Top 3 reasons to work part-time while you study in Australia

What are the top 3 reasons to work part-time while you study?

University isn’t cheap, especially when you aren’t living at home anymore or you’re an international student. Tuition, additional fees, living expenses. It adds up.

Yes, there are sometimes scholarships, but these are often few and far between. A part-time job, however, isn’t as difficult to obtain.

1. There are plenty of options

Students searching for a job have a lot of options—side, part-time weekend or evening jobs, or holiday jobs. There are plenty of vacancies and now with online postings, it’s easier than ever to find the right job for you.

Side Jobs: Side jobs are great because companies tend to offer special flexible hours for them. This means that you can build your work into your existing schedule. Often these positions are in the catering or logistics sector, but you can also often find side jobs that are more connected to your area of study. Hello, resume building!

Part-time Weekend or Evening Jobs: Many students also like jobs that have evening or weekend hours. While this could mean that you spend most of your weekdays studying, with your evening or weekend free time working, you may prefer the more set schedule. Bonus—if you’re studying in Australia, you’ll be paid a premium rate for working evening or weekend hours! Yes, even in retail.

Holiday Jobs: Working during your breaks could save you from working evenings and weekends throughout the year! It could also decrease the stress you may otherwise have if working while trying to study, especially during exam season.

2. Spending and Saving

Many of us could do a better job tracking our spending. It’s easier said than done. There are, of course, some months in which you spend more than usual (we’re looking at you December), but that isn’t reason to panic.

Use the other months of the year to prepare for these periods in which you know you’ll spend more. Put some money aside each month. Even if it’s only $50 a month, it all adds up!

3. Networking and Making Connections

Working while you study doesn’t have to just be about money. Use the opportunity to make some new contacts that could be useful for your future career goals! Even if you don’t quite know where you want to go or what you want to do, it’s always helpful to have a good network.

 

Job-finding Tips

Know Your Work Rights: This is important. If you violate the terms, your visa can be canceled.

Have a Résumé and Cover Letter Prepared: Look at online resources so you know what Australian employers expect from a cover letter.

Follow Up: Even stopping in to say hey might make the difference. A lot of people I know have gotten their jobs because they made a connection with one of the employees. Businesses want to know that you can work well with the rest of the staff and is someone that is easy to get along with.

Know the Business: If you get an interview, you should know what the business does and be ready to talk about it.

Use Websites: Websites such as Indeed, SpotJobs, and SEEK are useful tools. Use them!

Check Out your University’s Career Centre: Great for help when finding a part-time job and when you’re exploring your career options, searching for a job or internship. Uni career centres usually offer one-on-one advice.

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Are you interested in studying in Australia? Email us at info@oztrekk.com or give us a call at 1-866-698-7355. We’re here to help!