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I might be able to live in Australia for a couple months next summer. To tell you the truth, I don't know too much about life in Australia other than from the Aussies I've met and stuff online. Something is appealing about it though. Anyways, what city would you suggest I live in if I go?
Hopefully I'll be able to get an internship at a company I know that has a presence in Australia. But, if I don't get the internship-or if they won't send me to Australia, what would you suggest I do to find work that would support me while over there?
Alot of 3rd party organizations come on my university campus offering "placements" of internships worldwide but something doesn't seem right about having to pay to work. An unpaid internship I can understand, if it will give me great experience, but do you all think they are a scam? (if you've heard of them)
The best thing to do, based on my experience with hundreds of friends and former coworkers that have done this, is to go though BUNAC. There are a few other companies that facilitate student work or volunteer programs, but the consensus from what I know is that BUNAC is the best. You can find them via a web search.
Internships are a whole different deal and I don't know much about that. Through BUNAC you can get a 4 month work visa for Australia.
Stay away from anyone who asks you to pay to work, that screams "SCAM"
Yes, that is what I figure. How would you recommend I go about getting temporary work in Australia. I've heard BUNAC is good for handling the red tape needed but how could I secure an actual job?
I guess it depends what you are looking for. Also I found in Australia some places I had high expectations of that fell flat and other places I wouldn't have thought much of, I really ended up liking.
Sydney- kind of the San Francisco of Australia.
Brisbane, Gold and Sunshine Coast- kind of like Florida.
Melbourne- like Pittsburgh or Boston on the Ocean.
Adelaide- Southern California without the masses of millions of people.
Perth- One of the last places in Australia I've not been to yet, but from what I know it has a climate and culture like California.
Canberra- If you like government and civics, this is the place.
Darwin- the Everglades thousands of kilometers from anywhere.
There are also a number of smaller regional towns and cities if you want a more rural feel.
You mentioned you didn't know much about Australia, so coming on here to ask questions is good, but I would get some guidebooks from the library or bookstore and start reading up on the different cities to get a feel for the local cultures and geography.
There is plenty of short term work available for uni aged students(backpackers). In terms of getting internships that might be a bit harder, but certainly something worth researching.
I guess it depends what you are looking for. Also I found in Australia some places I had high expectations of that fell flat and other places I wouldn't have thought much of, I really ended up liking.
Sydney- kind of the San Francisco of Australia.
Brisbane, Gold and Sunshine Coast- kind of like Florida.
Melbourne- like Pittsburgh or Boston on the Ocean.
Adelaide- Southern California without the masses of millions of people.
Perth- One of the last places in Australia I've not been to yet, but from what I know it has a climate and culture like California.
Canberra- If you like government and civics, this is the place.
Darwin- the Everglades thousands of kilometers from anywhere.
There are also a number of smaller regional towns and cities if you want a more rural feel.
You mentioned you didn't know much about Australia, so coming on here to ask questions is good, but I would get some guidebooks from the library or bookstore and start reading up on the different cities to get a feel for the local cultures and geography.
There is plenty of short term work available for uni aged students(backpackers). In terms of getting internships that might be a bit harder, but certainly something worth researching.
Thanks for the advice!
Absolutely, I do plan on doing actual research on these cities, but I love to get info from places like CD where you can get opinions not usually offered by cut-and-dry guide books.
My first choice is to get a business internship but if I can't get that then I'm open for most anything else. Is it easy for Americans to get work at hotels, restaurants, or bars/pubs?
Thanks for the advice!
Absolutely, I do plan on doing actual research on these cities, but I love to get info from places like CD where you can get opinions not usually offered by cut-and-dry guide books.
My first choice is to get a business internship but if I can't get that then I'm open for most anything else. Is it easy for Americans to get work at hotels, restaurants, or bars/pubs?
It is easy to get such work as Australia depends on foreign backpackers on working holidays for staff in hotels, restaurants and pubs, especially in touristy areas. There are also jobs in the ski villages in NSW and Victoria and seasonal work in vineyards and on farms. I've also had friends that have worked in construction as well. If you get your 4 month visa you'll be legal to work any job for that period.
Also I remember there was talk of a 1 year visa to work in Australia like other countries and after looking at the Bunac website it looks like that agreement between the USA and Australia was agreed. So now you can get a 1 year visa.
Sydney- kind of the San Francisco of Australia.
-> I actually think Sydney is more LA. The sprawl and the coastal setting.
Melbourne- like Pittsburgh or Boston on the Ocean.
-> Melbourne is more San Francisco, trams, hills, coffee culture, artsy vibe
Adelaide- Southern California without the masses of millions of people.
-> Cross between southern Cali with British colonial architecture and parklands, yet close to magnificent wine regions that do remind me of Napa and Sonoma (I'm an ex Northern Californian). I used to live in Adelaide. I loved the lifestyle there but I'm a foodie/wine lover so it was perfect for me.
Perth- One of the last places in Australia I've not been to yet, but from
what I know it has a climate and culture like California.
-> It does feel isolated from the rest of Oz..
just a note about perth. it may seem to you as perth feels isolated, but if fact perth people are very self assured and confident and don,t feel isolated. Perth is a very modern city with fully developed infrastructire.Perth also has the newest trainlines in australia,but does have some shady characters.
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