Looking for Something to Do as a Developer

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  p1 ama on 19/05/2025 - 21:19

  +1

  It’s been really hard for me to find an IT job in Adelaide, even unpaid internships. I’ve applied to almost 50 jobs on Seek but still haven’t had any luck.

  Are you just recycling your CV and editing the name of the company you're applying to on your stock standard cover letter? Most likely the reason why you've not had any luck.

  You should start by reviewing / rewriting your CV, and at least writing a genuine cover letter for each position you're applying to. Instead of spamming applications, reduce the number you're applying to, but increase the quality.

  Have you tried other approaches aside from spamming applications? For example, have you been to a careers fair (or similar) at your university, have you tried reaching out to the talent managers who are listed on job advertisements? Usually, they'll list an email or phone number for enquiries, having a chat with them is a good way of increasing your visibility.

  Are you going for graduate level positions or experienced hire? As a final-year student, you should probably go for graduate positions, plenty of technology graduate positions available at most of the major companies.

  • 

    maxvo on 19/05/2025 - 21:34

    One big reason is that I’m not an Australian citizen, which makes things harder for me.

    About the resume part, I do customize it for most of the companies I apply to on Seek and LinkedIn. But like you said, maybe I do need to revisit and improve my resume more carefully.

    Thanks for the advice! I’m still actively looking for opportunities here, so if anyone has any ideas or suggestions, I’d really appreciate it.

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  7ekn00 on 19/05/2025 - 21:23

  +4

  Gather your work into a GitHub page that you link to from your Resume ;)

  Also get used to converting your projects to phone apps (it's very straight forward, but looks impressive to employers)!

  Active examples that can be downloaded and tested from a curated website are far more appealing to employers!

  • 

    maxvo on 19/05/2025 - 21:31

    Yes, I already have all those things you mentioned - a GitHub with many projects (because I like doing stuff), a personal website, and over 3 years of experience back in my country - but I still haven’t had much luck.
    I’m not very sure about the phone app idea you mentioned, but maybe I will give it a try.

    Also, part of the reason might be that I’m not an Australian citizen; I’m actually just an international student.

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  mariusz on 19/05/2025 - 21:35

  Have you considered getting into the job as a tester (QA) , or other IT-related job? it often at the very least involves quite a bit of Python.

  Without a doubt you seem to have a knack to create useful stuff, so any company that actually sees the value would align your position and give you a shot at your desired role.

  FWIW, that was how I eventually got my first coding job in Adelaide.,..

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  chrissssdotcom on 19/05/2025 - 21:43

  +1

  Hey mate - message me on Discord, have some industry contacts in Adelaide that I could push you toward.
  edit: Discord - chrissssdotcom

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  Yiannakis50 on 19/05/2025 - 21:53

  How about you revolutionise the way Australians shop for groceries by creating a single, intuitive platform that consolidates real-time pricing data across major retailers, Woolworths, Coles, IGA, Costco, and Chemist Warehouse. Think of it as the Google of grocery shopping which its not a new concept, but one that finally does it right.

  From what I can see there’s no truly effective tool that aggregates live grocery pricing across multiple chains and presents it in a way that is easy to use, location-aware, and savings-driven. Shoppers are forced to manually compare across apps, websites, and catalogues, often missing out on optimal savings or wasting time and fuel chasing deals.

  What I propose is a mobile-first web and app platform that allows users to:

  Search and compare live prices across major grocery and pharmacy chains (as they sell household goods too)
  Create a shopping list and have it automatically optimised
  Break down which items to buy at which store for the best value
  Use GPS data to weigh cost savings vs travel distance/time
  Get location-specific recommendations, including specials and bulk deals
  Optionally choose between "best total price" or "fewest stops"

  What you want to incorporate is the following:
  Real-time price scraping and syncing
  Shopping list builder with smart suggestions
  Cost vs convenience engine (savings vs km/time)
  Store locator and route optimiser
  Loyalty card integrations (optional future phase)

  Target Market, OZBargainers and budget-conscious shoppers, families, students, and cost-savvy consumers

  Obviously cost of living pressures are driving a demand for smarter, more efficient shopping solutions. While grocery apps exist, none offer full cross-store price comparison tied to live data, location intelligence, and list optimisation hence this is the gap to fill.

  If done well this will become the go-to grocery planning app in Australia, saving users money and time with every shop. Just like Google redefined search, this project will redefine grocery shopping.

  In regards to you making money you can either Affiliate Revenue / Lead Generation

  Partner with major supermarkets and pharmacies. When a user clicks through to add to cart or check out online, the app earns a referral commission (Woolworths, Chemist Warehouse, and Coles all have affiliate capabilities).

  Or

  Freemium Model + Subscription Tier

  Free version with core functionality
  Premium version ($2–5/month) unlocks:
  Fuel cost calculator and route optimization
  Historical price trends and alerts
  Loyalty card automation
  Ad-free experience
  Exclusive bulk-buy savings

  Good luck and if successful give me a free subscription!

  • 

    afayd on 19/05/2025 - 22:25

    That would be awesome. How would one be able to pull all the pricing data, let alone do it in real time? Just scrape all the websites? They'll IP block you soon enough.

    Maybe user-submitted prices? User scans the barcode of product and submits its price. The app shows if others have reported lower prices and indicates where and when.

    • 

      Yiannakis50 on 19/05/2025 - 22:38

      Its a good question and there are definitely some hurdles to overcome! I could only think of scraping which is risky, but there might be ways to partner with retailers or use APIs where available?

      I really like your idea of user-submitted prices. Barcode scanning plus crowd-sourced pricing could fill the gaps and help keep things current. Add a trust/rating system and incentives like reward points or badges, and you’ve got a motivated community keeping prices accurate and up to date.

      It’s ambitious, but doable just needs the right balance of tech, community, and maybe a little goodwill from the retailers

  • 

    Nillionaire on 19/05/2025 - 23:19

    how to get sued by everyone (speedrun edition)

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  jv on 19/05/2025 - 21:55

  Looking for Something to Do as a Developer

  Develop ?

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  Ntang91 on 19/05/2025 - 21:57

  Hey mate, a rostering app for managers will make you big $$$ RN for 10 years and current ambo.

  • 

    Ntang91 on 19/05/2025 - 21:59

    Feel free to msg me on discord: medicboiii

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  boomramada on 19/05/2025 - 23:05

  Find a grad job in Canberra

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  morse on 20/05/2025 - 03:41

  Have you thought about asking this question on an Adelaide based forum? Maybe see if a community based organisation would like something developing. eg a Sport Club, conservation group, animal rescue, homeless outreach etc. Maybe they need something for managing data to do with their organisation, scheduling, activity tracking etc. That way you develop some local connections in the process.

  Speaking of connections, getting involved in community clubs and organisations is a great way to meet people working in different sectors who might be able to link you to job opportunities. Eg join a sports club/team like soccer or cricket, or even pickle ball. Obviously don’t come in hot telling everyone you’re looking for a job (this will come across as disingenuous), but if you actually get involved in the sport and the club, help out where you can, getting to know people these connections can be invaluable once you’ve got to know people over time.

  Have you looked at government jobs?
  https://iworkfor.sa.gov.au
  https://www.apsjobs.gov.au

  Sometimes with gov jobs once you’re in the organisation it opens up the opportunity to apply for only internally advertised positions. As in you start on helpdesk or in a general admin role. They do have some developer roles as well. If they have a contact person listed on the job
  advertisement call them and ask a few questions before applying, eg my experience is xyz is this something that would be useful in this role? Also be clear on your applications what kind of visa you have and how many hours of work this entitles you to do.

  Good luck!