$4,000 on Tickets, 150 Seek Applications, and a Google Maps Search for "civil": How I Landed an Aussie Site Job

Hi! I'm a working holiday maker, and I've been working on civil sites in Brisbane for a year now.

The thing people planning a working holiday stress about most is "How do I actually find work?"

I spent quite a bit of money and time figuring this out.
I spent over $4,000 on tickets and applied for 150 jobs on Seek, and I didn't hear back from a single one.
In the end, I got work a completely different way. That's what this post is about.

1. 150 applications on Seek → 0 replies

I applied for 150 construction jobs on Seek. Replies: zero.
I'm not saying Seek is bad. But in my case it just didn't work for construction jobs, so I wouldn't recommend it for this.

2. I changed tack - agencies + emailing companies directly

With a "just contact everyone and be proactive" mindset, I did two things at the same time.

① Registering my resume with agencies
A lot of construction work comes through labour hire agencies. Here are the ones I looked into.

Celotti / 701 Recruitment / Aston Advantage / Fetch Recruitment / Workpac / AWX / Programmed Skilled Workforce / Omni Recruit / JV Recruitment

• They mostly get in touch by text and email.
• Once your resume is registered, you can start hearing back straight away, or within a month at the latest.

② Search 'civil' on Google Maps → company website → job enquiry email
I opened Google Maps, searched 'civil', went to the websites of the companies that came up, and sent them an email asking for work.
Instead of just waiting for agencies, I reached out first.

3. A 5-minute interview on site at a company I'd emailed → hired

Meanwhile I kept talking with the agencies too, and nearly ended up going with one of them.
But in the end, one of the companies I'd emailed gave me a 5-minute interview on site and offered me the job.
I started as a casual labourer about a month after arriving in Australia, and now I work full-time for that same company.

Keep your email short, like this (example)

This isn't word-for-word what I sent. It's an example I put together so it's easy to use if you've never sent one before.

────────────
Subject: Labourer enquiry - [Your Name] (White Card holder)

Hi [Company name],

My name is [Your Name], a working holiday maker based in Brisbane.
I hold a White Card and I'm looking for labouring work on your civil sites.
I'm available to start immediately. My resume is attached.

Thanks,
[Your Name]
[Phone number]
────────────

No need to write much. Just show who you are, what tickets you have, and when you can start.

Don't push yourself too hard in agency fitness tests

Some agencies measure your height, weight and grip strength, and give you a simple reading and writing test. Some also run fitness checks like carrying water containers, holding weights, or push-ups.
As long as you pass the minimum, it doesn't seem to matter much, so don't overdo it and get hurt.

Getting lots of tickets didn't get me a job

The machines they'll actually let someone with no experience use are about Roller, Skid steer🔒, Moxy🔒. Having those tickets can give you a shot at operating machines.
Still, I think you should get your White Card first, and get the rest once you've started working and actually need them. It's not too late then.

In short

• Agencies + direct emails over Seek
• If you don't have contacts, being proactive and showing you're keen matters most. Some people even find work by ringing companies directly.
• For tickets, start with the White Card

I've also covered job-hunting tips and the agency list in Jobi's free guide "From Visa to Your First Day".
And once you start work, the English that's only used on site becomes the real hurdle, so I've collected those words with photos in the Jobi word list.

🧭 Read the guide: "From Visa to Your First Day on Site" →

Where did you find work? Let me know in the comments.

In the next post, I'll write about how I got my visa extension (second-year visa) days while working near the city.