How can I get a part-time job?
It is great to get a part-time or casual job or while you are still at school. You will:
- Earn money to support your study
- Develop employability skills such as communication skills and teamwork skills
- Develop job skills
- Learn about the workplace
- Learn about yourself
So, how do you get a part-time job while you are at school?
How to Find Part-Time or Casual Jobs
When you search for a part-time or casual job look for:
- Advertised jobs
- Jobs in the ‘hidden’ job market
- Your family and other relatives and friends
- Your school career practitioner
- Teachers
- Coaches
- Neighbours
- Some of your social media contacts
- Anyone else you know who might know someone who wants to put on a part-time or casual employee
- Job interviews
- How to prepare for a job interview
- Understanding interview questions
- How to answer job interview questions
- Find out what questions real employers in different industries may ask
- Record answers to interview questions the employers ask on device
- Listen to what the employer says they look for when interviewing job candidates for certain jobs in their industry
- Play back answers to the interview questions and think about any helpful changes
- What you want out of a job
- What you have to offer an employer
- How to be competitive when job hunting
- Find jobs to apply for
- Prepare high quality tailored job application documents
- Present well in different types of job interview situations
- Read the article on how to get a job in the ‘hidden’ job market
- Keep up with your school work and homework
- Do your co-curricular activities and the activities you do outside of school
- Your parents or a carer, your school career practitioner, or teacher may be able to help you plan your time
These are jobs that are not formally advertised. This accounts for over 30% of all jobs in Australia1. This may even be higher for part-time jobs that school students get.
Advertised Jobs
Part-time/casual jobs suitable for students are advertised on:
Company Websites
Go to the website of businesses where you would like to get a job. Search for a heading such as ‘careers’, ‘join our team’, ‘work with us’, ‘jobs’, or something similar.
Examples of Jobs Vacancies on Company Websites:
Job Board
A job board is a website that lists job advertisements that a variety of employers have posted.
When you apply for a job on a company website or a job board, you are likely to be required to fill in an online form. You are likely to need to upload your résumé. A cover letter may be optional. Some businesses may ask you to do a video interview.
Classified Advertisement Websites
Gumtree Jobs is usually less formal than applying for a job on a company website or a job board.
‘Hidden’ Job Market
Part-time/casual jobs in the ‘hidden’ job market are obtained by:
Word of Mouth
When a vacancy arises, an employer may ask employees and other contacts if they know of someone who would be good for the job. To find out about these jobs, you need to let people know when you are searching for a part-time job. Examples of people to tell that you are looking for a job include:
Directly Approaching an Employer
This is often called cold calling or cold canvassing. It means identifying possible employers and contacting them or dropping off your résumé. You can identify possible employers using a business directory such as Yellow Pages . Search for the business type in your local region and you will get a list of businesses you could approach.
Select the businesses that interest you. Prepare your tailored résumé and cover letter. Drop in to the employer or call to express interest in any jobs coming up. Email or leave your résumé and cover letter. If you don't hear back after a while you could follow up with the employer.
Social Media
You can search for job vacancies in your local region on social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter. You may find job groups for your local region. You may find job groups related to specific industries. You can join these groups to find out the latest job vacancies, get more information or post a comment. You can add a post to let others know the type of job that you are looking for.
Contacting People in Your Network
Networking when looking for a job involves talking to people you know. People such as those listed above under the word of mouth heading are examples of people you should talk to. Let them know you are looking for a job. Connect to the people your contacts suggest may be able to help you get a job.
What you Need to Find a Job
You will need a résumé, a cover letter and good job interview skills.
Résumé – Use the information here to create a résumé that you can tailor to match the employer’s requirements.
Cover Letter – Use the information here to write a cover letter.
Job Interview Skills - Use the information and links to find out about:
Job Interview Practice Rehearse answering job interview questions.Select Interview Practice and choose an interview practice video clip to:
Get More Information
Job Jumpstart helps you find a pathway to employment and put your best foot forward in the job hunting process.
Watch video stories of the steps that young people have taken to find their job. These that help you understand:
Download tip sheets, fact sheets and workbooks. These help you:
Managing Your Part-time Job
Before you get a part-time job when you are at school, it is important to plan for how you are going to manage your time. You need to plan you time to:
Tax File Number
When you get a job you will need to obtain a Tax File Number within 28 days of starting work.
1 National Skills Commission (2021). Australian Jobs Report.
