August 19, 2011
August 19, 2011

 

Many international students rely on part-time work while they study. It might pay for your cost of living abroad and all those travel adventures, or you may want to send some money home to your family.

But how do you find the right part-time job as an international student? Read our guide to part-time work abroad, and find out!

Jobs for students

What kind of job can I do?

 

This will come down to your student visa and your language ability, rather than your course and skills. So check your visa restrictions first. If you are on a standard student visa to Australia or New Zealand, you can usually work up to 20 hours per week during term time and full-time during the holidays. If you are studying an postgraduate course and married or have a partner, you partner can work full time otherwise similar to you.

 

In the USA you are restricted to on-campus work for up to 20 hours per week. This could mean working in the college administration office, cafeteria, shops, or within a faculty.

 

You may be studying a PhD, but you most probably won’t be able to get part-time work in your chosen field. That’s fine – no matter what you end up doing, it will add to your CV experience and understanding of the workplace culture abroad.

 

International students are often found working as…

 

  • Waiters and bar staff
  • Retail staff
  • Warehouse staff
  • Call centre phone operators
  • Data entry staff
  • Security Officer
  • Car Park staff
  • Language teachers

 

These are all jobs that offer flexible part-time shifts, so you can take on more work as time and coursework allows. Make sure you feel confident in your local language ability before applying for a job that requires you to talk a lot on the phone or face to face – such as a market researcher!

 

How do I find a job?

 

You won’t be able to start looking until you’ve arrived and settled in – most employers will want to meet you in person.

 

Start with your university’s job centre or employment office. As well as current listings of local jobs, they can help you write your CV and job application,  prepare for an interview, and be ready for differences in work practices.

 

You can also look online at career websites, such as www.seek.com.au , www.careerone.com.au in Australia.

 

Some countries have government-run job centres as well. Local newspapers are also a great source of convenient part-time work.

 

How much will I be paid?

 

Make sure you understand exactly what your terms of work are before you start. Most countries have a minimum wage that all employers must stick to, even if you’re a casual part-time shift worker. In the Australia this is currently  A$14.31 per hour and in the US it’s US$7.25.

 

You may be paid weekly, fortnightly or monthly, and usually as a direct deposit into your bank account. You will pay tax out of your salary, and you should register for a local tax number (called a a Tax File Number in Australia) as soon as you are offered a job. You may be eligible for a tax return when you leave after your studies.

 

What about voluntary work?

 

Even though you might not be paid, it’s still worth taking on voluntary work for a non-profit organisation, or a short-term work experience placement. You will learn valuable work skills. Just check that it’s not a job that a local citizen would be paid to do – don’t take the risk of being exploited.

 

But how will I fit it all in?

 

It’s important to think about your course workload before you take on part-time work. If you have a lot of contact hours and a heavy commitment to group work, you may not want to take on work that will cause you extra stress.

 

But some jobs can add an entirely new dimension to your student life. You’ll meet new friends, learn new skills and discover your own hidden talents. It could be the highlight of your study abroad experience.

December 9, 2009

 

Technical and Further Education or TAFE (pronounced [tæɪf]) institutions provide a wide range of predominantly vocational tertiary educationcourses in Australia, mostly qualifying courses under the National Training System/Australian Qualifications Framework/Australian Quality Training Framework. Fields covered include hospitality, tourism, construction, engineering, secretarial skills, visual arts, computer programming and community work.

 

Individual TAFE institutions (usually with many campuses) are known as either colleges or institutes, depending on the state or territory. TAFE colleges are owned, operated and financed by the various State and Territory Governments. This is in contrast to the higher education sector, whose funding is predominantly the domain of the Commonwealth government and whose universities are predominantly owned by the state governments.

 

  1. Qualifications awarded by TAFE colleges

TAFE colleges generally award qualifications up to the level of advanced diploma, which is below that of Bachelor degree within the Australian Qualifications Framework. In many instances TAFE study can be used as partial credit towards Bachelor degree-level university programs.

 

From 2002 the TAFE education sector has been able to offer Bachelor degrees and post-graduate diploma courses to fill niche areas, particularly vocationally focused areas of study based on industry needs. As at June 2009 10 TAFE colleges (mainly in Victoria, but also Western Australia, ACT, and Queensland) now confer their own degree-level awards and post graduate diplomas, though not beyond the level of Bachelor degree; this practice is somewhat controversial due to the blurring of once clearly defined boundaries between sectors.[1][2]


Students who enroll in these undergraduate degree courses at TAFE are required to pay full fees and are not entitled to Commonwealth Government supported student fee loans. While Universities have the ability and power to design and offer their own degree courses, each TAFE degree course must be assessed and approved by the Higher Education Accreditation Committee (HEAC).[1]


TAFEs in some states can also teach senior high school qualifications, like the VCE and the HSC. Some universities, e.g. Charles Darwin University and Swinburne University of Technology, offer TAFE courses; these are funded by the local state and territory governments. Some High Schools also deliver courses developed and accredited by TAFEs.

 

Some private institutions also offer courses from TAFEs, however they more commonly offer other vocational education and training courses.

 

Note that many Australians refer to all sub-degree courses as ‘TAFE’ courses, no matter what institution creates or delivers the course. Before the 1990s, the TAFEs had a near monopoly in the sector. TAFE courses provide students an opportunity for certificate, diploma, and advanced diploma qualifications in a wide range of areas.

 

  1. Links to immigration outcomes

Taking TAFE courses may entitle the trainee to be eligible for the skilled immigration program of Australia [3]. This results in large numbers of international students who have enrolled into TAFE courses for seeking immigration outcomes.

 

  1. TAFE colleges by state/territory

In most cases, TAFE campuses are grouped into TAFE institutions along geographic lines. Most TAFEs are given a locally recognised region of the country where they exclusively operate covering a wide range of subjects.

 

A few TAFEs specialise in a single area of study. These are usually found near the middle of the capital cities, and service the whole state or territory. For example, the Trade and Technician Skills Institute in Brisbane, (from 1 July 2006), specialises in automotive, building and construction, manufacturing and engineering, and electrical/electronic studies for students throughout Queensland. Or the William Angliss Institute of TAFE in Melbourne which specialises in food, hospitality and tourism courses for Victoria.

  1. 4 Australian Capital Territory

In the Australian Capital Territory these include:

 

  1. 5 New South Wales

There are ten TAFE NSW Institutes in NSW which include:

 

  1. 6 Northern Territory

In the Northern Territory these include:

 

  1. 7 Queensland

In QueenslandTAFE Queensland includes:

 

  1. 8 South Australia

In South AustraliaTAFE SA includes:

  1. 9 Tasmania

In Tasmania, there are two government TAFE organisations:

 

  1. 10 Victoria

In Victoria these include:

 

  1. 11 Western Australia

In Western Australia TAFEWA includes:

 

  1. References
    1. a b TAFE gears up to offer degrees By Rebecca Scott, The Age July 24 2002. Accessed August 3 2008
    2. ^ Leesa Wheelahan, Gavin Moodie, Stephen Billett and Ann Kelly, Higher education in TAFE, Research report published by National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), September 3, 2009. Accessed September 24, 2009
    3. ^ Skilled migration coursesQueensland Government December 3 2008. Accessed November 9 2009

 

 

Source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

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