International students are allowed to work part-time, though may never exceed forty hours per fortnight. More probably than not, if you are already studying in Australia you are also employed, and your current job is not related to your studies. Am I right?

If I’m close to the truth, we must change and upgrade your situation for the better. The first step is to search for jobs (including internships) that are related to your studies, because experience in the Australian market is the key to maximise your chances for the future. Entry-level positions are a great way to start your search. You might need to have some previous experience; however, in these types of jobs, you can also show your skills by highlighting your academic projects and achievements. Look at a few examples below:

The construction industry is currently looking for junior strata assistants and junior estimators, among many other positions. Let’s say you are working in the construction industry as a labourer. You could use your experience in a construction site to become a junior estimator. Your job would be to support the production estimator as you train on how to produce accurate estimates as well as review and analyse them.

Another example comes from the engineering field, which could be looking for junior structural drafters. Perhaps you have studied engineering in your home country for a few years until you decided to move to Australia. It helps if you could work part-time as a junior structural drafter. You would need AutoCAD drafting experience and your duties would include drafting documentation, work planning, and site visits.

Major industries (such as technology, finance, education, tourism, and manufacturing) have great opportunities as well. It doesn’t matter if you are enrolled in a certificate IV, diploma, or advanced diploma programme. You can always find an entry-level position in your field. For example, if you are studying a Diploma of Marketing, you can find an entry-level position as a marketing assistant junior in a marketing agency. The same thinking can be applied for students enrolled in a Diploma of Design. They can apply for a junior designer position, or they can apply for receptionist jobs in a design agency to start gaining experience about how an agency works.

The possibilities are limitless. You need to expand your mind as well as your thinking in order to challenge the odds, leading to you find new solutions. I’m not saying it will be easy, actually far from it; however, it will be possible if you are willing to try.