BE PREPARED

WE WANT YOU TO SUCCEED IN YOUR ADVENTURE IN AUSTRALIA AND IN YOUR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT JOURNEY

We have gathered together a few key points about working on farms in Australia.
Awareness of these will help you to make a success of your farm work.
We know from running these programmes since 1991 that succeeding in rural Australia is within anyone's reach.
One very important part of success is being prepared for the inevitable challenges and learning that will happen.
The information on this page is designed to help that process, helping you to arrive here with your eyes opened, ready, willing, and up for the challenge and the experience.

EXPECTATION SETTING

it is competitive - get prepared

Competitive market for workers - Get organised - be prepared - invest in yourself

Tens of thousands of working holiday makers seek farm work in Australia every year.
It pays to get organised and be prepared.
Be prepared to get skills and demonstrate abilities that make you employable.
If you dont have the right skills then we recommend that you invest in yourself by getting some training and experience before you get here.
If you want advice about how to prepare, contact us.
Preparation can start months or years before you come here.
THE LAST SECTION ON THIS PAGE HAS SOME IDEAS THAT MAY BE USEFUL ! (SOME GUIDANCE...)

lollipops and rainbows

Not all 'lollipops and rainbows'

Rural Australia is a hard working place.
As the saying goes, Australian farming is not all 'lollipops and rainbows', sunsets, beer, star filled skies, cattle mustering, Hugh Jackman, Crocodile Dundee, or anything else you may imagine.
These things exist of course, but day to day life is often quite different from the romantic adventure that some people imagine.
Most farm roles offered to short term workers is entry level, day to day routine farmwork.
Australian Farmers are hard working independent minded characters, and you will need to adapt to this.
Work on livestock or crop farms is very different to fruit picking.
It is usually more skilled and with greater risk and more responsibility.
Your ability to adapt, fit in and learn fast is what will give you the best chance of succeeding in a farm role.
Previous relevant experience and skills are greatly valued, even if they are not always essential.
Attitude, work ethic and aptitude for physical, practical tasks are essential.

THE SHORT TO MEDIUM TERM JOB MARKET

Time and place

You are searching for an employer with a short to medium term job that fits you, at a time that suits him, at the time that you need it, in a location that suits you. This is a challenging combination of factors that have to line up.
Be realisitic and be flexible with time and location.

BEGINNERS VS EXPERTS - skills and attributes that are useful

Skills and abilities

Farmers will not usually consider employing workers with little previous relevant experience.
Because farm livestock and machinery are very valuable and potentially dangerous, and because it costs time and money to train workers to reasonably effective and safe level.
Previous experience, relevant skills, and the ability to learn fast and communicate well are very important.
Useful attributes
1. Can drive manual vehicles
2. Can ride a manual motorbike / dirt bike
3. Any practical, physical work or activity experience
4. An understanding and awareness of physical safety and risks
5. Speak and understand English well
6. Eat a normal diet (because special diets are not always easy to accommodate in remote areas, and because much of farming is related to the meat industry)
7. Are fit enough to work hard on their feet all day
8. Are willing to start early / work late
9. Can cope with basic living and working conditions
10. Have the attitude to make themselves useful, proactively, using initiative, at all times in the work environment

COST OF EMPLOYING YOU

Pay

To employ a farm worker at legal minimum wage rates costs a farmer approx. $1,500 per week for 38 hours work.
38 hours gives the employee approximately $800 take home pay. (NB This varies between employers)
From the employers point of view, you will need to prove you are worth it. Fast.

working environment - can be tough

Working Environment

Farms in Australia can be a significant distance from shops and other facilities.
Most farms provide on farm food and accommodation as part of the employment package, so you may need to adjust to living and working in the same place.
Mobile phone service and internet may be limited or not exist.
Living conditions and accommodation may be basic.
Bugs, dirt and wild animals are part of Australian rural life that you need to be able to accept and work with.
You will be living and working in the same environment, most probably as part of a small team, and may be staying there for weeks at a time. This may be challenging at times, physically, socially and emotionally.

some guidance - PERSONAL ATTRIBUTEs & getting prepared GUIDELINES

TO HAVE SOME OF THESE ATTRIBUES IS ESSENTIAL
TO HAVE ALL OF THEM WOULD BE EXTREMELY GOOD

GET FIT (for working on your feet all day long, 6 days a week)
HAVE A PLAN AND A REASON FOR BEING HERE - THIS IS YOUR MOTIVATION ON TOUGH DAYS
DEVELOP A PERSONAL / SKILLS EXPERIENCE DEVELOPMENT PLAN
Manual driving licence, 2 wheel manual gear motorbike riding
Learn to cook 10 meals for yourself
Some manual work experience; mechanics, welding, construction site, stables, farm, workshop, mow the lawn, paint the house, change a tire, DIY, fix and mend
volunteer to gain experience
The equivalent of at least 6 months full time work experience (so you know how to function in a workplace)
Practical / physical work experience or volunteering (so you know how to work 'hands on')
Good at workplace communication - taking instructions, communicating progress etc
Practice being proactively helpful - at work, at home, wherever. Use your initiative. Don't wait to be asked.
Smile. Enthuse. Bring your positive energy. Bring your positive body language.
Be sociable, get involved.
Do it as well as you can. Do it better tomorrow.
Work hard. Play hard. Have fun.