How to Find a Working Holiday Visa Job in Sydney

Struggling to find a Working Holiday Visa job in Sydney? This guide shares how we secured our casual and contract roles, and has practical advice to help you do the same.

Three months into our ‘flying by the seat of our pants’ travel adventure that brought us to the other side of the world, we found ourselves in need of a bank account top-up. We’d spent most of the rest of our savings on a campervan, and it was time to put the ‘working’ part of our Aussie Working Holiday Visa into action.

We started our job hunt in Sydney in late December, which is frankly a pretty bad time to be starting as lots of businesses were closed over Christmas. After countless applications, in mid-January Ashley managed to land a contract role working in events systems admin. It took me a little longer, but I managed to land a call centre customer service role by mid-February, with a decent casual wage and the ability to work from home once I was trained!

While I was looking for advice, I found lots of TikToks on the subject, which could be helpful if you’re looking for hospitality work in particular. However, I don’t feel like they aligned with my personal experience of job seeking in Sydney on a Working Holiday Visa. Most videos feature people handing out CVs in person, and while that’s one way of doing it, neither of us actually handed out one physical CV. I also found that most of these related specifically to hospitality jobs, whereas we secured more office-based work.

Online searces for advice didn’t prove the most helpful tips either, mostly generic advice and some Reddit posts. As a result, I wanted to share our own experience of job hunting in Sydney as a 30-something British couple, and compile an ultimate resource of ways to find jobs here on a Working Holiday Visa.

This guide is specifically tailored to my experience in Sydney, however you’ll find lots of these tips relevant for any Australian city!

(P.S I’d love to be able to add to the post in future with even more unique tips – so if you’ve secured a Sydney job in a way that I haven’t covered, please do comment!)

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Applying online using SEEK/Indeed

I actually found my call centre job in Sydney via a SEEK advert, however it took a LOT of perseverance. My partner also found his job via SEEK, for a contract role relevant to his previous work in the UK.

My main tip for using sites like SEEK or Indeed is to filter so you’re only seeing casual and contract roles. It’s also important to find the balance between personalising your application while being as efficient as possible. You don’t want to be spending two hours on each application, as the numbers game definitely comes into play here.

When I applied, I had a few different resumes and cover letter templates tailored for different types of work (marketing support, admin roles, events, hospitality). I have quite a diverse background of experience, and tailored each ‘type’ of CV to highlight my relevant experience at the top, rather than just the most recent. That way, I could power through, quickly personalising each one.

Another tip for SEEK and Indeed is to use them as a jumping-off point to find other roles within the organisation or agency advertising. With Ashley’s job, I found their site was advertising for other roles not listed on SEEK and applied for a couple of those too.

Visiting employer websites directly

I also applied for a few jobs for some local hospitality and retail jobs using their websites. I basically looked for all the small and large chains in my area, and checked the careers section of their websites. The closest I came to any luck on this one was being requested to send in a video for Woolworths bakery team, which I didn’t go through with.

My next step if I hadn’t picked up work when I did would have been approaching local marketing agencies directly, to introduce myself and my skills and offer contract/casual support. I had a whole list of these on my spreadsheet ready to go that I’d compiled from Google searches! If you have specific experience or skills, you could definitely try personalised outreach to relevant companies to try your luck. Even if they don’t have anything at the moment, it’s a way to expand your network!

Look out for big seasonal events like the Sydney Royal Easter Show, which usually require lots of additional staff during the event season.

Finding a job via a recruitment agency

My call centre job in Sydney was actually managed by a recruitment company, Citrus Group, who specialise in call centre and business support. As mentioned, I found the job via SEEK, but recruitment companies will often have listings for a range of jobs that may not be on the job sites.

You can also submit your CV for consideration for lots of them, and they say they’ll contact you if there’s a suitable role. Ashley did actually get some interest from an employer this way – although the company actually ended up recruiting internally.

There are some big global names including Hays and Adecco to reach out to, along with some smaller and more local agencies.

• Citrus Group – call centre and business support
• EST10 – office roles – welcoming to WHV. I didn’t get a role through them, but they sent me a personal email response and informed me they’d keep me in mind for future positions.
• Sprint – office roles, including temp positions such as reception work
• Mayday – office and specialist roles
• Stopgap – digital marketing
• Wow Recruitment – general, range of roles
• People2People – a range of roles including lots of temporary positions – the listing includes the direct email contacts for the recruiter for a more personal approach
• Fusion People, JV Recruitment, HLH Group – labour, construction and trade work
• JRM Hospitality – casual hospitality work
• Event Crew – events work
• Ventia – cleaning and housekeeping roles

Handing out CVs in person

One of the most recommended ways on social media is to get out there and hand out your CVs in person. Lots of TikTok advice seems to show success with this one, although some luck with your timing definitely plays into it.

This seems to be a common method used for hospitality jobs in cafes and restaurants, and is most popular in the more tourist-centric areas like Bondi and Manly.

General tips for in-person resume handouts include:

• Target smaller, independent businesses. Generally, chains and large stores (like Coles and Woolworths) will manage all applications via an online portal.
• Make sure your CV is simple, easy to read quickly, and tailored for the role with relevant experience clearly shown on your resume. Businesses will get lots of CVs, and making sure they can see immediately why you’d fit the role is key.
• Include your availability on your CV so it’s immediately clear if you can fit their shift patterns.
• Be friendly and conversational with the staff – but equally, don’t take up too much of their time, especially if they’re busy. If you can, try and speak to the store manager as they’ll have the best idea of whether they’re looking to hire at the moment.
• Try to visit at quieter times, when the staff aren’t rushed off their feet with customers.
• Following up with a call a couple of days later at a quieter time and speaking to the cafe/store manager may help you stand out.
• Dress appropriately. You don’t need to suit up for cafe and bar applications, but consider what hospitality workers would wear for a shift and align your outfit with that.

Finding backpacker jobs in Facebook groups

When we started out, like every backpacker, we joined the ‘Backpacker Jobs in Australia’ Facebook group. While there are some rural work gems in the group, the amount of comments on the posts indicate that competition is pretty fierce on this popular group. It also felt like 80% of the posts were people in search of opportunities, rather than ones for us to pick up. Worth keeping an eye on if you’re happy to relocate, but it’s Australia-wide so slim pickings for work close to specific cities.

There are some more specialised groups – some are full of spam, but there are some good ones out there that can bring up some legitimate leads. We’ve actually secured a more remote, week-long job in outback NSW from the Jobs for Backpackers in Sydney Facebook group! Hospitality Staff Sydney also has regular postings for cafe, bar and restaurant work.

There’s also British Around Sydney and Irish Around Sydney for those from the UK and Ireland, and Sydney Working Holiday Girls. These are more general groups, but will often have job postings and opportunities to socialise and expand your circle.

With these groups, be aware of scammers/fake posts. Lots of them seem to pop up – usually just a personality-less ad listing some vague roles with working hours and little other information. Use your initiative – if it seems dodgy, it might well be. Don’t give anyone money upfront for work, and do some research into the person’s profile and the organisation they say they’re hiring for.

Job ads on community noticeboards

Niche, perhaps – but we noticed a couple of job ads posted on the community noticeboards at Woolworths, so keep an eye open when you’re out and about.

If you’re staying in a hostel, you might find jobs advertised there as well.

Advertisments on online job boards

There are also some online job boards out there which list backpacker-friendly roles in Sydney and Australia. Backpacker Job Board is the most widely known, but there’s also Travellers At Work. They seemed like quite slim pickings when we looked (mostly sales-based jobs), but Ashley did get shortlisted for an admin role from one.

Finding work through word of mouth & networking

Chances are you’ll want to be meeting new people and making friends on your Working Holiday Visa anyway, but it could also result in some work opportunities coming your way. We actually picked up a couple of afternoons of gardening work through a friend we made in Sydney, which we were very grateful for as it funded our weekend trip to Port Stephens!

There are whole guides out there on how to meet new people in Sydney – from hostel kitchens to Facebook groups and social media – so I’m not going to cover that ground in this post. The best way is just to get out there, be yourself, and make sure your new friends and acquaintances know you’re looking for work.

Working Holiday Visa Jobs in Sydney: FAQ

How hard is it to get a Working Holiday Visa job in Sydney?

Honest answer? It absolutely varies. With a touch of luck and LOTS of applications, we managed to secure jobs within 4-6 weeks of starting our search. I’ve also seen people landing jobs within days of arriving, and some have taken 2-3 months to secure work. A lot of it comes down to perseverance and having the right experience, in the right place at the right time.

The time of year can play a big role in how easy it is to find work. From around September-October, businesses will start recruiting for summer and Christmas casual roles, so if you’re job-seeking in this time, there’ll be lots more opportunities. Once you hit December, most of these roles will be filled, however if you’re early enough you might be able to pick up some last-minute opportunities.

Post-Christmas can be a little tricky, but office roles tend to pick up from late January onwards. There are also summer events that run through from January-Eastertime, where you might be able to get some casual work.

The financial year ends in June, so from July-August, you might be able to pick up more office-based roles if businesses have allocated new funding to temp roles. It’s also winter, so there tends to be a bit less backpacker competition as most will head north in search of warmer weather.

What kind of jobs can a Working Holiday Visa holder do in Sydney?

Hospitality roles working in cafes, bars and restaurants are pretty much the most popular roles for WHV-ers in Sydney. But there are lots of other types of roles that you could land, especially if you have career experience. Lots of offices will be looking for reception, admin, call centre, customer service and business support temps. Events need temporary staff for all sorts of roles, and if you’re trained in a trade, there’s always labour and construction work to consider.

The main caveat of a Working Holiday Visa is that you can’t work for the same employer in the same location for more than 6 months. Most places advertising permanent roles won’t take WHV holders for this reason, so tailor your search for casual, temporary and contract roles.

What do I need to work in Sydney as a backpacker?

First up, anyone working in Sydney on a Working Holiday Visa will need a Tax File Number and an Australian bank account. You can apply for a Tax File Number online, and we went in-branch to set up our Westpac bank accounts.

You’ll also need a superannuation account (the equivalent to a UK pension), as employers are required to pay into this. My job actually helped me get this set up, but this superannuation guide for backpackers is helpful if you need or want to do this independently

For certain roles as a backpacker in Sydney, you may need Australian certifications on top of previous experience. These are the main ones:

• RSA (Responsible Sale of Alcohol) NSW – to serve alcohol in Australia, you need a state specific RSA certificate. These take around 4-6 hours to complete online in your own time. Clear To Work are a popular course provider for the RSA, which costs $126 to complete.
• Food Handler Basics – a course that many food service jobs ask for. It took me about three hours to complete this online, and it’s free.
• RSG (Responsible Service of Gambling) NSW – required if you’re working in a gambling environment. Clear To Work offer this for $134.
• White Card – mandatory for construction, labour and tradie work. You can complete the training in a 6hr classroom setting with NSW White Card Training for $120. The card is valid Australia-wide. There are also other specific certifications a job might ask for, such as the Yellow Card and forklift license (high risk work licence).

If it’s really not working out…

Still struggling to find work in Sydney as a backpacker? It might be tempting to decide to throw in the towel and head back home, but you’ve made it this far now! If you can’t find a city job, try looking into smaller cities nearby, or even remote rural work.

I can relate to how it feels. The time I spent searching for a job in Sydney really impacted me mentally. At one point, I sat in my room in tears, looking up how much a flight home would cost me. I was homesick as hell, felt useless and unemployable, and it wasn’t the ‘Australian dream’ I’d imagined when heading over. I never intended to go through with going home, but the constant rejection and ghosting really got to me, especially as someone who’s been lucky enough not to struggle with finding work back home.

You’ve done an amazing thing just by taking the risk on yourself, and if you’re able to keep at it, persevere. Since I got through that bad patch, I’ve loved living in Sydney, and as my time here draws to a close, I’ll never forget the fact that I dropped my career in my 30s to take a bet on myself and live in a new city on the other side of the world.