BUNAC: Work in Australia

I spent a portion of a year in Australia thanks to the help of the staff at BUNAC. It was one of the most valuable experiences of my life. The WorknHoliday program is awesome for people who want to go abroad, but not be totally on their own. The program provides guidance through all the steps of getting prepared for the trip, as well as getting you set up once you arrive. They have a hardworking and passionate team of people on both ends, and you are really taken care of with your best interests in mind. I really enjoyed my time there and am truly grateful for the help and support I received. I would highly recommend this to someone who wants an adventure with their own support group right there with them. 5 stars!!

I think my wife and I were expecting different things from this program than what they provided. The communication and details on the program were a little lacking, and I can't say we felt like much was taken care of.

We were told multiple times that someone would call us to set up flights and they never did. On one of the emails we were sent there was also some misinformation about where we could book a flight to. So when we booked our own flight, we made a mistake and lost a few hundred dollars on tickets that we didn't need.

The visa process was something you can easily fill out on your own if you're from the US, and the job opportunities available through the company are really only good options if you're willing to move around a lot and only live in a city/region temporarily. This is fine if that's what you're hoping to do, but again, we didn't feel this was clearly stated.

Pretty much everything else that was set up was nothing difficult or special. The only thing that we were really assisted with was getting our TFN, and I'm sure we could have figured that out if we needed too.

The staff are all very friendly and helpful, but if you're someone who isn't afraid to ask around and do a bit of googling, or who has ever traveled abroad before, this program really isn't for you. It's probably much better for first timers.

Unless this is your first time moving abroad or looking for work, I wouldn't bother with BUNAC's services if you're a native English speaker. Everything they offer can be easily done yourself.

The visa application itself is very easy, no need for their guidance on that front. Getting your TFN number (for taxes) is a simple form. They delayed my number for a while because the woman at the office wanted to "check with me about something" and insisted I come back to the office to talk to her. She wanted to make sure I was legally married and submit the application properly in front of me so she "doesn't mess anything up." She only knew I was married because it came up in a casual chat! No where on their paperwork did it ask if I was married, and I assumed it was irrelevant.

The first-days benefits went unused because I was not allowed to add on a second person (my husband) to my airport shuttle reservation, nor upgrade my room type at the hostel, or switch it to another time/location.

The SIM card went unused because they give you the most expensive cell carrier in Australia-- $20 more per month! It's better if you're out on the farms, but I wasn't going to do that.

I booked knowing I wouldn't use many of their services, but I knew I wanted help getting work, from both their jobs board and their employees.

As for the job board, it's nice, but it's riddled with omissions. Many listings say "email your resume" only to have a phone number provided. That's because they lift the jobs from Seek, and Seek has an internal submission that they can't replicate on their job board. So I would be forced to call and get the email and I was never called back for any of those jobs because it makes you look pretty incompetent. (No, I tried and could not find the same listings on Seek itself.)

There are two women who are charged with helping us find work. They are both backpackers on their 2nd work holiday visa, and they're German and Italian. They're very nice and their English is good, but that's not what I was looking for. I wanted an Australian's perspective on wording choices in my resume, which was impossible for them to do.

In general, this is a good idea for non-English speakers who will have trouble navigating paperwork and visas because it's difficult in a second language. But if you speak English, then it's all very straightforward on your own.

I genuinely can't thank BUNAC enough.

It all started with one of BUNAC's group flights from LA to Australia (with an incredible stop over in Fiji). From the moment we all met at the airport I knew I'd made friends for life - and I was right! Knowing I had friends to settle into Sydney with made the whole process so much easier and I couldn't recommend it more!

The support we got throughout the year was awesome and I was lucky enough to never be out of a job for long thanks to the recruitment agency BUNAC signed us up with.

The only thing I would change is not being able to get a visa for life... I never want to leave Australia.

The package was really well run, and it was great to start my first week off in Australia with a group of likeminded travellers. I opted for BUNAC's Ultimate programme so got to explore Sydney on an inclusive week of activities and accommodation. We stayed in Wake-up which is an awesome backpacker hostel in the middle of Sydney. The initial support with banking and tax was great and job support came straight after. I opted to stay in Sydney for a while so was able to make use of the job support team in the Sydney office right away. The office is in a good location of the city, and the staff there are so friendly and knowledgeable! Would highly recommend the program.

This programme is absolutely great for a first time traveller or anyone who is travelling alone and wants to make a lot of great mates along the way. I took the group flight through BUNAC so I was already in great company with 18 other like-minded travellers! BUNAC took all the stress out of the trip and I felt supported right from the start. On arrival into Sydney we were taken to the Sydney office and given a full welcome orientation which was incredibly useful. The job hunting resources were also great and I had found work within 2 weeks and a great apartment share within 3 weeks. I always felt like I had somewhere I could go for advise and support and the Sydney office had some awesome social events as well! Overall my year in Oz was incredible and it was thanks to BUNAC that I made so many amazing friends and everything from jobs to setting up a bank account ran smoothly. I would highly recommend them to any traveller.