Part-time work — 48 hours a fortnight, used properly

That covers rent and food in most cities outside central Sydney and Melbourne. It does not cover tuition — never plan your fees around part-time earnings, and never suggest to a visa officer that you intend to.

Always confirm current award rates on the Fair Work Ombudsman website (fairwork.gov.au) — they're reviewed annually and vary by exact classification and experience level.

1. 1

   Day 1 — open a bank account

   You need account details before you can apply for a Tax File Number (TFN) and before any employer can pay you.

2. 2

   Day 2 — apply for your Tax File Number

   Apply free via the Australian Taxation Office website. Without a TFN, your employer must withhold tax at the top marginal rate — around 45% of your pay — until you provide one.

3. 3

   Day 3 — write a one-page Australian resume

   No photo, no date of birth, no marital status, no religion. Name, Australian phone number and address, a two-line summary, availability by day, work history with achievements, two referees.

4. 4

   Days 4–6 — walk in with printed resumes

   Twenty cafés, supermarkets and shops. Ask for the manager between 2pm and 4pm when they're least busy, and say: 'I'm a student at [university], available [days], and looking for part-time work — is there someone I should speak to?'

5. 5

   Day 7 — apply online in volume

   Seek, Indeed, and university-specific job boards (many careers services run one just for students). Also check hospitality- and retail-specific group hiring boards on Facebook.

6. 6

   Days 8–10 — use your sharehouse and classmates

   Ask every flatmate and classmate whether their workplace is hiring. Referral hires beat cold applications by a wide margin in casual hospitality and retail.

• ✓
  One page, plain formatting

  No colours, no photo, no graphics. Managers scan it in under a minute.

• ✓
  State your availability explicitly

  'Available Mon/Wed/Fri after 3pm, all weekend' answers the manager's only real question.

• ✓
  Use Australian spelling and phone format

  'Organised', not 'organized'. Number formatted as 04xx xxx xxx.

• ✓
  Quantify achievements

  'Served 60+ customers per shift' beats 'good communication skills'.

• ✓
  Two contactable referees

  A lecturer and, once you have one, a previous employer — always ask permission first.

• ✓
  Mention your visa work rights in one line

  'Student visa with work rights up to 48 hours per fortnight during term' removes the employer's main hesitation upfront.

Your TFN links your pay to the tax system and is separate from your visa. Once you're earning, you're generally also entitled to superannuation (compulsory retirement savings) paid on top of your wage by your employer once you meet the minimum earnings threshold — this is not deducted from your pay, it's paid in addition. Keep every payslip; you'll need them to check your super is being paid correctly and, in some cases, to claim a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) after you leave. Rules and thresholds change, so confirm current settings with the ATO before assuming.