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Perhaps something along the lines of: 'Willing worker seeking
serious employment in the odd-job business. Nothing is too big, too
small or too ludicrous. Years of experience in several continents.
Competitive rates that will not break the mortgage.' If this does not
work in one area then try it somewhere else where people are more
understanding.
Fruit Picking
This is traditionally a boom area for casual employment. Not only
that, but it is a good way for the overseas worker to see a side of
Australian life which they would not see in a big city. The work is hard
and dirty and the financial rewards vary from the mediocre to the
excellent. To find fruit picking work you should go to the Centrelink
office nearest to the area in which you want to work. They will advise
you on job availability.
The amount you earn from fruit picking will vary depending on your
speed and the crop you are picking. In the majority of cases you will be
paid according to your output. Some crops are more profitable than
others - grapes are considered to be one of the most profitable crops
because they are relatively easy to get to and pick. Even a novice
grape-picker could expect to earn at least $A350 a week. At the other
end of the scale are the likes of apples and oranges. These are
notoriously unprofitable for the beginner because you have to keep going
up and down a ladder to get the fruit. Placing the ladder is considered
to be an art in itself.
Conditions can vary as much as pay but do not expect any five-star
treatment, as one grape-picker in Mildura explained, 'When I reached the
farm I was confronted by a corrugated-iron shed which I thought was the
tractor shed. In fact, it turned out to be the staff accommodation. For
the first few days I had to sleep on the concrete floor, but then I was
afforded the "luxury" of having a rusty bedstead on which to lay my
sleeping bag. To be honest I was lucky to have any type of free
accommodation because most unexperienced pickers have to provide their
own tent.'
Hospitality Work
This is one area in which people on holiday working visas have
traditionally found a variety of casual work. Whether it is as a
potwasher (dishwasher) in a five-star hotel or a barman at the tourist
resort at Ayers Rock, catering staff are in demand in all areas of the
Australian hospitality industry.
Although experience is not always necessary for this type of work it
does pay to look clean, tidy and respectable when applying for jobs. If
you do have experience as a barperson, a chef or a waiter/waitress then
take references with you to convince employers of your suitability.
Factory Work
If you have a high boredom threshold then you could consider working
in a factory packing anything from pineapples to soap. A good source of
information about job availability is fellow travellers who have 'been
there and done it', as they say. It is also worth following the fruit
picking cycle - a lot of this produce will be packed for consumption in
other parts of the country or overseas. The pay tends to be good for
this type of work but you may be driven crazy if you do it for too long.
Jackaroo/Jillaroo
For people with farm experience of some description it may be
possible to get a job as a jackaroo or a jillaroo (a sheep station
assistant). Although it sounds romantic the chances are that you will
not be riding across the outback on your trusty steed. In reality there
can be a lot of sitting around on a sheep station - if not you will be
doing all the jobs that no-one else can be bothered with. Ask someone
who has done it before you commit yourself.
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