Australia is a country that allows exchange students to work and study at the same time. But how to conciliate courses and jobs? Which jobs better fit into a study routine? Check out 5 tips from Good Day
Often, people who want to study abroad also need to work to be able to support themselves in foreign lands. The Australian government allows students to have jobs and, at the same time, go to school – and that is one of the reasons why the country is such a great destination for exchange students. But, in order to study and work in Australia, you should have a good plan, because, after all, you need to conciliate both activities.
To help exchange students in this mission, we talked to Roberta Fernandes, Good Day Student Experience Specialist. She shared valuable pieces of advice to students who plan on finding a job while they attend classes in Australia.
Below, know how the Australian law is for working and studying at the same time, what types of employment contracts there are, which jobs can better fit into your study routine, and much more!
1. Keep an eye on fortnight hours
There is a fortnightly limit on how many hours students can work in Australia. Currently, this law is suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but it will be back on July 1st 2023.
According to the law, students can only work 48 hours a fortnight – on average, it would be almost 3 and a half hours a day.
Roberta points out that most jobs for newcomers in Australia, such as cleaning and hospitality, do not have fixed working hours.
“We call these jobs “casual jobs”. In these cases, usually, the student works only when there are tasks to be done”, she says. “That’s why it is very important to pay attention to the number of working hours, because on some days the student will work for 10 hours, and on other days for three hours”.
2. Check the employment contract model
Before you sign the contract, pay attention to the salary – but also to the hiring model.
In Australia, there are mostly two types of contracts. One of them is TFN (tax file number): “In this hiring contract, the employee has some deductions from their salary, which are related to taxes”, explains Roberta. “At the end of the fiscal year, always on June 30th, you have to file your income tax return, and you may receive a refund”.
The second hiring contract type is ABN (Australian business number). With this contract, the employee is a service provider. “The student issues an invoice for the services provided and receives a full salary. But, at the end of the fiscal year, they must pay taxes, just like a company”, clarifies Roberta.
3. Keep track of your work expenses
This advice is essential, mainly, to students who work on the ABN hiring contract: you should always keep the receipts referring to work expenses, because they may be deducted from your income tax.
“When you file your income tax return, it is important to attach these receipts”, says Roberta. “Let’s assume, for instance, that the student works with construction and he needs to buy uniforms, tools… all these expenses may be deducted from the tax”.
4. Choose a job according to your English proficiency
The “casual jobs” are quite popular among exchange students who have just arrived in Australia. In addition to choosing a work that can be conciliated with school, the student must consider the English proficiency required for the job.
To be approved in some occupations, a basic English level is good enough – that is the case of jobs like a cleaner, construction worker, moving assistant or food delivery worker.
“Another job that is quite common for foreign students is hospitality, but it requires an intermediate level of English, at least”, Roberta points out. “On this job, the student must serve the public in bars, restaurants, shows, stadiums… As the hospitality industry depends on these events, the students usually work on Friday, Saturday and Sunday”.
5. It is nice to work and study in Australia, but always prioritize your course
“The most valuable advice that I give students is: the study must be the priority”, says Roberta. It is important to remember that one of the requirements for the student’s visa is to be present in class for, at least, 80% of the total hours of the course.
“It is essential to organize your routine according to your classes. We know that this may be hard in the beginning, and that is why you should plan your days”, advises Roberta. “Research what are the distances that you will need to travel between school or university and your job, think about the time you will need to make that journey”.
Robert also shares another valuable tip: it is important to have as much contact with the English language as possible, so that you can gain proficiency and find better jobs in the future. “In our routine in Australia, it is possible to make an effort to learn as much as we can. If you’re cooking, for instance, read the ingredients packaging. If you’re having a shower, read the shampoo label. If you’re watching something on streaming, prefer to watch it with English audio and subtitles – or, even better, with no subtitles at all!”.