Working and studying in a foreign country can be challenging. But the truth is that many students in Australia get jobs even without advanced skills or fluent English.

To help you prepare, we’ve compiled our 5 top tips for job search success for international students.

1. Know your rights and responsibilities

It is important to know your rights and responsibilities to work in Australia. As a worker you have rights around minimum pay, leave entitlements, and workplace health and safety. The Fair Work Ombudsman can provide you with information and advice about your work rights.

If you intend to work in Australia, you’ll need to apply for a Tax File Number (TFN), a personal reference number used in the tax and super systems.

If you’re on a student visa, once your course has commenced you are permitted to work a maximum of 40 hours per fortnight (20 hours per week) when your course is in session, and unlimited hours when your course is not in session.

2. Make a list of hiring companies

Allow enough time for your job search, including putting aside time to learn about the Australian recruitment process, research your target industry, potential employers and the local job market.

To help you find a great job, we’ve compiled a list with over 60 human resources / staffing agencies in Melbourne, categorised per industry. Click here to download the list.

3. Network

They say “who you know” is important, and many jobs today are found through word of mouth.

I cannot stress enough how important your connections can be to a future job. Start cultivating friendships already, do not miss the parties and meetings of your class. Finally, find people within your industry. Melbourne is a fantastic city with events happening all the time. I registered at MeetUp and get a dozen events invitations every week.

You can also set up a LinkedIn profile, connect online and follow potential employers of interest, and join relevant online forums and LinkedIn groups.

4. Train your cover letter

Include a brief summary about how your skills and experiences match the job description. A short bullet list is fine.

If you’re answering a job advertisement, there may be a position description that lists essential skills and experiences. It may also have a list of ‘desirable’ skills and experience. Your cover letter needs to respond to all of the items on the ‘essential’ list. You should also respond to as many items as you can on the ‘desirable’ list.

Remember that if you say you have a skill or experience, you need to show how you’ve used it or how you got it (for example, if you say you’ve got child-minding skills, mention some jobs where you’ve used them).

5. Develop your skill set and value your work experience

Participate in classes and improve your skill set. If you are doing great at school, you will certainly do great in the job market as well. Remember that you are here primarily to study, and work should be a consequence of your studies. It’s also super okay not to land your first job within your industry. This can take some time and many employers even like to see a curriculum with diverse experiences because this demonstrates that you are a professional capable of adaptation, regardless of where you are working now.

Also, seize opportunities to develop the skills employers are looking for alongside your study – through casual work, volunteer experiences and by joining clubs and societies.