Job Seeking in Melbourne - Grrr!!
Well I've been in Melbourne looking for work every day since Sunday 18th of June.. it's now June 28th and I'm still seeking. I'm trained in everything and a great potential employee damnit, so why am I still finding it hard to find work here?...
My background is in computing, internet, helpdesk, call centre, data entry and hospitality, as well as the recent fruit picking/labouring type positions. The things I "won't do" is outbound call centre work, door-to-door sales or be those pestering people at supermarkets and walkways.. but those jobs seem to be the only thing that you can get 'easily' here.
I've sent my resume to more than 50 employment agencies who deal with temp work. I've been visiting backpackers places to look for the promised job-boards, only to be told that either I'm 'not allowed to look because I'm not staying there' or that most backpackers get work by 'walking into places'... not really great advice since you don't know where to go when you are new to town, and what kind of jobs can you 'walk into' anyway? cafe & dishwashing jobs I'm guessing!.
Some good advice I was given by one hostel (St Kilda Coffee Palace), was to call all the agencies rather than email them - yeah I think he's right. Even though I hate making phone calls and I can't really afford to call all around with $9 in the bank and no cash on hand.. it still seems like the best way to make yourself known. I'll give it a go tomorrow.
I found a great little magazine for backpackers called JobMap, applied for all the positions in there excepting the outbound/door-to-door jobs, and am yet to hear from any of them, excepting one.. I got an interview, but before I got off the phone she noticed how "great my accent" was, and when she realised I was Australian, said I couldn't apply for their jobs because they need those on a working visa for tax reasons.
*WAH!!!!*
I'm still hopeful that sometime this week, I'll be employed... stay tuned!
Click here for Full Post!
My background is in computing, internet, helpdesk, call centre, data entry and hospitality, as well as the recent fruit picking/labouring type positions. The things I "won't do" is outbound call centre work, door-to-door sales or be those pestering people at supermarkets and walkways.. but those jobs seem to be the only thing that you can get 'easily' here.
I've sent my resume to more than 50 employment agencies who deal with temp work. I've been visiting backpackers places to look for the promised job-boards, only to be told that either I'm 'not allowed to look because I'm not staying there' or that most backpackers get work by 'walking into places'... not really great advice since you don't know where to go when you are new to town, and what kind of jobs can you 'walk into' anyway? cafe & dishwashing jobs I'm guessing!.
Some good advice I was given by one hostel (St Kilda Coffee Palace), was to call all the agencies rather than email them - yeah I think he's right. Even though I hate making phone calls and I can't really afford to call all around with $9 in the bank and no cash on hand.. it still seems like the best way to make yourself known. I'll give it a go tomorrow.
I found a great little magazine for backpackers called JobMap, applied for all the positions in there excepting the outbound/door-to-door jobs, and am yet to hear from any of them, excepting one.. I got an interview, but before I got off the phone she noticed how "great my accent" was, and when she realised I was Australian, said I couldn't apply for their jobs because they need those on a working visa for tax reasons.
*WAH!!!!*
I'm still hopeful that sometime this week, I'll be employed... stay tuned!
Click here for Full Post!
Review: Chapel St Backpackers
Chapel St Backpackers
This is the first backpackers that I had a look at in Melbourne. It ended
in tears.
Unfortunately my experience wasn't a good one and I ended up going back to
my car for a little cry of frustration when I left.
I found the place easy to find, then parked my car and walked up to the backpackers. The first thing I noticed was a girl walking out and throwing her cigarette butt out the door. I then approached the door which was locked. Someone came to the door and let me in and asked "are you here?". I said that I wasn't but I wanted to find out about it. The guy joked "I'm just the doorman, not really".
I approached the front counter which had about 3 people there already talking, so I sort of 'hung back' waiting for them to finish whatever they were finishing. I looked around the room and was happy to spot a job board. Yippee, jobs!
The group stopped talking and all stared at me. I guess it was my turn to be served. The lady asked if she could help me and I said that I was just wanting to find out about prices for a room and about jobs for backpackers. She said that it was $23 per night for a 4-bed dormitory. I wrote it down and asked if I could have a look at the job board. She snapped "No!". I looked at her with confusion. She explained that the job board was for guests-only. I said that I needed to get a job before I can stay somewhere, that I'd been here for a week without finding work, that I thought it would be easy to find a job in Melbourne.
The guy who had opened the door for me earlier said "If you want work, go to China cos that's where the jobs go to". What the... ! I said that I would go to China if I had more than $9 to my name... The lady behind the counter then said that I should walk into places with my resume.
Left feeling humiliated and stunned. Had a good sook in the car and then stopped looking at backpackers for the day.
Click here for Full Post!
This is the first backpackers that I had a look at in Melbourne. It ended
in tears.
Unfortunately my experience wasn't a good one and I ended up going back to
my car for a little cry of frustration when I left.
I found the place easy to find, then parked my car and walked up to the backpackers. The first thing I noticed was a girl walking out and throwing her cigarette butt out the door. I then approached the door which was locked. Someone came to the door and let me in and asked "are you here?". I said that I wasn't but I wanted to find out about it. The guy joked "I'm just the doorman, not really".
I approached the front counter which had about 3 people there already talking, so I sort of 'hung back' waiting for them to finish whatever they were finishing. I looked around the room and was happy to spot a job board. Yippee, jobs!
The group stopped talking and all stared at me. I guess it was my turn to be served. The lady asked if she could help me and I said that I was just wanting to find out about prices for a room and about jobs for backpackers. She said that it was $23 per night for a 4-bed dormitory. I wrote it down and asked if I could have a look at the job board. She snapped "No!". I looked at her with confusion. She explained that the job board was for guests-only. I said that I needed to get a job before I can stay somewhere, that I'd been here for a week without finding work, that I thought it would be easy to find a job in Melbourne.
The guy who had opened the door for me earlier said "If you want work, go to China cos that's where the jobs go to". What the... ! I said that I would go to China if I had more than $9 to my name... The lady behind the counter then said that I should walk into places with my resume.
Left feeling humiliated and stunned. Had a good sook in the car and then stopped looking at backpackers for the day.
Click here for Full Post!
Short-Term Stay Backpacker Hostels - Melbourne
In no particular order...
- The Nunnery 1800 032 635 Fitzroy 116 Nicholson
Street $26 Review/Pics/Book - Hotel Bakpak Melbourne 1800 645 200 Melbourne
167 Franklin Street $24 Review/Pics/Book - Toad Hall (03) 9600 9010 Melbourne 441
Elizabeth St $22 Review/Pics/Book - Hotel Spencer 1800 638 108 Melbourne 475
Spencer St $20 Review/Pics/Book - Victoria Hall 1800 670 611
Melbourne 380 Russell St $20 Review/Pics/Book - Elizabeth Hostel 1800 611 897 Melbourne
490-494 Elizabeth St $20 Review/Pics/Book - The Greenhouse Backpacker 1800 249 209 Melbourne Level 6, 228 Flinders Lane $26 e-Mail
- Friendly Backpackers
1800 671 115 Melbourne 197 King St $25 e-Mail - Base Backpackers (03) 8598 6200 St Kilda 17 Carlisle St $26
Review/Pics/Book - Coffee Palace Backpackers (03) 9534 5283 St Kilda 24 Grey St $18
Review/Pics/Book - Oslo Hotel For Backpackers (03) 9525 4498 St Kilda 38 Grey St $22
Review/Pics/Book - Olembia Guesthouse (03) 9537 1412 St Kilda 96
Barkly Street $23 e-Mail - Pint on Punt (03) 9510 4273 St Kilda 42 Punt Road $20 Review/Pics/Book
- The Ritz for Backpackers (03) 9525 3501 St Kilda 169 Fitzroy St $18
Review/Pics/Book - Chapel St Backpackers (03) 9533 6855
Windsor 22 Chapel St $23 e-Mail
And there is a large list on this site, including
descriptions, prices & photos:
http://reservations.bookhostels.com/backpacking/
Click here for Full Post!
