If you are thinking about moving to Australia for work, this is the article for you. Here I talk about the 2 jobs I had, the interviews I did and the salaries I earned. 😀
Once I arrived in Sydney, I stayed with friends and being surrounded by nice people was like a game changer. I did several physical interviews on my first week, I signed a contract to give Portuguese private lessons and I even did the tests and trails for the casino in the city.
My 1st job in Sydney
Desperate to not have a job, I started sending CVs everywhere. I had already worked in hospitality when I was a student in Paris and I knew I could do that. It “killed” me going back to that but I hated even more to see my €€€ disappearing from the account. And that’s how I met Pinnacle People, a hospitality recruitment agency!
How everything happened:
After several interviews and stages, I was hired as an hostess for one of the BLACK Bar in the casino, The Star. Basically what I had to do was smile, say good night and accompany customers to their tables. I spent many hours standing, but believe it or not, I laughed so much with customers, colleagues, bosses …
The process (around 2 – 3 weeks):
- Interviews (telephone and face-to-face) with Pinnacle
- Group interview and skills’ test
- Sending of documents (Passport, Police check, NSW Alcohol Certificate, banking state,
- Superannuation, Pinnacle form)
- Uniform check (I wore a cute little dress)
- Online induction to the casino
- Casino trail (paid)
- 3 induction days in the casino (paid)
* Superannuation: It is an organizational pension program created the company for the benefit of its employees. The funds deposited in a superannuation account will grow, typically without any tax implications, until retirement.
Salary:
- Between $24.99 to $34.40/ hour (depending on days and hours worked). Transport and food were included.
Attention: For those who have never worked in hospitality and do not speak English very well, maybe Sydney will not be the best option to start. It is best if you settle in a smaller town, improve your English and learn the basics of hospitality. It is not complicated but it is tiring and: you have to know how to take a tray; how to carry 3 dishes and how make coffee and beer.
Then…
The same week I started working in the casino, I got a call from a recruiting agency, Michael Page. I had sent my CV to a Communication Officer position and the recruiter wanted to see me.
My 2nd job in Sydney
I was already working for the casino and, frankly, after a month of listening to NOs (I had more than 20 phone and face-to-face interviews), I did not even prepare my interview with Michael Page: I knew my introduction speech, I knew the location of the interview and that was all!
When I arrived, I was amazed at the view of their offices (the Opera House)! Quickly 2 girls arrived: 1 French and 1 English! We spoke in a very relaxed way about my work goals, my professional experience and the studies I had.
I still remember what one of them told me:
Look Daniela, you have a great profile and I think you are overqualified for the position you applied. Right now I do not have many permanent positions to offer to you but I have a client looking for someone to start as soon as possible. Maybe I can send your CV to her?
SURE!
A day later C** called me to say that TAFE had liked my CV and that the team manager wanted to see me. I remember arriving at TAFE. I was not nervous! The manager (an English woman in her 60s) showed me the reports they were doing, explained the primary objectives and asked me to talk about my experience. The interview was quite relaxed but at any moment I felt I could do that.
My English was good but I was unsure I could interpret data on unemployment and technological, and financial trends.
I left the interview and sent an email to C** to thank the opportunity but explaining that I did not have the profile for the position. 3 days later Celena called me to informed me I had got the job.
5 days later, I started working at TAFE!
Salary:
- $50/ hora (meals were not paid as well as vacation days)
Important information: The recruitment agency did not charge me for their services (as people ask me many times) but a % of my salary went into Michael Page’s pockets. Do not ask me how much cause I could not tell.
That’s how I said goodbye to THE STAR and hello to TAFE NSW. The Casino was the funniest job I have ever had but tafe was the job that has paid me the most today. 😀
That’s it… That’s how I got a job in Australia…
Beijinho,
Daniela