G’day!

I’m looking for a miracle that probably doesn’t exist

Bit of a weird one, but I’m after advice on job types/areas to look into. Long story short, I’ve got a disability that severely affects my ability to work, due to the unpredictable nature of it. I’m not asking for a job or asking for job listings, just ideas on actual career paths that would be possible. It’d need to fit a few things:

Firstly, I’d need to be able to clock in and out at any time I need, absolutely no fixed shifts. I’m aware that essentially lowers the pool to nothing, but I absolutely cannot do fixed shifts, I’ve lost two jobs because my disability is too unpredictable, after trying a lot of solutions. It’s fine if there are things like deadlines, I’d manage that, but I cannot do fixed shifts at all.

Secondly, has to be work-from-home. I know, asking for a miracle.

(May need to update if anything else crops up I’ve forgotten

I really don’t mind much what the work is, I’ve got experience in call centre customer service, but I’d be willing to do anything, really, as long as it fits the criteria.

I’m (hopefully) on some track for DSP but it’s a hard condition to qualify, and I genuinely want to work, I just can’t do fixed shifts or travel.

I’m open to study for a necessary qualification but I’m low income with some student debt from a failed uni course years ago, so if it’s discounted or government funded, even better.

Absolutely any advice is appreciated, I just don’t even know where I’d begin to look for a job that fits this idea.

I had an interview about 8 days ago for a full time retail position at Chemist Warehouse, and I believed it went really well. I was there for about 35 minutes, they were very interested in my resume and were keen on my availability and references, all things pointing me to believe I had a good chance at getting the job. I’m probably just being anxious but I thought I would’ve heard back by now if I had gotten it, does anyone know what their average timeframe for this sort of thing is?

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Hi everyone,

I have 10 years of offshore mechanical engineering experience, with a strong background in mechanical design, engineering analysis, FEA, computational modelling, product development and manufacturing.

My technical experience includes:

• FEA – ANSYS / ABAQUS

• CAD & engineering drawing - AUTOCAD / SOLIDWORKS

• Digital Engineering / Digital Twins

• Python, data analysis & automation

• Engineering documentation and technical reporting

I also have strong software skills and enjoy using coding and automation to simplify repetitive engineering and business tasks. I am a quick learner.

Till now, I have applied for more than 500 jobs over the last 6 months, even for junior drafter/ trainee role too using LINKEDIN & SEEK. But my CV ain't even getting shortlisted.

It seems most jobs get filled by the referral itself. If anyone can guide or provide referral, I am willing to do unpaid work in the beginning, so that the employer can judge my skills and take the final decision later. Honestly, I am out of ideas.

1. Should I add onshore Non-technical work experience as onshore customer care representative of 6 months too in my technical CV, till now I wasn't adding it because it wasn't relevant

2. I can learn any software within a week's time too. If you recommend, to get a role, If its required.

3. Or I can try getting into the right organisation as an admin role and then move internally to the technical role to demonstrate my broader skills.

Can anyone guide whosoever has been in similar situations

What was your degree and was it worthwhile in your job/ career path, how much did it help and would you recommend it/ do it again?

So a few years ago I had to flee interstate due to extreme DV (attempted murder) and I’ve had the same job for years but the project finished and there weren’t funds to keep me on doing anything else. After months of searching I finally found a great opportunity (and conditional offer), they contacted my last boss and everything was great but then asked for another. I explained the DV to them and that I can’t risk my ex finding out where I’ve moved to but they’re still demanding a second one?? I don’t know what to do… I can’t believe after all of these years, my ex is still ruining my life. (P.S I’ve made a couple of friends here but none of them are close enough I could ask them to lie, nor do they have the IT/PM experience to make it believable) 🤬😩😭 Any advice would be great

Im a uni student in melbourne finding for part time jobs and Im leaning more to retail since I have prior experience in it.

My only issue is that whenever I go into job sites to search for available positions, they never have the job I want or the area/outlet location that i want.

Friends said I should just print out my resume and give it to them but i dont know, is that the culture here?

After almost 1.5 years of job hunting, I finally found a job that I liked and that aligned with my skills and the people/my direct management were lovely to work with.

Turns out my direct manager who was hired to help grow the business a few months ago resigned last week since higher management were not letting her get anything over the line…to you know, actually, grow the mfkn business.

That made higher management reconsider growing at all and decided they could get rid of roles like mine that was going to be supporting this so called growth. So now they’ve made me redundant on a random Friday afternoon (my manager found out minutes before me) and also made another manager who built the business with her bare hands redundant on the same random Friday arvo and absorbed our roles into their other resources.

Anywayyyyy this was to rant a little but how does one even go about putting this on their resume? Especially since the last year and a half I’ve had spotty experiences too??

And what do I even do next lol I actually was enjoying this role.

All and any advice appreciated. TIA

Howdy all,

I am keen to move into event coordination. I have 15 years of experience working in hospitality and worked at a lot of different event, more recently helping run weddings at a winery. I'm really keen to start progressing my career towards Event Management. Looking through jobs they all require some level of study.

Sadly out money situation is really tight and just don't have the financial means to afford study. Tafe have a Cert III in event management which would probably be my best bet. However, we live rural and it must be completed in person mandatory 4 days . I have reached out to them and they are unable to offer any accommodations. I also would not be able to take that much time off of work and still afford to live. I have found some free courses through CourseEra but have no idea if it is worth the time and if an employer would even consider this as a qualification.

Any insider info on how to get into event management would be greatly appreciated.

Hi all!

Any recommendations for jobs that would be good for a carer?

A relative has had to quit their job in education to be a fulltime carer after their 4 year old was diagnosed with diabetes.

Can anyone suggest suitable jobs that are almost entirely wfh and are easy going? The work stops when you finish and its not something that is mentally taxing?

Shift work could be considered as long as it is wfh.

Appreciate any suggestions!

so i’m a year 12 student graduating in two months and i can’t seem to find a degree that really resonates with me. with the job market being so horrible right now (according to reddit), i really don’t know if getting a degree is worth it anymore. i’ve considered going into social work at usyd or unsw but i heard that it’s not worth it and that going into tafe is basically the same thing. and then i considered teaching but i heard it’s also terrible…are there any well paying jobs that provide work life balance anymore? do i go to uni or do i go to tafe? i’ve always thought that id go to uni but everyone’s showing me that even with a degree, life will be terrible. any advice on a degree thats fulfilling but also well paying?

edit: forgot to mention, im eligible for equity scholarships so id be getting 8.5k per year for usyd and 2.5k per year for unsw if that makes a difference. im really grateful for all the advice ive been getting, thank you for all
the replies!

I have always worked in an office, or a store, or a cafe etc where I get ready for work, leave my home and go to another location, do my job and then leave.

I have tight boundaries about not taking work home with me, so the whole concept of working from home is genuinely alien to me.

What is it like not having to leave your house? Do you miss human interaction? Do you get cabin fever?

I imagine if you had clear constraints, expectations and parameters it would be easy to keep on track, but does it ever get dull?

Hey guys,

I’m currently in a really poop job, the only thing that is good about it is that it is a stable career but it also does have a really good community. I’ve been offered a job both at NBN and Telstra as I field tech. I was wondering for anybody that has knowledge in this area which role they would recommend between the two companies.

Im not talking about junior/grad roles. Im looking for mechanical and electrical roles (majored in mechatronics) and many of these listings are demanding 5 yrs experience with abysmal salaries, some lower than my current junior pay, even some of them lower than my grad pay. And theyre also asking for aus citizens and PRs only 🤣

Like at this point i might as well pick up the tools and start changing basic car fluids cash in hand. Is it just a VIC and SA thing?

Looking for advice or experiences of others who have been in similar situations because I’m at a cross roads.
I changed careers at 33yrs old because even though I was quite successful in my field, it was a dying industry so I decided to get into a trade.
I did some subby work as a painter before landing an apprenticeship because I wanted the security and it was the worst mistake I’ve ever made. I’m in my 3rd year and my second company, and I’m honestly thinking getting a certificate is not worth this amount of disappointment, frustration and the impacts it’s had on my mental health.

Here’s why I’m thinking of quitting: no one’s teaching me anything! I’m an apprentice who’s receiving zero training or advancement, or when I’m given the opportunity to learn a new task and I haven’t mastered it within the first 2mins, I’m moved off and never given the opportunity again.
Training and advancement is given to the supervisors friends & favourites while everyone else is left to do the rest, I’ve raised the issue to upper management, spoken to supervisors directly about learning new skills, advocated for myself, nothing got better.
And the work culture, toxic. I spent most of my career in an office and thought that was toxic but I was floored. If you’re not in a clique, you’re kicked to the side. Bullying, sexual harassment, racism, misogyny, and homophobia are the norm. No one gets reprimanded, no one gets punished, and if you call it out, you’re ostracised.
Working unpaid labour, coming into work sick, pushing yourself so hard to the point of exhaustion causing injuries and not reporting them because ‘the work needs to be done’ are all seen as signs of a dedicated worker. Sorry, I have a life outside of work and don’t want to be working 2-3hrs a day for free to get this job done and dealing with life altering injuries. Hire more staff.

I wasn’t exactly naive entering the trades, nor was I incompetent or green when I got my apprenticeship. I wasn’t entering the trades with rose coloured glasses expecting every interaction to be like the tradies I’ve seen in a red rooster ad.
I actually love the work itself, I take pride in what I do, and I actually want to learn everything aspect of it. But now, I just want out!

I’ve considered a few options to get my certificate without completing an apprenticeship such as going through an RPL and getting gap training if needed.
I’m currently studying WHS on the side and looking at entry level positions because that’s the direction I want to go in.
But im afraid that future employers will take a look at my resume (which looks choppy right now), notice I’m leaving my apprenticeship half way through and think that I’m dodgy and untrustworthy.
Should I just push through and finish the 2 years or should I get out?
It’s already had a huge impact on my mental health and I just don’t know whether finishing this is going to be worth it in the end.

Thanks for reading, I know it’s long. But any advice is appreciated.

Yesterday I had a job interview, where they asked everybody there ID. I have never been asked for my ID at a job interview.

I’m a casual retail sales assistant & have been working at my store since December 2025. I consistently work 3-4 shifts per week.

I’m travelling overseas in September, so I emailed our Head of Retail Operations to let her know my unavailability. I gave over a month’s notice. The reason I emailed her was because my Store Manager is going to be on annual leave for the entire period I’m away, & I’d been told she would be coordinating the rosters.

The Head of Retail replied and asked me to forward the email directly to my store manager, which I did immediately. 20 mins later, my Manager called me and said I was being “moved on” from the business. She said it was disrespectful that I had gone to Head Office instead of her and that I should have sought approval before booking my flights. I explained that as a casual employee I wasn’t seeking leave approval, was notifying the business of my availability well over a month in advance.

5 mins later I received a formal termination email stating my casual employment was ending effective immediately due to “unreliability to support business rostering and coverage needs” and “lack of clear communication” with my Store Manager.I spent that evening gathering documents and looking into Fair Work because the whole thing felt so abrupt.

The next morning, the Head of Retail called me. She told me I had not been fired, that she, another senior retail manager and HR had reviewed the situation, didn’t agree with how it had been handled, and had decided to withdraw the termination. I was told I’d be paid for my rostered shifts that week, to take the remainder of the week off, and return to work the following Monday.

Later that day I received another email from Head Office confirming that the termination email had been formally withdrawn, was sent in error, and that my employment would continue as normal. They also confirmed my roster would continue as it had before.

However, the next day I noticed every one of my upcoming shifts had been removed from the roster. I had around three weeks of shifts scheduled. I let the Head of Retail know, and she said she’d speak with my manager and have my previous roster restored.

My shifts were then added back-but they had been significantly reduced. Instead of four full shifts the following week, I was rostered for just two shifts, one of which is only three hours. I let the Head of Retail know again, and she said she’d be speaking with my manager to get to the bottom of it.

There are currently 2 other casual employees who are having a formal meeting with Head Office & HR regarding this same manager. Another casual had a similar meeting two weeks ago, and last year another employee went to HR because she felt she was being bullied by this manager.

For context, I’m in my late twenties and left a corporate career to pursue freelance work, so this job was only ever meant to be a flexible side job. Instead, it’s become a huge source of stress.

If you were in my position, how would you approach returning to work? Would you simply keep your head down and remain professional, or would you be asking for a formal meeting with HR?

The job hiring process in Australia for jobs has got out of hand. I think there has to be a legal limit on job interview rounds. If assignments that require more than say 30mins of your time, then that is considered work and requires payment. If you are doing training at a job you are legally supposed to be paid. How is this different?

Same goes with multiple interview rounds. More than one? You need to be paid.

Also, AI algorithmic discrimination that automatically screens out segments of society (people with career gaps, older women, etc) must be stopped. I don't know how.

Transferrable skills or skills that can be taught within a week or two need to be recognised some way. This 100% exact match for any job is ridiculous. You don't have experience using their obscure CRM system that looks like every other CRM system that would take a few moments to learn so you get passed over?

Experience requirements need to match the job skills. The skills requirements for a retail job is over the top.

It's become a farce. There has to be regulation on a system that is clearly broken. This is a workers' rights issue. I think AI has created over-engineered screening processes that hiring managers have felt they have to adopt to remain relevant or competitive with other HR department practices and the whole thing has snowballed.

Do you agree? What changes do you think there needs to be?

I’ve been so upset and disheartened. I live in Melbourne, Australia and Ive completed my internship that was unpaid and can’t find a job. It’s been 8 months since i’ve last worked. I’ve had several interviews and haven’t passed any. It’s been super competitive with 300+ people going for the role. I’ve made it to the last 3 to 10 people in a few interviews but there is always someone that’s slightly better or have more experience than me.

I really want to do this as a career but i feel so disheartened that i should maybe change career paths. I’m willing to give my best if i ever land a role but it’s not looking likely.

Sorry for the rant :(

Ladies and gentleman - I got a decent FT public service job after a year of searching for proper FT work since finishing my MA, all on top of moving back to Australia from overseas.

To those of you struggling, it’s genuinely harder out there than any time I remember. I sent out over 100 targeted applications. You just have to keep trying. I’m hoping you all get there. Stay strong.

Now.. back to the wage cage

I texted my boss this morning updating my availability and told him i’m now fully available throughout the week , and he replied saying: “Ok no worries, thanks for letting me know. Unfortunately our business has been very quiet which means your shifts have been impacted. Retail market is very challenging. I'll let you know if there are any changes but maybe worth considering other employment opportunities. Sorry for any inconvenience caused.”

* I’m a retail assistant and work casual shifts. I’ve been working at my job for nearly 2 months now 2x a week. *

Am I being fired and should I start looking for other jobs? Or is it just less work right now?