r/ausjobs

Hi guys,

I have been applying for multiple IT jobs in Australia, got multiple phone interviews and a few in person/teams interviews. It has been 2 months and I got a few bites but they offer very low salary way, lower than my current role (E.g 50k)

Currently working for an MSP with 2 yoe in IT industry, kinda got sick of MSPs and wanna get into internal IT. But it looks like the market is saturated, sometimes i feel like I picked the wrong career but IT is more interesting than some other career.

Currently working in an admin role on a base salary of $68k per year, which is below the median for full-time workers aged 25–30 (around $78k+).

From discussions on Reddit and similar platforms, many people report earning $105k+—typically with 1.5 + years of experience.

Looking to understand what a realistic salary progression looks like over time.

So I moved to AU three years ago after a 3 year stint of freelancing in Northern Europe.

Finding freelance work in my rather technical niche in Europe was fairly straight forward as businesses needed my specific skills ( think of it as corporate ecosystem management, I go across the boundaries of search/CRM/advertising/PR/internal processes to integrate them in to your specific ecosystem, put all or most of your data on the same (or an approximation of same) denominator, and make data flow as intended.

I have pretty good credentials, around 12 yrs experience 50% in some of the largest media groups of the world

The thing is, I get the comment I should productize my offer ( think “all your APIs synced for 199$ a month”)

Or “since I’m not an agency, I am not as reliable”. ( sounds like it has sth to do with continuity?)

Many companies seem to be saturated with agencies. Does any business owner even think of giving a freelancer a chance?

How do I get a foothold here? Is it even viable? Or is it just my network that isn’t great?

So I need to vent because I am at my wit's end.

I have 6+ years of professional experience. I started my career at Deloitte. I just finished a Master's in Business Analytics with a Distinction. I am not a fresh grad with zero experience trying to punch above my weight. I have done the work, I have the credentials, I have the skills.

And yet here I am, three rejections deep, each one more baffling than the last.

Scenario 1 - Applied for an entry level role. Rejected. Assumption? Probably overqualified. Okay fine.

Scenario 2 - Researched ATS keywords obsessively, tailored my resume specifically to a mid level role, used every trick in the book. Rejected without a single phone call. Not even a screener.

Scenario 3 - Another role that could have been written about me. Met every requirement, exceeded most of them. Rejected in 2 days. No interview. No call. No reason given.

Two days. That is not enough time to have read my application properly. All 3 scenarios are from KPMG alone.

I genuinely do not know what I am doing wrong. Is it the ATS? Is it the market? Is it something on my resume that I cannot see? I have had warm conversations with recruiters, good networking interactions, positive responses from firms and then nothing converts.

If anyone from the KPMG Australia talent team is on here, or anyone who has cracked consulting roles in Melbourne recently, I would genuinely love to hear what is working. What am I missing?

Just needed to say this somewhere. Thanks for reading. 🙏

So since I'm just young, lazy, entitled and my attitude for listing everything I'm not good at is just too appalling to hear for so many of you, and that nobody should be honest about their flaws, here is what I'm good at.

I'm 19F and in south Brisbane/Logan, I'm an excellent educator, before going to uni to do a ba of education, I was consistently and actively helping peers. I dropped out of mainstream schooling and went into flexi school because my homelife was genuinely awful and I couldn't handle everything at home and mainstream schooling. I excelled at flexi school because everything was easy and just about points. I got my 20 QCE points at age 16, I graduated high school a year early at the age of 16. I continued my high school education to get an ATAR and pass general math as I had only done essential math. I did that over the course of a year. As I did that I was assisting my peers, many were there because they also had awful homelives or they had a criminal record or were using drugs or in recovery, some had english as a second, third, fourth or fifth language. Of course there was the staff who were gracious and kind and selflessly helpful. But there is only so much one can do to help someone who doesn't respect authority. I worked hard, I pushed my peers into getting what they needed to graduate. Some of them had never got anything higher than a C ever, and I helped them by working with them step by step and they got their first ever Bs. I'm incredibly proud of myself for that.

I'm a people person and like to help others, even if it's something simple like: "What restaurant should I eat at? Where should I get shoes from? What store has good formal attire." I enjoy helping others and I think I'm good at it.

I also enjoy writing, acting and humanities. I like expanding my knowledge and learning new skills and general information happening in the world and the past.

These are my genuine qualities, as someone with autism, anxiety and depression (yes I'm medicated and have been seeing professionals since I was 12), someone who isn't good at standard assignments and tests, which Tafe or university wouldn't be suited for, and someone who is slow at maths.

As well as someone who relies on public transport, has plantar fasciitis and long standing stomach issues such as gastritis, someone who struggles with fatigue and realistically can't work more than 25 hours a week, (which means I'm also physically weak because I struggle with finding energy to be physically active) What can I do, seriously? What jobs am I able to do with a Cert III in business and my background? What areas of work would I be able to do and not have to just live on $494 a fortnight from Centrelink, and actually be able to improve my existence and go out so I'm not home bound because I'm poor. I want genuine constructive answers.

Does anyone know of it's worth to get this 1000$ cert for tech support? I have a cert IV in it but am struggling to get a low tier tech support job.

Hiya 19F and been looking for work off and on for 8 months. I'm located in South Brisbane/Logan, cannot drive and cannot afford a car. I had a job as concierge at a shopping centre for a year and then the contract ended despite liking the job, I then had a job for less than 3 months elsewhere, but couldn't handle it as it was open 24/7. I have a certificate III in business, went to university for 3 months to do a ba of education but couldn't handle it so dropped out. I have a few health problems so I can't work more than 25 hours a week.

I'm also quite weak so I couldn't get a trade or do anything that involves much manual labour, I don't think I could handle working with food either. I've been applying to 20 jobs a month for the last 6 months (for Centrelink mostly), majority being reception or medical reception and I've only had 4 phone calls/emails total.

Is there any realistic chance for me to get a job? I would be interested in doing support work, but most of which involve study which I really don't want to do much of. Just looking for feedback and support, thanks :)

Hi all. I believe I posted (on another account) a year or so ago wanting advice on whether to finish my Bachelors degree or pursue a trade then and there. People were very helpful and suggested the sunk time for the degree…

Lo and behold, I stuck it out and will now graduate in two months or so, with a Bachelor of Visual Communication Design (Graphic Design and Illustration). I am now at a crossroads where I’m aware of the very few jobs in my industry, wondering how I can make my degree work for me?

Is there anything anyone has moved into from similar places to me? Perhaps a TAFE reskill or a postgraduate certificate? I’m not particularly set on any area specifically, would just love job security and progression.

Any and all thoughts and ideas are appreciated :)

Hi everyone,

I’m based in Sydney, Australia and I’m currently trying to break into roles like support coordination, behavioural support therapy, or counselling.

I have a Diploma of Counselling and I’m in my final year of a Bachelor of Psychology and Social Science. I’m planning to stop at a bachelor’s level and not pursue a master’s, so I’m really looking for roles I can move into with my current qualifications.

I’m finding it really difficult because most roles seem to require prior experience. I’ve been applying through Seek, calling companies directly, and even reaching out to recruiters, but I still haven’t had any luck getting a job.

It feels like there aren’t many entry-level opportunities available, and even when I apply, I’m not getting much response. I’m really motivated to start working in the field and gain real experience, I just don’t know what else I should be doing to actually get my foot in the door.

If anyone has been in a similar position or has advice on better ways to apply, other platforms to use, or how to break into these roles in Sydney, I’d really appreciate it.

Hi,

I am wondering what is the labor market like at the moment? I am a young man (20) looking for a job that could possibly teach me a decent set of skills, and act as a foundation to my career, and perhaps compliment my studies as an undergrad mechanical engineering student.

I've tried getting into more typical "student jobs" typically hospitality or sales-oriented, but had no luck as the current market seems cooked.

One of my mates told me that for labor, it is as easy as getting the white card, a pair of boots, and showing up with a good attitude (besides also having full working rights). Is it really that easy? From what I understood there is a current shortage in labor work and a massive need for workers, and that could possibly play in my favor, for a person with no prior experience in such areas.

What do I particularly search for and where?

Thank you for your time.

Hey all!

Just had a question in mind - I am planning to do a masters in accounting in South Australia. I do wish to make some money while I study to cover some of my living cost and to meet people to network.

I understand accounting part-time and casual work is hard to come by and might take some time (frustratingly long too at times). I do understand there are lot of demand for construction workers all over Australia. So is it possible to do a part-time or casual job in a construction or related field while I am studying my masters in accounting? Has anyone done this?

I understand White Card is a requirement, let me know of any other hard requirements. I only intent to lend a hand in some work if there is a shortage.

How bad is the job market really? I’m in Perth. I read on here and it looks as though people are sending through hundreds of applications, and taking 6 months to a year to land a job - but it doesn’t say if they are keeping to certain standard (ie same industries/roles/salary expectations/etc).

I ask as I’ve landed an interview on my first role applied for. However it was a panic application after a redundancy. It’s entry level in a different industry, at a 15k pay cut. I have 6 months buffer of wages from the redundancy, so I’m not sure if getting this interview was a lucky fluke, or I’ve compromised on myself too early in the search. Room for growth, but I can’t see myself enjoying it long enough to go for growth.

Is the market so bad and I’ve just been lucky here, that I should take the interview and thank my lucky stars, or is it bad because most are trying to find specific roles, and specific salary? I’ve only applied for 2 others since, but the application is still open for ~12 days so a while before I’ll hear if any progression or not.

Thank you

G'day,

I was just hoping to get some clarity on a situation I ran into recently. I was hired by a labour hire company back in February for an entry level job at a pretty large multinational company that specialises in metal coatings. For the first week when I went out to lunch I'd take the 30 minute break I thought I was entitled to, only to find that almost everyone else was already back in the lunch room in a productivity meeting. When I lodged my timesheets with the 30 minute breaks they were knocked back and changed to 25 minutes. The second week I took the 25 minute breaks, but the last 5 minutes of that break was taken up by the productivity meeting, making it effectively a 20 minute break. It got to the Thursday on the third week and I was told that I'd been sacked due to "lack of motivation". I thought it might’ve been down to the fact I was a bit fatigued (a 5am-1pm shift with a single 20 minute break from 9:40-10:00 will do that). At no point did any of the managers or supervisors actually tell me how long my break was supposed to be and I didn't think to ask the labour hire company about it. Luckily, the labour hire company found me a great new role fairly quickly but my recruiter strangely couldn't get any feedback as to why I'd actually been let go after I pushed back.

Funnily enough, another bloke started at the new company I'm with the week after I started and he'd also worked for the same company but at a different site. He confirmed that they also worked under the same conditions. It's probably too late to lodge a Fair Work complaint but I feel bad for the poor blokes who have to work there. I'm also unsure who is responsible for making sure that award conditions are met.

I've been job searching since September last year and have been unemployed for about ten months. Late last year, I had a great government job offer with a salary I was happy with, but unfortunately, it fell through (through no fault of my own). I have a long career in senior administrative/executive support roles, glowing references, and I'm always told I interview really well. I've had a few more interviews, and recently got to the final round for a government contract role and just heard back that they chose someone "with a little bit more experience" (read: government experience, which I don't have). I've never been unemployed for this long before, or had as much trouble even getting interviews. Recruiters used to jump at the chance to have me on their books and place me in a role. I haven't had any interest from a single recruiter.

Today, I verbally accepted an administration role with a private company. This role is a step backwards career-wise for me, and it's significantly less than my most recent salary and what I was aiming for. The staff seem really nice, and I'm sure I can do the job easily. The role is also permanent, not a contract. There may be some room for growth within the company. I accepted simply because the current job market is so dire, we're about to enter a recession (and possibly WWIII), and the cost of living is about to escalate. I exhausted my savings months ago. I have a side gig that brings in a small amount of extra income, and without it, it would be difficult to live on this new salary, even though I don't have an expensive lifestyle.

Has anyone been in a similar situation recently?

I know I'm being pragmatic, but I feel so anxious that it will look like a step backwards on my resume, and it's a big step back, salary-wise, too. I am really grateful that soon I'll have an income again. My solidarity with everyone also struggling right now.

I am also currently studying part-time to retrain for a different career with high earning potential, so I really hope it won't matter as much in the long run. I hope I'm just overthinking and it will only be a medium-term financial sacrifice -- and it's preferable to still being on the dole!

Does anyone have any advice on good casual jobs in Sydney that actually give high-quality, learning experience? I'm 15yr old and don't have any experience, but would like to get some.

Also, does anyone know what the acceptable weekly hours are for someone like me? Thanks in advance!

I was asked in a job interview yesterday what my date of birth was and whether I had children and if so, how old they were. How does this still fly in 2026?

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Hey everyone F in her 20s looking to do a diploma in community services or youth work but bit unsure on what exactly is the difference?

I would really like to work in the field as a case manager or program coordinator but im not to sure which is more ideal.

Im would like to know which program opens up the most opportunities for work , ideally in Sydney, straight after qualification with little barriers of entry ie a true entry level, no experience job

Also if anyone has feedback on getting jobs via these courses and difficulty in doing so/any advice I would be so grateful to hearing you out!

Thanks in advance guys!!!

On the hunt for work, and mates keep going on about getting in touch with recruiters, i've tried to call them where numbers are available, reached out on linkedin, email, the actual sites and am starting to think maybe I'm doing it wrong? no one has responded back or shown any interest. How do I actually go about sitting down with a recruiter? or is this just not a thing in the current market.

Hi everyone,

I am an international student who was seeking for a a part time to gain experience.

I recently applied for a part-time admin assistant role in gumtree and wanted some advice on whether this seems legitimate or not.

The offer is for Admin assistant he owns a photography business on his name and he needs an assistant to manage the calls with clients and data entry in excel.

Here’s the timeline and current situation :

- contacted in gumtree and got a reply to email my resume.

- I had an online zoom interview, but the interviewer did not ask me to show the face or showed his face and asked me questions like why I needed this job any CRM tools experience etc.

- after couple of days I received employment contract to sign which had me to sign and give my personal details along with my previous employer references

- Now they are asking me to send my ID and bank details via email. And they did not ask my TFN of ABN.

What do I do next

Some additional things I noticed:

- The business seems to exist with a valid ABN

- website and the testimonials seems too generic

- social media has no post since 2020

I haven’t sent any sensitive information yet.

Does this sound like a scam or something I should be cautious about? Has anyone experienced something similar in Australia?

Thanks in advance!