Ten Things to Take on a Australian Working Holiday

The easiest way to embark on a working holiday to Australia is to obtain a Working Holiday Visa. This is available for eighteen to thirty year olds, so fits nicely inside the target audience of twenty to thirty year olds. The visa enables visitors to remain in Australia for a period of twelve months and seek casual work while travelling. The idea of the work is to supplement the holiday income. The visa focuses on the holiday not the work. Holders of the visa may only work for a single employer for a period of six months and may only study for a period of four months. There is a reciprocal arrangement in effect with the United Kingdom and many other European nations and those people from these nations may apply for Working Holiday Visa subclass 417. Passport holders from the United States can apply via subclass 462 if they have a tertiary education. This type of visa is only available once in a lifetime.

(Working holiday visa. (n.d.). Retrieved August 25, 2008, from

http://en.wikipedia.org)

The first thing that is needed is the visa as discussed above. The visa makes it clear that the holder is essentially a holiday maker looking for some casual work while exploring Australia. This will help give the employer peace of mind and increase opportunities for work.

It seems obvious, but taking that trusty passport is of huge importance. First of all to get into the country in the first place and also for identification purposes, that might be needed for accommodation and for any employer.

Taking a clear and concise CV/Resume along with references on a separate page will significantly help any job hunt. The advantage is clear as these documents state experience and skills and any references provide the impression of a trustworthy person.

Carrying an International Drivers License along with a regular license will cause less suspicion and will make your information clear.

It's important to have an Australian ready Mobile Phone any existing phone might not work in Australia and if it does then high roaming charges are possible. It's a much better idea to obtain an Australian sim card or a cheap Australian Mobile Phone.

Bring a Laptop, which will be useful for researching job opportunities and keeping in touch with family back home. Be careful think twice before bringing existing Mobile Broadband as it's likely that roaming charges will apply. Therefore be on the lookout for WIFI hotspots and do some research before leaving. It may be possible to set up some internet access before arriving in Australia.

Bring some books to help with a job search, accommodation and other useful information. A guidebook would be useful to help find some cheap places to stay and key places to visit when not working. Another book on the best places to search for jobs would also be useful. Again research before leaving and bring a couple of books that would be useful.

It may be useful to research companies before leaving, that way information on the company and contact details will be to hand, which will make an easier job search. Obviously bring this information.

Consider pre booking at least some accommodation. This will be very useful for having a clear understanding of where to go once off the plane. It will also be useful for an employer to have an address and further contact information. Ensure that the information on any reservations and addresses are easily to hand upon arriving in Australia.

It's important to have plane tickets booked. Firstly to have to hand when leaving for Australia and then to prove the stay is only for twelve months.