Student Jobs & Careers Australia

International students in Australia hold a Subclass 500 visa that allows limited paid work while studying. The standard rule is a maximum of 48 hours per fortnight during the academic session. Outside formal study periods (semester breaks), unlimited hours are usually permitted. “In session” refers to the periods when your course is officially running according to the education provider’s calendar. Work placement that forms a compulsory part of your course does not count toward the 48-hour limit. Once you have completed your studies (including submission of a thesis or dissertation), you may work unrestricted hours until the visa expires, provided you still hold a valid student visa. Dependents on a student visa also have work rights, though the primary visa holder must remain compliant. Self-employment is generally not permitted under the student visa conditions. For the most accurate and up-to-date answers to these questions, refer to the comprehensive Visa and Working Rights guid...

Why Brisbane Brisbane has a growing mix of consulting, engineering, finance and retail employers. That gives students several entry routes. Three job types to know Part-time jobs such as retail and hospitality help you earn during your studies. Summer internships at engineering and consulting firms build relevant experience. Graduate programs give you a structured start after your degree. Know your work limits Student visa (subclass 500) holders can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session, and unlimited hours during study breaks, per Study Australia . A fortnight starts on a Monday. Search smarter Filter by role type and check when a listing was posted. Recent listings are more likely to still be open. You can browse verified Brisbane listings on Student Circus . Final tip Tailor each application to the employer, and ask your careers team about visa conditions before you accept an offer.

Many students arrive worried about living costs. Australia’s high minimum wage and student work rights make part-time employment a realistic solution. Visa work limits explained simply During study periods the limit is 48 hours every two weeks. During scheduled university breaks the restriction lifts. Research students (Masters by Research and PhD) often have unrestricted rights once their research begins. Popular sectors that hire students Cafés and restaurants value reliable evening and weekend availability. Retail stores offer consistent shifts. On-campus library, admin, and peer-tutoring roles minimise travel time. Delivery platforms suit those with a bike or car who want complete schedule control. Practical first steps Update your résumé for Australian employers, practise common interview questions, and apply in person at quieter times (mid-afternoon on weekdays). Check award rates on the Fair Work Ombudsman site so you know the correct pay. Student Circus aggregates part-t...

Australia's persistent skills shortage in technology, healthcare, engineering, and hospitality has forced employers to rethink where they look for talent. One increasingly effective answer is the country's own international graduate population — students who have already completed Australian qualifications, understand local workplace culture, and are eligible for visa-sponsored roles. International graduates bring more than technical qualifications. Many arrive with multilingual fluency and firsthand understanding of overseas markets, which is valuable for companies with export ambitions or multicultural customer bases. Yet many small and mid-sized employers still don't have a structured channel to reach this talent pool, relying instead on generic job boards that weren't built with visa-sponsorship logistics in mind. Platforms built specifically around international graduate hiring solve this gap. For example, Student Circus connects employers directly with graduate jo...

  The hiring process isn't hidden — it's just misunderstood Most international students assume Australian employers have a separate, secretive hiring track just for visa holders. They don't. In reality, international graduates compete inside the same recruitment pipeline as everyone else — through Seek, Indeed, LinkedIn, and university career hubs — and visa sponsorship only enters the conversation after an employer has already decided they want to hire you. This distinction matters because it changes how you should spend your job-search time. Instead of hunting for "visa sponsor" job boards, the smarter strategy is applying broadly, performing well in internships or part-time roles, and letting sponsorship conversations happen naturally once an employer sees your value. In 2026, this timing matters more than ever: since 1 July, the minimum salary an employer must pay to sponsor a visa (the Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold) rose to AUD 79,499. Employe...

  Most students panic the moment a job application asks for a resume, mainly because they think "no experience" means "nothing to write." That's not how Australian recruiters read a first-job resume. What they're actually screening for is attitude, willingness to learn, and evidence that you've done something with your time — even if it was unpaid. If you're building your first resume, structure matters more than content volume. Recruiters expect to see, in this order: your name and a short professional summary, contact details, educational qualifications with relevant coursework, any certifications or online courses, and then a skills list. Employment history isn't mandatory at this stage — but volunteer work, part-time gigs, and extracurricular leadership roles absolutely count and should be treated with the same formatting rigour as a "real" job. A common mistake is writing a summary that only lists qualifications. A stronger approa...