Are you at college or university and looking for part–time or casual jobs for students? Or perhaps you’re considering studying abroad and want to know your options for work in Australia? Having a job while you study not only provides you with financial assistance but also helps you build work experience and develop essential soft skills (e.g. teamwork, communication) that will help you get a job and adapt to the working environment after you graduate. 
 
Currently, international students can work up to 48 hours per fortnight in a part-time or casual job during the semester and unrestricted hours over the holiday breaks. In this blog we will describe the top jobs for students in Australia and where you can find a job.  

 

Here are the top jobs for students in Australia:

1. Hospitality  

Hospitality jobs are customer service roles in places such as restaurants, cafes, hotels and events. They usually require interaction with customers, food preparation in the kitchen or administration in the back office.  

Hospitality roles offer flexible shifts (day and night) that can fit around your study schedule. You have opportunities to improve your communication skills as you’re speaking with customers as well as learn how to multi-task and solve problems quickly.  

Hospitality roles are diverse and provide opportunities to network. Be aware that shifts can be long and may involve constant physical work. Remember, even if you’re busy or stressed, you still need to treat every customer professionally and with a positive attitude.     

There are many types of roles you can apply for within this industry, including: 

  • Waiter 
  • Bar Attendant – You will need to be over 18 and get a Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificate (RSA). 
  • Barista  
  • Kitchenhand 
  • Food delivery  
  • Concierge / Guest services 
  • Housekeeper and/or cleaner and 
  • Private catering.  

The average wage for a hospitality worker in Australia is around AU$28.71 per hour. 

2. Retail 

Retail jobs consist of selling products to customers and are available in a wide range of stores and businesses. You can work in different industries and with different products and services such as fashion, food and homewares.  

You get to develop customer service, communication and interpersonal skills and start to understand how businesses and sales processes work. You need to be proactive and able to multitask.  

Retail roles include: 

  • Sales assistant – greeting customers, answering product questions and processing sales. 
  • Cashier – processing sales, conducting price checks.  
  • Store manager 

The average wage for a sales assistant is around AU$28.42 per hour.

3. Virtual assistant 

If you would like to find a job that allows you to work from home, then you could consider becoming a virtual assistant who provides administrative and technical support to people remotely. Tasks are varied and can include data entry, responding to customer enquiries, editing documents and invoicing. You will need good organisational and time management skills with the ability to multitask.  

You can find this type of work on sites such as Airtasker, Fiverr, Freelancer and Upwork. The average wage for a virtual assistant is around AU$22.85 per hour. 

4. Customer Service  

If you have good communication and listening skills and enjoy problem solving, then you could consider being a customer service agent. They are responsible for responding to and assisting customers with their enquiries, comments, and complaints via phone and online (e.g. social media). 

With more businesses becoming international and requiring customer service to be available throughout the day and evening, there will be a variety of shifts to choose from to fit within your study schedule. 

A customer service agent can earn around AU$30 per hour. 

5. Food delivery 

Due to busier lifestyles, Australians enjoy the convenience of getting their favourite meals delivered to their homes. Many food outlets and restaurants have joined food delivery platforms. The most popular apps are Uber Eats, DoorDash and Menulog.  

You can choose which delivery apps to join and which deliveries to make giving you the flexibility of working around your study schedule. If you don’t have to have a car to deliver food, you can use a bicycle, motor scooter or motorbike. Wages can vary from $20 to $23 per hour.  

6. Tutoring 

If you have a strong academic record and like the idea of teaching, you can consider becoming a tutor on subjects that you are very knowledgeable in.  

You can set your schedule, negotiate your pay rate and choose to tutor face to face or online. You can practise your communication and critical thinking skills as you explain concepts to your students. Best of all, you have opportunities to help other students learn new information and reach their academic goals. 

Being an international student and knowing a language other than English means you can also look into teaching language lessons too. 

Register and apply to become a tutor in the subject area of your choice through sites like LearnMate, The Tutoring Company and your university job board.  

The average wage of a tutor is around AU$35.74 per hour.  

7. Translator 

If you know multiple languages, then you can find work as an online translator. Many companies are looking to communicate with customers from all around the world and need people to translate physical documents and digital communications. You can search for roles on Preply, Freelancer or Upwork. 

The average wage of a translator is around AU$43.67 per hour.  

 

8. Website testing 

Are you a person who believes that things can always be improved? There are companies who pay people to test their websites and other online platforms and provide feedback on the user experience. Have a look at Testmate, and User testing. 

Where do I find a job?  

Websites 

You can look at job search websites such as Seek, Indeed, Jora and CareerOne. There are also more student-specific websites such as Student Job Board and Student Edge.  

Government initiatives 

You can have a look at government initiatives dedicated to helping students find work, and preparing them for their career with coaching services, practical workshops and networking events. For example, in Melbourne, there is Career Catalyst. In Adelaide, the Job Shop connects businesses with students looking for their first job in Adelaide. In NSW, you can look at NSWJobsConnect where you can explore masterclasses and job listings.   

Student Services 

Talk to your college, school or university student services team who can provide you with career advice and connect you with part-time work opportunities. 

 

At the University of Adelaide College, you’ll have access to our student services team, who can help you with settling into life in Australia, including finding a job, accommodation, and adjusting to your new learning environment.