Internships in Perth, Australia

Perth is known as the “Real Australia”, with tons of beaches with some of the largest surfing waves in the world, indigenous culture and wildlife.

As the capital of Western Australia, Greater Perth has a population of close to 2 million people and booming administrative, business, government, research and service industries. If you’re looking for an internship, this means that you’ll be able to find placements in any of these industries (among many others) as well as enjoy downtime with dolphins in places like Monkey Mia, or checking out some of the city’s awesome festivals like The Summer Music Festival, Perth International Arts Festival or the York Jazz Festival.

As the capital of Western Australia, Perth has a lot of internship opportunities available. Government sectors are highly involved as well as business and administrative industries. Tourism has also been increasing to the area, so hospitality and event internships are easy to come by. Finally, as Australia as a whole is a highly educated country, there is also demand for research based internships. To see some specific programs you can apply for, check out some of these companies that offer internships in Perth:

• Internships Down Under: Offers internships in administration, event management, finance, hospitality, human resources, IT, marketing, and social work. After filling out an online inquiry and going through a phone or Skype interview, they will work to create a custom internship to suit your needs.
• Go Intern Abroad: After selecting a program in sports studies or music education as well as a 30AUD application fee, Go Intern Abroad will interview you before making a final placement.
• Australian Internships: They will work with you to develop a custom internship program in a variety of professional and hospitality fields. The length of the programs is flexible to fit your timeline, but you will need to prove that you have 2100AUD to support yourself for each month of your internship.

Any internship requires some preliminary planning before you get started, but if you're looking to intern abroad in Perth, additional steps like securing your visa and booking your flight are required. It will also be helpful to know a little about the culture and lifestyle in Perth before you arrive.

Securing Your Visa:

Your country of origin will determine the type of visa you will need for your internship. If you're from the USA, you'll need a Work and Holiday Visa and if you're from the Canada or the UK, you'll need a Working Holiday Visa. Both types require you to have a passport, be between 18-31 years old, and have no dependent children accompanying you while in Perth.

When and Where to Look for an Internship:

Internships in Perth tend to have flexible start dates, but require you to have your visa application complete before you arrive. With this, expect to start planning your internship at least 3-4 months before you plan on departing. Also keep in mind that seasons are opposite those in the Northern Hemisphere, meaning that Christmas takes place in the height of summer.

Cost of Living in Perth

Living in Perth, you can expect to pay $8.50(UDS) for a fast food meal, $8.50 for a beer at a bar, $150 for monthly groceries and between $1300-1900 on rent for a one bedroom apartment, depending on where in the city you're located.

Work Culture in Perth:

Perth has seen a large increase in foreign workers over the past couple years. In 2011/2012, 60% of population growth in Western Australia came from foreigners settling in the area. In Australia as a whole, about a quarter of the population were not born in the country but enjoy the comparatively egalitarian society. While many Australians can be open and informal, they are also very hardworking.

Work and Labor Laws in Perth

While many of the internships you are likely to find will be unpaid, some may offer a stipend upon completion. If you happen to find a paid internship, your payment will comply with the national minimum wage, which begins at $6.03 AUD for workers under the age of 16 and increases to $16.37AUD for workers aged 21 and above.

Contributed by Judi Zienchuk