How to Get a Job in Melbourne with no Experience?
Here’s how to increase your chances to score the dream job in one of Australia’s biggest cities! April 30, 2018Melbourne is a city notorious for how hard it is to find a job. Especially if you don’t have experience in the career you want to pursue. The amount of people living in the city, the skilled job seekers, and the fact that a lot of companies outsource their workforce makes job hunting in Melbourne really hard.
But is there a way to find employment in Melbourne, when you have no experience? Or when you have no recommendations? Yes, there is.
It takes time, dedication, and stubbornness, but as more and more startups find their place in Melbourne, there seem to be more work opportunities, and more rivalry than some would expect.
Melbourne is a city thriving on connections. Knowing the right people can be beneficial when you are looking for your next job, but your skills still play a huge role when looking for a profession.
That’s why we took it on ourselves to find the best possible places to look for work in Melbourne, how you can do it, and how you can score a job when you have no experience.
Table of Contents
- How Difficult is it to Get a Job in Melbourne?
- Why is it so Hard to Find a Job in Melbourne?
- How Long Does it Take to Find a Job in Melbourne?
- Best Places to Look for a Job
- How Old Do You Have to be to Get a Job in Melbourne?
- Boost Your Chances of Getting a Job
- You Don’t Have Certificates or Experience? Not a Problem!
How Difficult is it to Get a Job in Melbourne?
Scoring a job in Australia’s second biggest city can be a really tough gig. As Australia’s migration rate is an all-time high, more and more people try to settle here.
While you can easily find a casual, or part-time job, as the population of the city grows it gets more difficult to get a steady profession. Most of the times you can score a casual job, but something that has career development in the future can be quite hard to find.
Why is it so Hard to Find a Job in Melbourne?
It’s not that all types of employment are hard to come by in Melbourne. There are a lot of opportunities for part-time jobs in Melbourne, and even full-time casual employment.
The career opportunities are hard to get to. If you want to find a steady career in Melbourne, you’ll have to know people in the industry that you’d want to work in.
It’s so hard to get a good job because there are a lot of skilled people on the market. For every job opening, you’ll have multiple people applying for it. This allows business owners to pick and choose the most skilled, and also make the employee work for less.
Keep in mind that if you aren’t native, there have been changes to work visas regarding skilled jobs.
How Long Does it Take to Find a Job in Melbourne?
Finding a job in Melbourne can take a lot of time especially if you have no experience in the field you’ve chosen. Sometimes it takes months, even years, to get a position that you’re interested in. A sure way to speed up that process is to apply in different recruitment agencies.
Of course, the best way to find a job is to go to an event in your niché and connect with employers, and employees. Creating friendships can get you recommended, or an employer can invite you to an interview directly.
Best Places to Look for a Job
In order to find a job as fast as possible, you’ll have to know where to look for. We mentioned that going to relevant events can help you connect with the right people, but there are other places you can look in.
Websites like CareerOne and Indeed can be perfect places to look for potential job positions.
Finding organisations that offer jobs can be a great way to find companies that you can contact.
One advice, if you think it’s appropriate – contact the employer by email, or preferably by phone. Ask for a meeting or just 15 minutes of their time.
Don’t just send your CV and hope for the best. With so many people applying for the same job, it’s likely you’ll get to the bottom of the pile of CVs.
How Old Do You Have to be to Get a Job in Melbourne?
*Keep in mind that these laws apply to Victoria state only! If you’re looking for a job outside of it, make sure you’re acquainted with the local laws.
Between 11-13 years of age – In Melbourne, everyone from the age of 11 and above can legally work only delivery jobs. These would be delivery of newspapers, pamphlets, etc.
13-14 years of age – At the age of 13 and 14, teenagers are allowed to work in retail and hospitality (fast food restaurants, café’s), but still not allowed to serve alcohol, or do any work that isn’t considered “light work”.
15 years of age -Teenagers 15 years old or older, you can legally work any kind of work in Melbourne, Victoria if you are qualified to do it, and it doesn’t break laws for minors (serving alcohol, driving vehicles).
Disclaimers:
- The law in Melbourne, Victoria states that the minimum working age in the state is 11, but there are no age restrictions if you are working for your family’s business or farm; And if you are working for the entertainment business.
- If you aren’t working for your family, every business you work for has to have a Child Employment Permit in order to employ you legally.
- Before the age of 15, you are allowed to do only “light work”. This is a type of work that won’t harm your safety, development, health and moral views.
- The schedule of the job shouldn’t interfere with your attendance in school and learning capacity.
Boost Your Chances of Getting a Job
As with everything in life, putting more time and work in looking for employment can be done better.
How do you increase your chances of scoring an interview? Well, here are some little details that go a long way if done right.
Write a Good CV
Your CV is your business card so don’t overlook it. It’s the first thing the employer sees, and before the first call, it’s the only way they can get to know you.
The right CV can score you a call – this is a big deal. Choose a nice photo of you, make sure you proofread it ten times and plan everything before you start crafting your CV.
Make sure all information is correct and double check every time your phone number and email address.
Create a LinkedIn Account
By now, you should’ve made an account on LinkedIn. Think of it as Facebook for work. You can list your skills, and we suggest you contact previous employers if they would be interested in giving feedback about you, and your skills.
Make sure you keep the account up to date, and that you choose the same, or similar photo as the one on your CV. That way any possible employers will be able to find you easier. We suggest you include the link to your profile on your CV.
Keep in mind that without endorsement the skills you add mean almost (or absolutely) nothing. You can create a good LinkedIn account just by following their lead.
Take Direct Approach
Making the contact with the employer first shows that you are interested and proactive in finding a job. There are right and wrong ways to approach a company which is not hiring. Proactivity is a valuable asset, and it can play a huge role when the employer is deciding if they should hire you.
Most companies have an HR department, and small companies often have the number of the owner listed on their website. How you decide to make the first contact is up to you.
Get Recommendations
Most companies have a referral programme. Even if it doesn’t, having someone who works in an organisation that you’ve applied for can influence the choice of the employer.
Think of friends or family that work in a place where you are interested to work in yourself and ask them if they can recommend you!
Get Certificates and Licenses
Working in the service industry in Melbourne is rewarding but keep in mind some positions demand to obtain a specific certificate.
For example, if you want to become a pest control technician you’ll need a Certificate III in Urban Pest Management to legally work as one. The growth of services like pest control and handyman has around one billion in profits for last year and the demand for professionals is at its highest.
Obtaining a certificate will help you find a job easier, make more money and even start your own business.
One way to do that is to find a franchising company with which you can partner. Then they’ll help you by finding jobs, calling and emailing clients, doing your finances and dealing with paperwork. All of this while you work for yourself!
You Don’t Have Certificates or Experience? Not a Problem!
You can still open your own franchise business, even without the certificates, or the experience needed in our pest control and handyman businesses.
Starting your own cleaning franchise is one of the most lucrative business opportunities in Melbourne, and Australia as a whole. And we have an offer for you.
By partnering us you can focus on growing your team, while we handle everything else in the background. At Fantastic Services you will get the support of a marketing, sales and IT as well as a franchise consultants team. That way you have the power of marketing and the branding acknowledgement of big companies, while you work for yourself!
Hi, I recently migrated to Melbourne Australia from India. I have updated resume and LinkedIn profile. I did try approaching Computershare, Link Group and Boardroom Ltd for getting job but I am not sure what else to do to talk to them for any job?
I have also updated my profile ok seek.com.au
Please share your feedback
I have moved from India to Melbourne in month of November. i am struggling hard to get a job. what could be the reason?