Working in Australia

Are you dreaming of a big adventure in Australia? Do you want to live and work in Australia – either permanently or maybe just for a while? We explain which jobs give you the best chance of getting a visa in Australia and what the working conditions are like on the other side of the world.

Your best chance of obtaining an Australian work visa is if your skill set matches those most sought after in Oz. This is because Australia has a so-called "Skilled Occupation List". This list includes all the professions that are currently in demand Down Under. Is your job on this list? Then you have had a stroke of luck and can apply for a visa.  

These are some of the most sought-after occupations in Australia:

• Technicians and electricians
• Healthcare professionals
• Drivers
• Sales and marketing managers
• Tax advisors
• Biomedical engineers  
• Lawyers
• Construction managers and specialists in the construction industry
• Specialists in information and communication technology

Please note that the Skilled Occupation List is updated regularly. Occupations can be added or removed – depending on the situation on the Australian labour market.

But what is it actually like to work on the other side of the world? In general, the working conditions correspond approximately to the European standard, since many legal regulations are in place to protect you as an employee.

Just like in Germany, you will also receive a statutory four weeks of paid vacation, and there are seven public holidays in Australia. However, the individual states also have additional public holidays. Victoria is the frontrunner here with 13 public holidays. When it comes to sick days, the situation is a little different to what it is in Germany. In Australia, you are granted only ten paid sick days a year. If you do not need to take all of these days, you can carry them over to the new year.

A full-time working week Down Under is 38 hours, and there are different working time models. In addition to full-time and part-time, there is a model known as “casual”. Here, you do not have a fixed number of hours per week but are available on call as needed. However, with this working time model, you also will not be granted any paid vacation or sick days. Just like in Germany, employment contracts can either be permanent or fixed-term.

Legal notice periods in Oz are based on the length of time you have been with the company. For example, if you have been with the company for less than one year, the notice period is one week. The longer you are with the company, the longer the notice period.

The first thing you are going to need to do is start looking for a job. The best way to find a suitable job is via relevant job portals in Australia:

• seek.com.au
• au.indeed.com
• workforceaustralia.gov.au
• job-directory.com.au
• careerjet.com.au
• au.jobted.com
• adzuna.com.au
• ethicaljobs.com.au

If you happen to be visiting the country, you can also search for suitable jobs in Australian newspapers. Since unsolicited applications are not common in Australia, they will usually be ignored. It is better to contact the company you are interested in directly in advance – call them or write an email and ask if you can send an application.

So, you have found a suitable job offer? Then you can now draw up your application for Australia. For this you will need the following documents:  

• Cover letter
• Curriculum vitae
• References

Your cover letter should not just be a reiteration of your CV. Rather, you should use it to highlight the milestones of your career, address the job posting and the company, and explain why you are the right person for the job.

Your CV should begin with your most recent employment and list other employment in reverse chronological order. Information such as religious affiliation, gender or nationality should not be included in your CV. Nor should you attach a photo – it is unusual in Australia for a CV to have a photo.  

Tip: Since Australian companies may be unfamiliar with your previous employers in Germany, you can provide a little more information about the company, such as number of employees, industry and a website link.

Tip: Since Australian companies may be unfamiliar with your previous employers in Germany, you can provide a little more information about the company, such as number of employees, industry and a website link.

The biggest difference to job applications in Germany, however, is that you usually do not have to send report cards or certificates, but instead need to include references. References are letters of recommendation from former employers or, even better, people in Australia who can recommend you for the job.

Your application should be written in error-free English. Therefore, be sure to have your documents proofread by a native English speaker. If your letters of reference are written in German, you should definitely have them translated into English. If you do have to submit report cards and certificates, you should not only translate these, but also have them certified. Your potential new employer should have all documents in English in order to be able to assess them optimally.