Do You Think You Could Find Guaranteed Work within a Week?

peterpeterpumpkin on 26/10/2017 - 22:23
Last edited 26/10/2017 - 22:30

Let's say you're a single, "fully-grown" adult born and raised in Sydney and you've never had a previous long-term job. Maybe you were in a coma or whatever but that isn't important.

You've had free food and board your whole life and you're about to be made homeless at the end of the week. You don't have a car. But you do have $200 to your name.

You're too proud to ask for assistance from friends, family or the government. But you're willing to work for anyone that would have you.

Do you think you could secure sufficient work and accommodation (…perhaps with a bond exclusion) within a week?

You can travel as far as you can afford to find work. You can't get a face tattoo and go on TV claiming you can't find a job. Oh yeah, no "special" services.

Alternatively, do you think the real-life you could get another job within a week?

Education & Work

Comments

  • Herodotus on 26/10/2017 - 22:24
    +2

    Craigslist. Own it.

    • bobbified on 26/10/2017 - 22:33

      Be more specifc… the "Personals" category! haha

  • SydStrand on 26/10/2017 - 22:33
    +5

    Pick fruit. Always work and no one wants to do it, that's why it's all done by immigrants and backpackers. Ditto with dairy.

    • peterpeterpumpkin on 27/10/2017 - 00:22

      Have you picked fruit before? If so, what were your experiences like?

      I've picked fruit in Australia and abroad and have had mixed experiences. I think the 88 day farm work requirement for a second year visa contributes somewhat to the exploitation. This article touches on some of the problems (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-18/how-88-days-can-turn-i…).

      I too have been promised work by working hostels only to see a handful of days a week at best - and that's in season.

  • mbck on 26/10/2017 - 22:49
    +1

    airtasker/uber/deliveroo? temporarily while you go look for a more permanent job. It's better than sitting around sulking.

    • peterpeterpumpkin on 27/10/2017 - 00:13

      Have you tried any of these yourself? If so, how much did you make and how soon were you paid (just so people have an idea).

      • jelko on 27/10/2017 - 00:48

        I've done a bit of AirTasker work. Once you complete the job and the other person 'releases' the funds, it takes about 1 day for the money to reach your bank account.

  • Diji1 on 26/10/2017 - 22:51
    +1

    Is it your child?

  • bobbified on 26/10/2017 - 22:55

    There's got to be more to your story… It's hard to give you some good advice without knowing all your circumstances.

    You're pretty much saying that you've got no skills or experience whatsoever, but it sounds more like you're selling yourself short without even knowing.

    Behind the anonymity of the internet, would you mind sharing more details about yourself? Even if you've been in lockup all these years, no-one is going to judge if you're here to look for genuine advice. If anything, you'll receive encouragement.

    • fossilfuel on 26/10/2017 - 22:57
      +5

      Well he's got the same first name and last name and he's a pumpkin.

      • bobbified on 26/10/2017 - 22:58

        Don't underestimate pumpkins! They can make money by being a prop for Halloween! haha

        • fossilfuel on 26/10/2017 - 23:05
          +1

          And soup too! Delicious delicious pumpkin soup.

        • Nugs on 27/10/2017 - 05:57

          the phrase is "you can't put brains in a pumpkin". It is hard not to underestimate them.

    • peterpeterpumpkin on 26/10/2017 - 23:08
      +1

      Sorry I should have specified this wasn't a real-life case so I had to set rules/circumstances.

      Lately OzBargain has had a lot of people pouring their hearts out explaining that they can't find jobs in their field or any jobs for that matter so I wanted to see how the OzBargain community would respond to a generalised case (not someone with a specific Diploma, Degree or experience) where it was a matter of survival.

      To be honest, it would be more interesting to see a person's responses now and 20 years from now.

      • bobbified on 26/10/2017 - 23:26

        If you're talking about speed in finding jobs, I think the biggest determining factor is someone's personality and their ability to click with other people.

        I think there's subconscious bias when you click with the person that's sitting in front of you.

  • Herodotus on 26/10/2017 - 22:57
    +3

    Can I say, if you have had free board etc all your life, in other words been spoilt, it seems unlikely that you would NOT ask for assistance from friends or centrelink because of personal pride! In fact, it would be likely that years of being kept have conditioned you to believe entry level work is beneath you.

    • bobbified on 26/10/2017 - 23:02

      Just a wild guess, but OP sounds like he's screwed up something previously and is now coming out of lockup wanting to prove to himself, friends and family, that he can make something of himself (without their help).

      • Herodotus on 26/10/2017 - 23:04

        Your wild guess sounds a lot like sentimental cliche.

        • bobbified on 26/10/2017 - 23:09
          +1

          I think you'll be surprised at the attitudes of people who get released from prison.

          Unfortunately, I've had a few mates like that. They don't want anyone to help them at the time of release. But it's a real testing time for them. Some will make it good and give in to some support and others who refuse the support and also fail to make it themselves end up back in there pretty quickly.

        • peterpeterpumpkin on 27/10/2017 - 00:11
          +2

          @bobbified: Although my example wasn't personal, I have met people in similar situations in my travels e.g. former prisoners or former drug addicts often feel like they have something to prove after feeling they'd let everyone down in the past. There have been a few visitors on OzBargain who have been carers for disabled family members or had escaped from abusive situations but we rarely get to hear the details. But I've listened to other people's problems long enough to know we don't all start on the same footing.

  • JetLi on 26/10/2017 - 23:06
    -1

    i would sell my body

    • Herodotus on 26/10/2017 - 23:11

      Bodily fluids such as blood and seamen have a market in hospitals and you can sell your hair to trainee hairdressers and more familarly, organs to black market.

      • JetLi on 27/10/2017 - 01:04

        what's wrong with a career as Magic Mike?

      • try2bhelpful on 27/10/2017 - 13:10
        +2

        You intend to sell sailors?

    • matt3 on 27/10/2017 - 10:39
      +1

      Supply is one thing … demand is another 😃

  • niknah on 26/10/2017 - 23:12

    Here's a guy who walked off the plane in Sydney, found a job on the same day, hadn't even checked into the accommodation…
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEhvpmOMn7s

  • [Deactivated] on 26/10/2017 - 23:22
    +3

    Yes.

    Note that huge numbers of "student visa" migrants do exactly this. This is not some "strange super hard scenario for the aussie cobba".

    Will you able to to go in and demand all "your rights" from day 1? Probably not; but you could totally get a cash in hand job and accomodation same/next day.

  • trustnoone on 26/10/2017 - 23:31

    I've heard its happen to some people, personally, I'd say maybe yeah. I remember sending in my CV to a company on a Thursday from Gumtree, a guy calls me 3 hours later to come in for an interview Friday 8am the next morning. Walked into the interview and out with a fulltime casual position lined up with a guaranteed of full time permanent after 2 weeks if we both agreed I'm happy to stay.

    Unfortunately, I never ended up taking the position though due to other reasons. BUT I did have 2 engineering degrees to my name which was essentially why it made it easier (though never worked before that).

    Without any education though (wasn't specified?) I say you make it difficult, you'd probably have to find something that takes on board, anyone. I think things like fruit picking? and possibly some other jobs out there like it? Or have a mate (or a parents mate) that is happy to take you on.

    • peterpeterpumpkin on 26/10/2017 - 23:51

      Thanks. This is the type of answer I was going for but I think I mis-worded the post and over-emphasised the pre-conditions.

      I wanted to hear what people think is possible if they were placed in someone else's shoes vs their own. I'm in a similar situation to yourself and can exploit tertiary qualifications and acquired technical skills, but this isn't the case for everybody.

      As a former backpacker in the UK with the usual visa restrictions and no government support program I know what it's like to live on the edge but it's interesting to hear the opinions of people that have never experienced that or haven't experienced it in a while (a 60 year old that's been made redundant).

      As someone that's done fruit picking before in Australia and abroad, it's not always easy to find guaranteed work (especially being seasonal work). A lot of working hostels promise "lots of work being available" with many working holiday backpackers discovering in reality they can only find a day a week or less. They often charge the same weekly rate for an 8-bed dorm as what you'd pay for a private room in the same region, so it's a very lucrative business.

      • HighAndDry on 07/11/2017 - 12:22

        If the only types of jobs you can think of to apply for in this situation is "fruit picking" and "hostels", you're not thinking widely enough. You're abled bodied? Construction jobs ABOUND. Hell, you can walk around any decent sized shopping mall and see "Hiring" signs for waiters, waitresses, sales people, etc. Walk into any temp agency and tell them you have NO requirements for what jobs you'll take? Instant work. You won't get good pay no. But you'll get survivable pay.

  • malouphix on 27/10/2017 - 00:14
    +3

    Go to work sites become a labour. Go to city and canvas every single establishment until closing time. Join the defence force.

    • Daabido on 27/10/2017 - 07:17
      +3

      Re join the defence force, that is great if you know how to hurry up and wait. It is a LONG process.

  • Azrael169 on 27/10/2017 - 01:11
    -2

    Easily, simple enthusiasm and a heart beat will get you a good job in this country making 40-50k+ per year. It wont be great work, but it will be work. You just have to accept shit/hard jobs. Within a fortnite you should be able to find something that will pay you close to 80k a year… You just need to accept a job you may not like (I used to make 80k a year in a inbound call centre when i was a Student at Uni)

    Real life me? Hell yes. It would take 2-3 hours and a phone. Would be similar pay to what im getting now. If i was prepared to do locum/temp work and travel it would pay even more.

  • [Deactivated] on 27/10/2017 - 01:47

    Yes and yes. I'd take $10 an hour in a pinch to survive or even less. I have lived on less. I can sleep in the streets, eat almost anything (not poisonous) and be blind to any form of comfort. I've been in worse environments without any problems.

    I've got disaster plans and I live as if my current lifestyle could be taken away from me (financial, man-made or natural disaster) at any moment and I won't be terribly shocked if it did.

    Have open job offers in a couple of other countries and it wouldn't take me very long to find another one if those did not work out. Also I'm growing a side business providing services to international clients.

  • Findo on 27/10/2017 - 02:43

    Go to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Before going to jail, gamble that $200 and see what luck throws you. With a bit of luck, you might hit 4 crocs and big red in a line and get loads of trees. That might buy you some extra time, if not, commit a crime and get locked up. In there you’ll get free food and shelter and some educational activities to pass time. You might even get employed doing prison work.

  • Nugs on 27/10/2017 - 05:58

    could have been a poll?

    yes
    no
    maybe

  • owli on 27/10/2017 - 08:14

    I always found going to a labour-hire recruitment place was the easiest and quickest way to get some work, offered a couple of full-time jobs through that as well.
    If you are young and have not done a customer service or labour job, do it!

  • negger on 27/10/2017 - 10:17

    I would think it is not hard to get a car wash, cleaner, kitchen hand sort of job the same day in cities?. "erotic services" might be another option if that desperate or if that's what floats your boat.

  • Beven2008 on 29/10/2017 - 22:35

    Yes.. I landed in a job with in a week after coming to Australia. I was not paid for that job but they gave me a place to stay for 2hrs work each day. I did not know anyone in this country before I come here,did not have much money with me to rent a place,but yeah I survived..

  • HighAndDry on 07/11/2017 - 12:20

    If you have zero standards/requirements for the job you do - which you shouldn't if you were in that kind of situation - easily. There are HUNDREDS of jobs which people basically turn their noses up at.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join