chasingthesun Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Hi, All those having a great time on their WHV look away now as I'm afraid this post is going to be a bit of a downer! It has been my dream to do this for many years and at 29 I left it quite late, anyway I have now been in Australia, in Perth for 2 months. I chose Perth as I have been here before 10 years ago with my Dad and thought it would be an easy place to start. I found a job in my first week doing sales and marketing and was really pleased, moved into a house with my colleague- signed up here until Feb. All going great until my boss didn't pay me for 5 weeks and forced me into a position where i had to quit, finally got the money i was owed and had a lucky escape as after I googled him it turns out he's a real crook who preys on backpackers. So now for the last two weeks I have been looking for a job with absolutely no luck, no one wants to employ backpackers it seems. I even had my resume re-written so it looks impressive but no calls whatsoever. Now looking for fruit picking work but there is so much conflicting advice on the seasons out there. I don't drive so need to work somewhere there is good transport like Donnybrook, that way I have half a chance of going back to check on my house that I'm paying to live in (gutted I'm now gonna be paying twice for accommodation). When I look up contacts for farms they just seem to go through to dead ends yet according to many websites there should be an abundance of work coming up in october. Even the government helpline wasn't much help. Please please can someone help and give me advice on where I could look for seasonal work in WA, my housemate is now working away from home and so I'm just on my own feeling miserable and like my long held dream is just being shattered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flag of convenience Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Hi,All those having a great time on their WHV look away now as I'm afraid this post is going to be a bit of a downer! It has been my dream to do this for many years and at 29 I left it quite late, anyway I have now been in Australia, in Perth for 2 months. I chose Perth as I have been here before 10 years ago with my Dad and thought it would be an easy place to start. I found a job in my first week doing sales and marketing and was really pleased, moved into a house with my colleague- signed up here until Feb. All going great until my boss didn't pay me for 5 weeks and forced me into a position where i had to quit, finally got the money i was owed and had a lucky escape as after I googled him it turns out he's a real crook who preys on backpackers. So now for the last two weeks I have been looking for a job with absolutely no luck, no one wants to employ backpackers it seems. I even had my resume re-written so it looks impressive but no calls whatsoever. Now looking for fruit picking work but there is so much conflicting advice on the seasons out there. I don't drive so need to work somewhere there is good transport like Donnybrook, that way I have half a chance of going back to check on my house that I'm paying to live in (gutted I'm now gonna be paying twice for accommodation). When I look up contacts for farms they just seem to go through to dead ends yet according to many websites there should be an abundance of work coming up in october. Even the government helpline wasn't much help. Please please can someone help and give me advice on where I could look for seasonal work in WA, my housemate is now working away from home and so I'm just on my own feeling miserable and like my long held dream is just being shattered. I don't think it is necessary backpackers being picked on it is just the job market has got harder. There some really dodgy employers around, and believe me I speak from experience. Glad you got your money though. Not driving can complicate the matter as even when public transport could get work out the employer insists on having a reliable car or a driving licence as a minimum. Afraid there's no magic cure. Depending also on the area you are renting in. Donnybrook could be a go. You can get the bus down there. Hard graft though. Good luck. You'll notice a few changes in ten years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roxy1990 Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Sorry to hear your having a miserable time... with the weather being crappy you cant be too impressed with Perth so far! I don't know if I can help you but i'll share my experience and we've got LOTS of back packer friends so here it goes; My partner and I came straight to Perth on 457s... he backpacked to 2 years prior.. came home, met me and I came out here with no intention off backpacking... not my thing so Ive only been in Perth & Holidays outside. As for Perth... personally I think a bad choice to come to as a backpacker to start your journey... its isolated and doesn't seem to attract as many groups of backpackers let alone lonesome travellers. It doesn't cater for accodation or the job market aswell as the other cities. I totally understand your comfort in having being here before and I probably would have done the same thing if I didn't know better. What type of work are you looking for and how are you applying.. seek? face to face? My experience with the job market in Perth is that's ITS SLOW!!!! God it would be weeks before Id hear back and for no other reason than they had just gotten around to contacting people. Places are reluctant to higher backpackers but if your persistant and positive you WILL find a job. Create a CV solely targeted for bar/restaurant work....do you have your RSA licence? Most places wont sniff at you unless you have this as its manditory for bar work and can be completed online for a small fee. Print off copies of your CV and spend a full day in the city going into everyplace that's open... (I apologise if this is all apparent to you and it sounds like i'm trying to teach you how to suck eggs. I also like to reply for anyone else that may come along to read the replies for advise )Anyway... make yourself available... if you comfortable lie to them... I had no problem in bending the truth... say you've only got here so many weeks and plan to stick around etc... entirely up to you. What other work are you looking for? Apart from the bar/rest your next best option is the sales/marketing route... personally I hate the work so would never go that way but the jobs are there if your good at it and can earn a wage... just make sure you check out the company site... and as you've learned google them for reviews or maybe cons. Goodluck on the job front tho... ohh and try calling flexistaff and Hays to register as a temp if you can do admin or something like that Seek is slow and often only caters to the Permanent.. fulltime market of Extended Visa Holders. Anyways... as for the farming WA again is probably the last place Id go to for farming work... not that there isn't any its just I know other places such as Bundeberg or Queensland there are soooooo many farms that cater for backpackers... hostels on site... reasonable pay and all our friends met life long friends on these farms that made their experience in Oz the best!! If its an option I would research online, pack your suitcase and start a fresh.. you might just be able to save your experience. I can't remember of hand the places they were at but if you are interested PM me and Ill ask all of them for contacts or websites... If you really want to try WA for farming our two housemates needed too finish off just weeks or so last year. They the same as you spent a lot of time trying to find something solid but the only thing that worked was packing a bag and heading down there...try the southwest wine regions... they stayed at a hostel in Margaret river that had local contacts and they just had to wait to be called into work. Do not expect any kind of decent or what would seem legal pay haha They basically got picked by the bucket for picking grapes... wait for it $4 a bucket... most they ever picked was 4 in a day. There are milk farms down there that do pay ok... but its competitive... you wont know until you get there so its risky. Try calling the backpackers they may give you further advice.. Its gonna be a bit trickier for you being on your own and no transport.. try gumtree to see if there is anyone looking a travel buddy... I bet there is lots of ppl in Perth right now in the same position looking for another to go through it with.. There is a website called travelbuddy so try it also. Failing that if you get a place in a hostel and are waiting for work your likely to fall in with some fellow backpackers who will be happy to provide transport Sorry I couldn't give you any direct info but I like sometimes just to hear others experiences and make my own decision! Good Luck..you know where I am if you want to chat! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasingthesun Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 Thanks Roxy, Yeah I think I might have made a bit of a mistake starting off here, I guess the whole coming here thing on my own was quite daunting so Perth seemed like a bit of a comfort blanket- little did I know. I should have taken heed of the fact that people always seemed to be just passing through at Perth YHA... It just feels so hard over here, I'm not sure why they issue so many visas as there doesn't seem to be enough work to support it but again that's probably just WA. I have been looking for admin/retail jobs through seek and gumtree, so it is good to hear that it's slow going, that's why I got my resume done so I would know if it was me or the job market and I really think it's the job market and being a traveller. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on getting some farm work through a friend of a friend who will give me a lift there but if that doesn't happen I will try hitting the recruitment agencies in the city- I've been reluctant to do this so far as I've had bad experiences with agencies in the past and also a friend has not got on too well with them here in Perth. I think it probably doesn't help that I'm applying for stuff that I'm over qualified for too. I guess I've just got to try all the options and then if nothing works then like you say pack up and head for the sunshine coast, just can't afford to do that right now. It just feel like all this stress and pressure on what should be the "trip of a lifetime"- I guess that is part of problem, the pressure to be seen to be having fun all the time!! I do feel a bit better now, just for having got it off my chest!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxboz Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 I know heaps of backpackers who have got jobs in hospitality in Fremantle- kitchen hands, washing dishes waitressing etc., lowest paid as kitchen hand washing dishes $22 an hour - not too bad - have a look at Fremantle - great place to be - not sure where you are based? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minch23 Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Thanks Roxy,Yeah I think I might have made a bit of a mistake starting off here, I guess the whole coming here thing on my own was quite daunting so Perth seemed like a bit of a comfort blanket- little did I know. I should have taken heed of the fact that people always seemed to be just passing through at Perth YHA... It just feels so hard over here, I'm not sure why they issue so many visas as there doesn't seem to be enough work to support it but again that's probably just WA. I have been looking for admin/retail jobs through seek and gumtree, so it is good to hear that it's slow going, that's why I got my resume done so I would know if it was me or the job market and I really think it's the job market and being a traveller. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on getting some farm work through a friend of a friend who will give me a lift there but if that doesn't happen I will try hitting the recruitment agencies in the city- I've been reluctant to do this so far as I've had bad experiences with agencies in the past and also a friend has not got on too well with them here in Perth. I think it probably doesn't help that I'm applying for stuff that I'm over qualified for too. I guess I've just got to try all the options and then if nothing works then like you say pack up and head for the sunshine coast, just can't afford to do that right now. It just feel like all this stress and pressure on what should be the "trip of a lifetime"- I guess that is part of problem, the pressure to be seen to be having fun all the time!! I do feel a bit better now, just for having got it off my chest!! Hi chasingthesun, Have you thought about working in hospitality? There are a a lot of casual jobs in restaurants in the Margaret River region being advertised at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Britpop Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Could you look at buying yourself out of the house contract, or double check it to see if it's even binding? Lots of people sublet on gumtree, airbnb etc, maybe you could look at that too? Good luck with finding something. I would look at casting your net wider in terms of what you're prepared to do, otherwise, if you move but have to pay rent in Perth, it'll be like you're working for free whereas if you can bear to do something crap through to Feb, you may be able to save enough not to have to work again. Like 4 months of crap for 6 months of total freedom or spend the whole time doing something mediocre and chasing the work because paying the rent in Perth is always putting you on the back foot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petals Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 If you get into one of the day courses for delivering food and alcohol, or gaming licence then you may find you can pick up work in hospitality. Warmer weather is coming on and they will be looking for casual staff. Looking for admin or something in retail you are up against the Aussies and that is a hard one as they live here all the time, so any good business will look at them first. Steer away from any sales or door to door that is where dodgy jobs seem to congregate. Doing seasonal work here is not like UK its very hot work and you will need to really love the sun 24/7 to survive it. School leavers are coming on to the market so you also have competition there. Uni students will also be looking for work over the long summer holiday, so if you are going to try hospitality get in now before they get on the market. You could always break your lease and travel to one of the larger cities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicolac34 Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 I don't think Perth is the place to be at the moment as a backpacker. Our friend who came over on a WHV stayed in Perth 5 months and struggled to get any work (and this was over a year ago) ended up doing really menial jobs for very little money. He flew up to Broome and found work in a bar straight away - although the tourist season up there will be coming to an end shortly. He also found work in Melbourne fairly easily (bar, call center and managing a hostel). He came back to Perth for a week a little while ago with the intention of staying his last few months here, but got nowhere applying for jobs. He flew to Sydney and got a job within a week and is still there now. If you want a trip of a lifetime you need to get out there and see the country, not tie yourself into a lease and struggle for cash. If it was me, I'd get out of your lease and get on a plane over East. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goldilocks Sutcliffe Posted September 20, 2013 Share Posted September 20, 2013 Honestly, I feel the same. I'm not enjoying myself and considering going to Melbourne. I've been looking for work for a few weeks but I'm really fed up. Anyway, you're not the only one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasingthesun Posted September 22, 2013 Author Share Posted September 22, 2013 Thanks for all the replies, Goldilocks, sorry to hear you're not having fun either-if you're not tied down then do it, go to Melbourne, you can always move on if you don't like it. My house is a proper contract so I can't leave, besides my house and my housemate are the best things about life in Perth so far. Feeling a bit more positive now as have an interview tomorrow, it's charity collection work which I really don't want to do but it is at least a legit organisation this time and pays $21 an hour so not too bad. I'm going to try and do that if I can and then at least it buys me time and takes the panic away a bit. I guess I've got to look on the positives, few travellers are lucky enough to be able to find nice long term accommodation with a good person so early on so I guess I have to use that to my advantage. Am now looking at going on to a student visa and retraining as this is something I feel I need to do anyway at this stage in my life and if I can combine that with being away then I will come away with something really useful and positive. I guess I've realised I have more options than I thought, it just felt like such a bad week last week and all the negatives got on top of me. I think in the end it will all be positive, I guess I've got to a. Let go of all my preconceptions of how I thought travelling would be and b. Hang in there for the good weather! Petals, you've got a good point there, I am not sure I would last on doing farm work as I'm quite prone to fainting when out in the heat so not sure it would be best for me :-O Thanks so much for the support guys, feeling more positive for sure :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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