For Students
All about casual and part time work
What kind of job?
Most university students will need to find a job while at university to help support them during their studies, and these jobs are what are usually called ‘casual’ positions, which means shift work as required by the employer, an hourly rate of pay and no paid holidays or sick leave.
Casual jobs attract a higher hourly rate of pay to make up for the lack of these other benefits. Depending on your arrangement with your employer, casual jobs can be quite flexible (allowing you a choice and variety of shifts and hours), but they also have less security as the employer can terminate your employment at any time.
Most university students find that casual employment fits in well with their study commitments, but you need to decide firstly what maximum number of weekly hours you can manage along with your commitment to a full time university course!
Examples of where casual jobs can be found are in the service industries such as retail, call centre work, baby sitting, and food handling, or in factory work, labouring or basic office administration. Some students do casual tutoring.
Other types of employment may come under the heading of ‘part-time’ or ‘full time’ positions, both of which allow for holidays and sick leave. If the job is a ‘fixed term’ position, this means that it is has an end date for the contract to finish.
When applying for a job you need to know what category of employment you are applying for, and what the terms and conditions are. Jobs in a number of industries are protected by ‘award’ conditions, which mean that there is agreement in the industry about minimum rates of pay and other employee rights.
Further information
Ask at Careers and Employment for a list of recommended minimum hourly rates of pay for various categories of casual work.
See also
If you are an international student you will need to make sure that you have permission to work in Australia. You will need to obtain a visa to do so. You will then be able to work for up to 20 hours per week during the semester, and unlimited hours when your course is not in session. You should note that work that is a formal registered part of your course is not included in the 20 hour limit, but voluntary/unpaid work is.
See also
What next?
Preparing an excellent resume is your next step.
Your resume for a casual job will not look the same as the resume you use to apply for a more professional position. For a start, your prospective employer is likely to be less interested in your education and grades than in your broader skills set developed through a range of life experiences. Your experiences at school, your involvement in community activities and skills gained through other work experiences you may have had all interest the employer.
Where to look for jobs?
By using CareerHub and browsing ‘All Jobs’ you will be able to search for jobs in a variety of categories, including Casual/Part time, Undergraduate Student and Voluntary/Community. Here you will find listings of positions that the university advertises for employers. These jobs are not necessarily available to people who are not registered La Trobe University students.
See also
Some useful web based general employment sites include:
Newspapers, including your local community paper, advertise jobs in the employment pages. Remember also to read the articles in other parts of the paper for clues about businesses or organisations which may be in a growth phase and looking for more help.
See also
Recruitment agencies sometimes handle recruitment to casual or part time work. The employer pays the recruiter, not the job applicant, so it is worth using this in your job hunt. Look in the Yellow Pages or in the ‘Search by Recruiter’ section on the Seek website to find agencies which specialise in the kind of job you are looking for. Don’t forget to consult some of the smaller, local agencies, as you may find it easier with these to establish an ongoing relationship with a consultant.
Volunteering can be a good way to find ongoing paid employment. Remember that your local council office usually has a volunteer coordinator who may be able to link you with a casual or part time voluntary job in an area that suits you.
See also
Networking with people who are in a position to offer you employment is often more worthwhile than relying on newspaper and internet advertisements. Start by asking your family, friends and even casual contacts for leads, but know first what you are looking for.
A good way to increase the size of your network is to do some informational interviewing first. This means talking to people who are already working in a job similar to the one you would like, and asking for their advice and referrals.
Direct Approach
This does not always mean physically calling in to a workplace to enquire about vacancies, although that can sometimes be a good idea as it allows you to demonstrate your friendly and professional approach. If you send your letter and resume to an employer in the hope that they may have a vacancy, remember to follow up your enquiry a week or two later with a phone call.