So you've just arrived in Australia and feeling great but tired from jet lag. You haven't blown all of your money...yet, and one of the best adventures of your life is about to begin. Here's some useful tips to get you started..

Get a Tax File Number

You need a Tax File Number (TFN) to work legally in Australia. It is free and takes just minutes to get one. Go to https://iar.ato.gov.au/iarweb/default.aspx?pid=4&sid=1&outcome=1 to apply. It usually takes about a week to arrive but could take anywhere up to a month (rarely). If you still haven't received your TFN, call 13 2861 and give your temporary receipt number to find out what's going on.

Open a Bank Account

You will need somewhere to store your money and sometimes your employer will pay your wages directly to your bank account. The main banks are Commonwealth, ANZ, Westpac, National Australia Bank and St George Bank. You will need your passport and a few dollars to get started and you will receive an ATM card to access your money at ATMs and EFTPOS machines. This should only take a few days to arrive.

Get a phone and SIM card

You can buy second hand phones from other travellers but if you want a new one, you can purchase them at Optus, Telstra, Vodafone or other phone stores. If you've got your phone, you'll need a SIM card too. City Resort Hostel offers E-Tel sim cards with very low call rates. With Optus sim cards, you'll pay over 39c per 30 seconds but with E-Tel you pay 9c per 30 seconds. Now that's cheap. Contact Tom on 0403 006 444 for more information.

Get a Job

Jobs can be hard to come by especially if your English speaking is limited. Take a look at our Jobs page to see if there is any current work available.

City Resort Hostel also has a Job Board in the common room and has jobs that are faxed on a regular basis. If that doesn't work, you can try out these recruitment agencies: www.mycareer.com.au, www.careerone.com.au, www.monster.com.au, or www.seek.com.au. Remember to have a resume to send with your job application!

Get Certified

If you're planning to work in a bar, pub, club or the Construction Industry in NSW, you'll need to get certified with an RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) or Green Card course. Check out www.travellersxpress.com for more information.

Apply for a Medicare Card

If you're from the UK, Ireland, Holland, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Malta or NZ, you can apply for a Medicare card which entitles you to free emergency treatment at public hospitals and necessary medical care from a doctor. Visit www.hic.gov.au for more info.

Extend Your Visa an Extra Year!

Apply for a 12 month extension on your 1 year Working Holiday visa once your have worked 3 months as a seasonal worker in a regional part of Australia. Find out more about this fantastic opportunity at www.workandtravel.com.au, or call the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs on 131 881.

Tax Refund

Australia's financial year begins on the 1st July and ends on the 30th June. To get your tax back you need to get a PAYG Summary from your employers that you worked for during that period. To get this, you will need to contact the payroll person in each job.

Superannuation Refund

This usually consuses everyone, even Aussies! You're entitled to get your superannuation (super) back but only when your visa expires and you have permanently left the country. Superannuation can be confusing and time consuming trying to reclaim so it's recommended that you contact a tax specialist to get it back fast.

Excess Luggage Problems

If you're carrying around too much luggage then it's probably time to send some stuff home. Depending on your budget, there are different ways to send your stuff: sea freight (approx. 2-4 months delivery), air freight (approx. 3-5 weeks delivery), express air (approx. 4-7 business days delivery). If it's an expensive or fragile item, you may want to consider including insurance. Talk to Nick The Freight Guy. He'll pick up your package and send it off quickly but more importantly, cheaply!

• Resumes should be 2-3 pages in length;
• Information should be structured, concise and relevant (use bullet points);
• Add a cover letter (no longer than 3/4 of a page) clearly stating what you can bring to the position and why you want to work for the company;
• Check for spelling and grammatical errors

• Personal information - name, date of birth, Australian address, phone number and email address.
• Education and qualifications - use reverse chronological order and include names of organisations and dates attended
• Work experience - use reverse chronological order and state the name of the company, position held, list of achievements and responsibilities.
• Skills - have you done special training? or have computer program skills? or speak a foreign language? List them here.
• Hobbies and interests - give an insight into your personality but keep it interesting and brief.
• Referees - list at least 2 referees giving their name, job title and company details, otherwise you can just write "Available on request".