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Melbourne

About

  • Melbourne is the capital of the state of Victoria
  • Melbourne’s population is 4.8 million, comprising of over 230 nationalities, with 35% born overseas.
  • Melbourne has been voted “the world’s most livable city” for 7 years consecutively, due to its outstanding education infrastructure, excellent healthcare system, efficient public transport system, safety, stability and sturdy economy.
  • According to the QS Best Student Cities 2018, Melbourne is Australia’s BEST student city and 3rd best student city in the world, offering world class Education and Research Institutions and a 24/7 student support service.
  • Key elements like Australia’s high standard of living, multicultural society and diverse entertainment attractions, make Melbourne life very appealing for visitors and students alike.
  • Melbourne has additionally been ranked the 10th best city in the world for employer activity.

Culture

Melbourne is a culture lover’s dream city. The city is renowned for its world-famous art galleries, street art, art exhibitions, coffee and café culture with numerous laneway bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants offering a diverse range of global cuisine, international supermarkets and grocery stores. Melbournians are also avid lovers of sports, festivals, live music and theatre.

  • Melbourne’s Café Culture & Pubs

    Melbourne is renowned for its coffee culture, with many small to medium sized cafes adorning the streets around the city as well as the suburbs. Melbourne is also big on its pub and bar culture, from old style pubs, rooftop bars, unique laneway bars to elegant tea rooms.

  • Arts and culture

    Melbourne is known as the Art’s capital of Australia. It is filled with an array of art galleries and museums, featuring both local and International artists, outdoor galleries, and laneways with street art and graffiti. Melbourne is popular for its theatre and stage productions, featuring both internationally acclaimed shows like Mamma Mia and Aladdin to smaller scale local productions.

  • Sport

    Melbourne is known for its fascination with sports and celebrates key sporting events, including Australian Tennis Open, Australian Football League (AFL), Cricket, Melbourne Grand Prix and the Melbourne Cup (horse racing).

  • Entertainment and recreation

    Melbourne has several amusement parks, recreation parks, zoos, National parks, and gardens which can be explored on foot or by bicycle.

Climate

  • Summer (December - February), Melbourne experiences warm temperatures of 14-25 degrees Celsius, and in January and February, the temperatures tend to rise above 30 degrees Celsius.
  • Autumn (March - May), the weather becomes a lot cooler, with average temperatures ranging from 11-20 degrees Celsius.
  • Winter (June – August), the weather is quite bitter and cold with frequent cloud and rain and on occasion, hail. The average temperatures range between 5 - 14 degrees Celsius but could go down as low as -2-0 degrees on certain days. North-Eastern Victoria experiences some snow fall and provides numerous opportunities for people to go skiing and partake in other winter sports.
  • Spring (September – November) is probably the most volatile season, where the weather can suddenly go from calm and sunny to cold and rainy, with an average temperature of 10 – 20 degrees Celsius.

International Student Education in Melbourne

Student services

The Government of Victoria offers an “International Student Care” service, which was established in 2002, with the sole purpose of providing increased support and assistance to International students enroled in Australian Education Institutions.

It offers 24/7 support by providing advice, addressing legal concerns, employment advice, accomodation services and even physically arranges assistance if required. Students are additionally given FREE Student welcomes packs, offering important information about living and studying in Melbourne.

The city of Melbourne organizes regular events and programs for International students, including workshops, internships, volunteer programs, study tours, performances, the Lord Mayor’s student welcome and the Melbourne International Student Conference.

Finding work as a student

Students are allowed to work for upto 40 hours per fortnight during the semester and unlimited number of hours during the semester breaks and holidays. The current minimum wage for casual/part time employment is between $18.93 – $25. The Fair Work websitelists out employee entitlements and your work rights.

Work Opportunities
The type of job you get would depend on your previous work experience (If any), skills, type of job as well as your communication skills.

The most common part time/ casual jobs for students include:

  • Hospitality jobs: One of the biggest employers of casual staff is the hospitality industry. This includes working in Restaurants, Bars, Supermarkets and Fast Food Outlets like Mc Donald’s. Part time jobs in this industry include:  waitressing, cooks, chefs, kitchen hands, catering asistants, bartending, cleaners, counter/register staff.
  • Retail outlets – Sales assistants, cashiers, stockers (Coles, Woolworths, Safeway, 7 Eleven, Bunnings, Aldi, Myer and BigW).
  • Nanny Jobs: can be found through websites like Gumtree, Babysittersnow.com and Findababysitter.com.au.
  • Food delivery jobs: Companies like Foodora and UberEats
  • Direct Marketing and Market Research- Cold calling, Direct Sales,Market research, Telephone interviewers
  • Administration or Clerical roles
  • Tutoring
  • Dog sitters

How can I find work?

  1. Online job sites: Indeed.com, Seek.com, GumTree, LinkedIn, Jora
  2. Online Recruitment agencies:  Register your contact details and CV with online recruitment agencies like MichaelPage, Randstad and Hays.
  3. Campus noticeboards:  Check for vacancies on University/ Campus noticeboards
  4. Engage in Volunteer work with charities and NGOs
  5. Internships: Take part in an internship placement program ( Paid or Unpaid) –internships can most often lead to permanent employment offers depending on the needs of the employer
  6. Door to door -One of the best ways to find a job is by going door to door with your CV, and speaking to Café owners, Restaurant Managers, Retail Outlets to find out if they have any current vacancies.

Top Skill Shortage Professions in Melbourne

  • Agriculture and Horticulture: agricultural consultant/scientist, arborist.
  • Automotive :automotive electrician,motor mechanic, panelbeater and vehicle painter.
  • Building professions, and architecture and building technicians
  • Child Care occupations like teachers and educators
  • Construction trades:  bricklayer and stonemason,cabinetmaker, carpenter and joiner, fibrous plasterer, painting trade worker, plumber, roof tiler, solid plasterer, wall and floor tiler.
  • Engineering professions: civil engineering professionals,civil engineering draftsperson and technician,electrical engineer and mechanical engineers.
  • Engineering trade:aircraft maintenance engineer, locksmith, sheetmetal trades worker, structural steel and welding trades worker.
  • Hospitality:baker,butcher, smallgoods maker, chef,pastrycook.
  • Health related occupations : audiologist, dentist, medical diagnostic radiographer, medical laboratory scientist, optometrist, physiotherapist, sonographer,enrolled nurse,midwife and registered nurse.
  • IT professionals
  • Ambulance officers and paramedics
  • Hairdresser
  • Solicitors
  • Veterinarians