Your first job.
Actually sorted.

It's tempting to apply for anything with a "hiring now" sign in the window. That's fine as a backup plan, but a few minutes thinking about the kind of work that suits you now will save you from quitting in six weeks, which matters, because your first job is also the first line of your work history.

You don't need a five-year plan. You need honest answers to a handful of practical questions:

• People-facing (retail, hospitality, customer service) or behind the scenes (stock, admin, warehouse, kitchen)?
• Set shifts or a rotating roster, and does that fit around school, TAFE or uni?
• On your feet all day, or at a desk?
• Somewhere you can get to without relying on a lift every shift?
• A big team environment, or something smaller and quieter?

There's no wrong answer: the point is narrowing "a job, any job" down to "these three or four kinds of roles," which makes every step from here on faster and less draining.

Most entry-level hiring managers already expect a first-job resume to be light on work history. What they're actually screening for is reliability, attitude and a bit of proof you can follow through, and you've got more evidence of that than you think.

Structure it like this, on one page

• Name, phone, email, suburb (no need for a full street address or your date of birth)
• A two-line summary: who you are, what you're looking for, and one strength backed by an example
• Education: school or TAFE, expected completion, any subjects relevant to the role
• Skills: this is the section doing the heavy lifting (see below)
• Experience: paid, unpaid, informal, all of it counts here
• Referees, or "available on request" if you'd rather share names when asked directly

What counts as experience when you've never had a job

Leave off the objective statement nobody reads twice, the photo, and anything about age, relationship status or nationality: none of it is relevant, and Australian employers aren't meant to ask.

Plenty of casual and entry-level roles don't require a formal cover letter, but a short, specific email or application message beats a bare resume attachment every time. Four sentences is plenty:

1. Who you are and what role you're applying for
2. One sentence on why this business specifically: not a copy-paste line that could apply anywhere
3. One line on your availability
4. A thank you and how to reach you

Skip "To Whom It May Concern" if you can help it. A minute on the business's website or Facebook page is usually enough to find a name to address.

Most first jobs come from a mix of a few channels, not one. Work through them in this order:

• Tell people: family, friends, teachers, coaches. Word of mouth still fills more entry-level roles than any job board.
• Seek and Indeed, filtered to "entry level" or "no experience required," and set to your local area only
• Walk in with a printed resume for retail, hospitality and trades: many managers still prefer this to an inbox of applications
• Local Facebook community groups and noticeboards, which often carry jobs that never make it to the big sites
• Your school, TAFE or uni careers noticeboard or careers advisor
• Workforce Australia, for young people and eligible jobseekers who want structured support finding a first role

Apply in small, tailored batches of five to eight rather than blasting fifty identical applications: a resume and note tweaked for the actual role gets noticed, and it's far less draining to keep up.

Nerves before your first interview are completely normal: the hiring manager knows it's your first job too, and most are looking for how you handle the conversation, not a polished performance.

Before you walk in

• Bring two printed copies of your resume, a notebook and pen, and photo ID
• Neat and clean beats new and expensive: you don't need to buy an outfit
• Arrive 10 minutes early, not 30: turning up too early can be as awkward as running late

The questions you can actually prepare for

Nearly every entry-level interview circles back to a short list. Use a simple structure for each, what the situation was, what you did, and how it turned out:

• "Tell me about yourself": two sentences on background, one on why you want this role
• "Why do you want to work here?": be specific to the business, not generic
• "Describe a time you worked in a team": school, sport and family all count
• "What are your availability and hours?": know this cold before you arrive
• "Do you have any questions for us?": always say yes (see below)

This is the part most first-job guides skip, and it's the part that actually protects you. A few things to have sorted before, or in, your first week:

Tax File Number

Apply for a free Tax File Number (TFN) through the ATO before you start, or give your employer your details as soon as you have them. Without one, you'll be taxed at the top rate until it's sorted.

Minimum pay

Almost every entry-level job is covered by a Modern Award, which sets the minimum pay rate and conditions for that industry, including any junior or casual rates that apply if you're under 21 or not in a permanent role. Rates are reviewed each year, so check the current figure on the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool rather than relying on a number you saw somewhere online.

Superannuation

On top of your wage, your employer is required to pay super into a fund of your choice once you meet the eligibility rules: this applies to most employees regardless of age these days. Check ato.gov.au for the current super guarantee rate and how to choose or check your fund.

Casual, part-time or full-time

Casual roles usually pay a loading on top of the base rate in exchange for no guaranteed hours or leave. Part-time and full-time roles have set hours and give you access to paid leave. Know which one you're signing up for: it changes your take-home pay and your entitlements.

Your first pay slip should show

• Your employer's name and ABN
• The pay period and date paid
• Gross pay, tax withheld, and net (take-home) pay
• Super contributions paid on your behalf
• Your hours worked and pay rate

If any of this looks off, or missing altogether, the Fair Work Ombudsman (fairwork.gov.au) is the right first call, not your manager's mate down the pub.

• Turn up 10�15 minutes early on day one: after that, just on time is fine
• Carry a small notebook. Writing things down the first time you're told them saves you asking twice
• Learn names early: your manager's, and whoever's training you
• Ask questions instead of guessing. Nobody expects you to know the till system on day one
• Keep your phone away on shift unless it's part of the job
• After the first week, ask your manager how you're tracking: most will tell you straight, and it beats wondering

Your first job teaches you how to work: showing up, being reliable, handling a team, dealing with people on a bad day. What you do with that next is where an actual career starts to take shape.

If you've found yourself more drawn to the admin, coordination, customer service or "keeping things organised" side of the job than the front counter itself, that's usually a sign office and business-support work is worth a proper look. The gap most people hit is that "I've had one job" doesn't say much on a resume, but "I've had a job, and I hold a nationally recognised qualification in business" does.

That's the exact gap Australian Work Skill was built to close. Our courses, including the Certificate III in Business, are delivered 100% online with a 1:1 personal mentor and a dedicated Student Engagement Manager, built around people fitting study in around a first job, not the other way round.