contract work (commonly 3-month contracts of full-time work)

3. They take the stress out of competing with other candidates on the usual hiring websites as the employer gives guarantees to the recruitment agency for a specific amount of jobs.

The top recruiting agency in Australia is Hays recruitment, check out their website for potential job opportunities if you’re looking for full time contract work.

Website: https://www.hays.com.au/

4. Rent/ Accommodation (Weekly rent)

In Australia accommodation is very easy to find, it all depends on what you are looking for. Hostels are the most common option for backpackers and travelers and tend to be the cheapest on a daily basis. The average cost is from $20 - $75 AUD per night ranging from 12 person to private rooms. Another option is AirBnB for potential short and medium-term stays. For people who are looking for long term stays renting or subletting a room may be the best option for you. On a weekly/monthly budget it tends to be cheaper if you know you’ll be staying a while. Plus, the added privacy versus a hostel is quite nice. The ONE thing you will need to know if you decide to rent your own place is that rent is paid on a WEEKLEY basis in Australia. This means that if your monthly rent is $700 AUD per month you WILL be paying $175 AUD per week, so be sure to include that in your budget. Other than that rent and accommodation is quite similar to most places around the world. Check out Nomads for affordable accommodation all around Australia!

Website accommodation: https://nomadsworld.com/destinations/#australia

5. Commuting and transportation:

Australia has a great network of transportation to get you to wherever your heart desires. Here are some of the easiest ways to get around in Australia.

1. Train: the trains in Australia are great they can get you from city to city, town to town or even across the country for a fraction of the price of a flight.

2. Buses: buses are very common in the city limits however begin to become more limited in the rural areas. Greyhound buses are a very viable option to get to smaller more remote towns in Australia.

3. Uber/ OLA: Uber has now become a global transportation service and is definitely the most convenient in terms of getting you to your destination the quickest, however it does come with a more expensive price tag the other options.

4. Walking: If you are staying at a local hostel like NOMAD’s chance are your staying right in the downtown core of the city/ town. This makes walking the easiest option when trying to get places, after all its free!

For trains and buses use TransLink, its is the universal hub to find dates times and departures for your mode of transport.

Website: https://translink.com.au/

SUMMARY:

Thank you for reading, please let me know if you have any questions about the topics listed above. I will post the links websites where you can get your RSA, RSG, White Card, Jobs, Accommodation and Transportation all online! Please leave a comment if this was helpful and I wish you the very best on your travels!

WEBSITES:

1. RSA,RSG & White Card: www.eot.edu.au

2. Fruit Picking: https://www.backpackerjobboard.com.au/

3. Recruitment Agency: https://www.hays.com.au/

4. Accommodation: https://nomadsworld.com/destinations/#australia

5. Transportation: https://translink.com.au/