Australia is one of the most popular countries among backpackers. There are several reasons for that. The people are welcoming and laid back, it's wild and full of adventure, the weather is great, but maybe most importantly, you can easily obtain a working holiday visa for Australia.
You can apply for a visa at the Australian Department of Immigration's website. It took me less than one hour to read the conditions, figure out how to apply and to fill out the form. 48 hours later I received my visa by email. After that, it's time to get excited and start making plans!Everyone's first weeks in Australia will probably be a holiday, you will go out, eat out and visit places. And you will spend a decent amount of money. At least that's what I did. And soon you will begin to realize that you're going to need to make some money too, if this is the way you're going to live Down Under.
There are various ways of looking for work. I have used three different methods: the internet, knocking on doors and job agencies. I will discuss each of them separately below.
The Internet
The Internet is the biggest source of jobs in my experience. There are two websites that I specifically wanted to highlight, because they have helped me tremendously.Gumtree Australia was the first place I looked when I was in desperate need of a job. It's chock-full of job opportunities all over the country and (casual) jobs are added almost every hour. You won't find any high paying office jobs on there though, but it's perfect for finding classic backpacking work, such as cleaning, gardening, washing dishes, farming and fruit picking.
I found my first job on Gumtree. I just replied to some ads that I was interested in. Most of the time people won't contact you back, but the key is not to give up. Someone will eventually call you. On a random evening in Melbourne I was browsing the website and casually responding to job ads and two hours later I got a phone call from a woman asking if I could start picking fruit in Shepparton the next day. She was going to book a hostel room for me for the night, but I had to be there that very night. So I quickly checked out of my Melbourne hostel, jumped in my car and drove two and half hours north. To the 'Fruit Bowl' of Australia. This could easily have been a hoax. I mean, I didn't know that woman at all, but sometimes it's all about being flexible, trust people and seizing opportunities.
Before I knew it I found myself staying in a working hostel in the Australian bush, picking fruit and having an absolutely amazing time.One of my other favorite job sites is The Job Shop. The jobs on this website aren't plentiful, but the ones that are available are fantastic! You should definitely keep an eye on this website if you're interested in awesome jobs. And who isn't?
Knocking on Doors
Another method that worked for me is just go ask around. Enter places and say you’re looking for work.
When I was in Bunbury, WA, there happened to be a huge horse race. A couple of guys from the hostel and I went to the office of the Bunbury Turf Club, introduced ourselves and asked if they needed any help. We were able to start the next weekend. It was a casual three day job, setting up tents, filling fridges with beer and beverages, cleaning,… 
We got free food and drinks every day and even leftovers to take home afterwards. It was a great deal of fun, especially because we were allowed free access to the next week’s (smaller) horse race. I lost some of the money I earned though. Oh well!
Job Agencies
A third way of finding a job is through a job agency. There are plenty of agencies in the bigger cities. I went to see some and left my resume and details, but for me personally this wasn’t very successful. I am sure, though, that this could be an easy and effective way of finding decent jobs.Always make sure your resume is up-to-date and contains all basic information about you.
One last piece of advice I can give you is this. Make sure to become a member of Travellers Contact Point. They provide all the information you could ever want to know about working holidays in Australia. They can help you find an apartment, buy a car, get a job and they even hold and forward your mail. They’re great!Guest Blogger Bram Reusen is on his way around the world, trying to see, hear, smell, feel and taste as much of this beautiful planet as possible. He writes about his travels and adventures on his blog Travel. Experience. Live. You can also follow him on Twitter or Facebook!
Images: Bram ReusenKoalas: Tourism Australia
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