The employment services on this page can help to take the pain out of job searching and can help to find the perfect job for you. There are search engines, government services tailored to a range of different groups of people, and agencies that work carefully to match clients with companies looking for their exact skills.

We hope that these resources will help to make the job-hunting process both more efficient and more streamlined for you. If you are on this page and looking for a new job, be it casual, part-time or full-time, then making use of one of these services may be the first step you need in the right direction.

Go Direct

Most of the well-known brands like shopping centres and banks will have their own recruitment websites and processes (although they may still run their jobs on job seeker platforms like seek). Simply type in the name of the brand and “careers” into Google. These are some of the ones we know that do recruitment like this. 

• All the banks  (Suncorp, NAB, CBA, Westpac and ANZ)
• Centrelink
• Phone companies (Telstra and Optus). 
• Shopping Centres (Coles and Woolworths)

There will be others of course so before you head to the middle man like seek, just double-check the company you want to work for doesn’t have their own recruitment website. 

Search Engines

If you are confident to seek a job without the aid of an agency, there are some great search engines available to help you discover what positions are available in your area.

SEEK

SEEK is the most well-known job search engine. This will be the starting point for most people’s career search. Visit seek.com.au to search for jobs in your area.

Smart Jobs

The Queensland Government job search engine is available at smartjobs.qld.gov.au. This is a great tool for searching for jobs from a huge range of occupational groups, from education and health to aviation and trades. You may be surprised by what is out there!

LinkedIn

This is a good site to visit for white-collar and senior jobs. Visit LinkedIn to set up your profile and search for jobs and people to connect to.

Others

Other popular search engines are adzuna, APS jobs, careerone, Glassdoor, indeed, Job Serve and jora.

Government Support

The Queensland Government offers a whole range of support for various groups of job searches to help them get and keep a great job. For parents heading back to the workplace, check out ParentNext. And see all the other great services below.

Job Search

You can use the Australian Government job search tool at jobsearch.gov.au to find suitable opportunities near you. You will also find advice on job searching and resume and cover letter writing. You can also download the free Job Seeker app.

Workforce Australia

This is the tool for most people looking for work. You can get help with resume writing, interview skills and more, and job active providers may cover some job-seeking related costs. You can read more here.

ParentsNext

ParentsNext can help people who have a child under 6 to build skills and connect with services and opportunities. You can read all about the help on offer here.

Employability Skills Training

Employability Skills Training (EST) offers training to job seekers aged 15 to 24 who are registered with a jobactive provider, in order to develop the skills that employers want. You can find out more about EST here.

Career Transition Assistance

Career Transition Assistance (CTA) is for job seekers aged 50 or older who want to gain a competitive edge in the job market. There are also courses to help you build new skills. You can find out more information here.

DES — Disability Management Service

This is a service for people who have a disability, illness or injury, and who may need some form of occasional support in order to find and keep a job. For more information, click here.

DES — Employment Support Services

This service offers long-term, regular, ongoing support for people with a permanent disability, illness or injury to help them find and keep a job. You can find out more here.

Transition to Work

Transition to Work (TtW) is for young people aged 15 to 21. It helps them to build skills and confidence in order to get a job. Find out more about the support, training and qualifications services here.

New Business Assistance with NEIS

If you are over 18 and interested in starting your own business, you may be eligible for this service, which can give you access to accredited training and business mentoring, as well as possible the NEIS Allowance and NEIS Rental Assistance. To find out if you are eligible, click here.

Others

For other government services for job seekers, such as the Community Development Program for job seekers in remote places, and Harvest Labour Services, visit jobsearch.gov.au. You can also speak to your local Job Services Australia provider or contact the Employment Services Information Line on 13 62 68.

Local Agencies / Organisations

Below are some of the main agencies or organisations in Brisbane that help to match clients with great job opportunities. They can take the hard work out of finding a job for you.

Adecco

Adecco helps job seekers to find a role that fits their personal and professional goals. They have a network of connections with Australian and international companies to help connect you with great job opportunities. See more here.

APM South Brisbane

APM South Brisbane offers employment services to job seekers, to help people find and keep a job through the Australian Government’s jobactive program. You can find out more here.

Chandler Macleod

This is one of Brisbane’s largest recruitment agencies, which helps to connect candidates with the best job opportunities. They offer a range of services and an online job search tool. For more information, visit chandlermacleod.com.

Edge Personnel

Edge Personnel helps job seekers with job placement, and also offers help with career advancement. They work with you to try and fund the right job to suit your needs.  You can search for their current jobs available here.

Hays Brisbane

Advertised as Brisbane’s leading recruitment agency, Hays can help you to find your next job or career move. They have convenient locations in the CBD, Chermside and Upper Mt Gravatt, as well as a great website where you can search for jobs and view career advice.

Michael Page

This is a large recruitment agency which matches professionals with suitable jobs and some of the best employers in Brisbane. You can search for jobs and submit your CV online here.

Robert Half

Robert Half helps you to find the right job for you in your area. You can search for jobs in finance and accounting, IT and technology, financial services, project consulting and administration. See more here.

Stellar

Stellar is a recruitment agency providing advice and career opportunities in mining, corporate services, technology, construction and engineering, property and architecture, energy, oil and gas, and other areas. See here for more information.

WorkPac Group

WorkPac specialises in helping job seekers to gain recruitment in areas such as trades, construction, warehousing, transport and logistics, manufacturing and more. You can find out all about their services here.

Specialist Services

HELP Employment & Training

HELP offers assistance to people with disability and disadvantages, as well as young job seekers and indigenous job seekers to find sustainable and meaningful roles.  They also offer professional training to help job seekers prepare for work. You can find out more at helpemployment.com.au.

Labour Solutions Australia

This is a leading labour-hire and recruitment specialist, providing services to those in the construction, FMCG & food processing, transport and logistics, manufacturing and engineering and mining and resources industries. Those looking for work can register on their website here.

The Program

The program is called TAFE at School, and it is run by TAFE (Technology and Further Education) Queensland. TAFE at School gives Brisbane students access to a huge number of Certificate II and Certificate III courses run by TAFE while they are still at school.

The program is available to students enrolled in Year 11 or 12, who will be attending a Queensland high school for the duration of the program. It is also available to Year 10 students who have a letter of support from their school principal.

There are courses in everything from early childhood and engineering to hospitality and IT, and many of the courses are available for reduced fees or even no fees (see The Costs below). You can study at TAFE or at school, and school-based apprenticeships and traineeships are also available, so students can earn money while still at school. Read on to find out more.

The Benefits

TAFE is the biggest and most experienced institute of vocational education and training in Queensland. TAFE Queensland has been running courses for students for over 130 years and has seen over seven million students pass through its doors.

Taking part in the TAFE at School program allows students to learn practical skills from professionals that will get them ready for work. It will also earn them credit towards their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), as well as credit points towards a diploma course or university degree. Completing a TAFE at School course also gives students guaranteed entry into a TAFE Queensland Brisbane Diploma course.

TAFE Queensland offers flexible study options, and the term dates match the Queensland school terms so they can fit easily with students’ current timetables.

The Courses

As part of the TAFE at School program, students can choose from over fifty great certificate level vocational education and training (VET) courses offered by TAFE. A full course guide can be found at tafebrisbane.edu.au. For an idea of the wide variety available, here is a list of the general study areas on offer:

• Animal Studies
• Automotive
• Beauty and Hairdressing
• Building and Construction
• Business and Justice Studies
• Children’s Services and Auslan
• Electrotechnology
• Engineering
• Fashion
• Horticulture
• Hospitality
• Information Technology
• Media and Digital Design
• Music and Sound Production
• Science and Allied Health
• Sports and Recreation
• Tourism and Health
• Visual Arts

The Locations

TAFE at School is available can be available in schools or on campus. Below are more details of both options:

In School

Queensland schools can partner with TAFE Queensland to provide TAFE courses. The existing school teachers are then given training so that they are qualified to deliver TAFE vocational training. TAFE Queensland provides the school with support, resources, and advice in order to ensure the highest standard of training is delivered to students. Plus students completing courses in their own school are still part of TAFE Queensland, and still receive a TAFE Queensland award on completion.

Students can check with their school’s Guidance Officer, VET Coordinator or Head of Senior Schooling to find out if this option is available to them.

At TAFE

TAFE Queensland has campuses all over Brisbane. There training facilities offer advanced, industry-relevant classrooms work spaces. These facilities are adult learning environments, so studying there gives students a chance to see what it is like studying in a higher education setting. TAFE has campuses in the following areas:

• Acacia Ridge
• Alexandra Hills
• Bracken Ridge
• Caboolture
• Eagle Farm
• Grovely
• Loganlea
• Mt Gravatt
• Redcliffe
• South Bank

You can read the Course Guide here to find out which courses are offered at which campuses.

The Apprenticeships and Traineeships

TAFE Queensland also offers both school-based apprenticeships and school-based traineeships. This gives students the chance to become an apprentice or trainee while still at school, giving them a headstart in their career and a chance to earn money while still at school. The apprenticeship or traineeship also gives students credit points towards their QCE.

The differences between the two options are that apprentices get training in a skilled trade and become a qualified tradesperson on completion, whereas trainees get training in a vocational are but do not become qualified tradespeople at that time.

The Costs

For senior school students taking part in Certificate I or Certificate II qualifications, they may be eligible for reduced course fees or, in certain situations, no course fees at all. However, Certificate III courses will be subject to fees. Payment plans may also be available, so be sure to enquire.

The costs vary depending on the course, so you can visit this link to see the costs involved in the a areas that are relevant to your child.

The Application

To enrol in the TAFE at School program, students can submit an application at tafeapply.com. Before applying, students should have already made a Senior Education and Training (SET) Plan. If not, check with the school Guidance Office, VET Coordinator or Head of Senior Schooling for information on how to do this.

Students will also need the course code from the Course Guide and their USI number (see usi.gov.au) to apply.

Students can only enrol in one program with TAFE Queensland, so they must consider the options carefully before choosing.

Further Details

For more information, visit the TAFE website here. You can also read the full TAFE at School Course Guide here.

For more educational resources, you can visit the Education page here.

You can also find more information at High School Options in Brisbane and Career Training and Education.

After being surrounded by processed foods and patients suffering from chronic illnesses that could be potentially avoided through better lifestyle and dietary choices, Gina Rose knew she needed to make a change.

“As natural health professionals we can help people change the course of their lives before they reach crisis point, and that has always been so attractive to me. I also felt a huge responsibility as a mother to impart as much knowledge about a healthy diet and lifestyle to my children to give them the best chance possible to thrive,” said Gina Rose.

What followed was one of the most hectic periods of Gina Rose’s life as she started studying Nutritional Medicine part-time at Endeavour College of Natural Health while also juggling work at the Mater Mothers Hospital. If that wasn’t enough, the ambitious student also got married and fell pregnant with her second child.

“I just made it work with the help of a great support network and staying as organised as I could by getting ready the night before, having meals prepped and planning my day carefully. I will be forever grateful to my slow cooker!” said Gina Rose.

Being surrounded by healthcare professionals on campus was a huge plus in helping support Gina through this exhausting stage.

“Not only did the Endeavour team make sure I was doing all the right things to stay healthy and well, they were really flexible too. I found it easy to fit my commitments in around the study and clinical components, not the other way around,” said Gina Rose.

“A lot of my lecturers were also mums and were always realistic with their expectations of us. If I ever needed extra time for assignments there was always an option to request an extension.”

Since graduating last year as a nutritionist, Gina Rose spent six months working in clinical practice before setting up her own clinic focusing on all aspects of nutritional medicine with a special interest in natural fertility, preconception care planning and hormone analysis.

“I’ve been able to establish my own client base largely through the connections I’ve made on my social media pages and I see people not only in Brisbane but also across Australia and overseas through Skype,” said Gina Rose.

The budding nutritionist has also learnt the importance of self-care since entering the natural health industry.

“I’m much better now at taking a step back to look after my own wellbeing and that of my family before helping others. This can mean taking a day off when needed to reset and I make a point on the weekends not to respond to emails or answer work-related calls so that I can totally disconnect,” said Gina.

Gina Rose’s tips on realising your career dreams with a baby on your hip

1. Be organised, be organised and be organised! I can’t stress this enough. Planning ahead helps you stay on track when the going gets tough, be it with study, family life, at work or socially. It gives you the headspace to stay focussed on the bigger picture.
2. Don’t compare yourself to other mums – ever! So many people’s lives seem glamorous and carefree online but we really have no idea of that person’s reality away from the glare of a smartphone. Invest that energy in clarifying and chasing your own goals and dreams. And remember it takes a lot of hard work to make it happen – there’s no quick fix!
3. A great tip I picked up from one of my Endeavour lecturers was a visualisation technique to imagine where you wanted to be in the future. Picture yourself in the place you are headed and focus on remembering that image – whether it be a booming practice, travelling the world or having a happy and health family. When you lose your way, find the time to zone out and recall that image. Use it to reset and watch yourself fly!

Endeavour College of Natural Health would like to thank Gina Rose Urlich for sharing her story. To find out how Endeavour can assist you in getting the knowledge to heal, please click here.

The new mum has been studying online since giving birth, and plans to head back to campus in February.

“If anything, it makes you more motivated. Your whole study technique changes and it’s surprisingly a lot less stressful! You can’t leave things to the last minute. I found I was thinking about the exam two weeks before it, rather than a few days before because you know that realistically you’re not going to be able to schedule in a huge cram session.”

At 38 weeks Lexi was due to sit an exam, but baby Mabel had other plans.

“She was born premature, and Endeavour were so wonderful about it.”

The education provider allowed Lexi an extension to ensure she could complete her subject requirements despite not being able to sit the exam on the original date. According to Lexi, it’s this kind of support that made the transition to motherhood so much easier.

The birth of her daughter Mabel isn’t the only driving force behind Lexi’s determination to complete her degree. The 28-year-old spent 15 years in the medical system being treated for an eating disorder.

“We tried everything. I was hospitalised for years, but it was through nutrition and a holistic approach that I eventually got better and that’s why I’m passionate about health and studying at Endeavour,” she said.

Yoga also played an integral role in Lexi’s recovery and although she was reluctant to try it at first, it is now a massive part of her life. She currently works as a yoga therapist and through her mentoring work with Queensland Health she takes eating disorder outpatients to yoga classes.

With firsthand experience of holistic healing, Lexi has big plans ahead when it comes to putting her Bachelor of Health Science (Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine) to work.

“I’m hoping to open my own clinic with a natural health approach to eating disorders and mental health because I think it’s really overlooked at the moment. Many patients are looking for other options and personally I feel that my journey can contribute,” she said.

In the meantime, Lexi is happy to have found a balance between motherhood and study and couldn’t be more grateful for the flexibility Endeavour offers.

“It is a journey, but it’s definitely possible. You can study online or defer and Endeavour even allows you to drop down your subjects to fit around your commitments,” she said.

“My advice to new mums is to stay connected with other mothers (which Lexi does through the Facebook group Mums on a Mission at Endeavour College), because it’s nice being reminded you’re not alone.”

As for her attitude to study? “Once you get through childbirth, you realise you can do anything!”

Endeavour College of Natural Health would like to thank Lexi Crouch for her guest contribution. To find out how Endeavour can assist you in getting the knowledge to heal, please click here.

When I first fell pregnant, I declared proudly to anyone who would listen I would never be one of ‘those mums’ who answered a work call with children detectable in the background. I would work out a way as the head of a busy public relations consultancy run from home to avoid that *ever* happening, because.. well, if you really want to know it’s just not professional!

The mums reading this will no doubt be nodding knowingly, and will easily predict how that story ended. When my little girl arrived, I learned no matter how hard I tried to control my new reality, there was no way I was winning that particular battle. It was just one of the many things I miscalculated when it came to my new role as a 24/7 juggler. Here are a few more of my biggest surprises so far about life as a working mama:

It’s easier for me to connect with people at work

When it came to how parenthood would impact my work prospects, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I had noticed anti-mum sentiment in some workplaces and remember actively avoiding ‘family planning’ conversations as I didn’t want to be pegged as less committed to my clients or career. When I noticed one long-term contact suddenly stop referring me for work soon after I announced my pregnancy, I prepared myself for the worst.

However I’ve experienced the complete opposite since my little bundles arrived. I’ve never had more work enquiries than during my two maternity leave ‘breaks’. And as a consultant who works off-site to my clients and misses many of those everyday shooting the breeze conversations, it can give me a way to connect with people I work for through shared experiences and understanding. It humanises me.

People rate a working mama

After I took on a major project when my son was five months old, I had this moment of clarity during a client meeting. I had just presented to the CEO, and I thought of how surreal it was I hadn’t once shared with him the fact I was such a new mum over the weeks we’d spent working together. Why hide the fact I had a tiny baby at home waiting to be fed on my return? So I told him right then! His head spun a little, yet I felt nothing but support and respect for my juggling skills – it was a girl power moment.

The notion that women become somehow ‘less than’ career wise after becoming mothers is being debunked all around us. I salute the mothers who take extended breaks from work when their children are very young – it is a beautiful thing. But it is not the right model for every family. As a small business owner I chose to return to work quickly, and I’ve never felt more driven than since my babies arrived. I can do more with less, I’m more focussed and I bring a fuller perspective to the table.

When it comes to many of the women in my life, it is a similar story. I have never seen them fiercer and more fuelled to create and grow their own businesses and careers than since becoming mothers. And I can tell you it is because of the great strength they draw from those little muses in their lives.

Elsa was right – sometimes you have to let it go

On the occasion everything turns to baby poo, which it inevitably does from time to time, I’ve learned it can be best to surrender. One week a bug took out both kids and my husband, and I was burning the candle at both ends working days and nights trying to look after everyone, including my clients. So instead of cancelling a work meeting in the city early one morning, I pushed through in a haze and was rewarded with a self-inflicted ding in my car on the way in. My work meeting, finances and sense of wellbeing all suffered that day because I pushed too hard.

This one is a work in progress, but I’m slowly getting my head around appreciating the power of release. It can be the smartest option for everyone involved. Being a mum has taught me there is only so far an elastic can stretch, and sometimes the best option for our work and family is to be kind to ourselves.

About Nina Tovey

Nina Tovey is a thirty something writer, proud as punch mama, seachange enthusiast and founder of communications consultancy Yoke Communications. She’s also excitedly cooking up a new website for mums called Mamasay. 

Study part time at Endeavour College of Natural Health

Naturopath and Endeavour graduate, Lisa Murdoch, is a mother of three who knows full well the importance of keeping the whole family healthy. “Naturopathy has turned my family’s life around – I have a new career and we all have a much healthier lifestyle for it. I live and breathe what I do.” Lisa says.

Previously an Occupational Therapist, Lisa’s interest in Naturopathy started after the birth of her second child.

‘I studied part-time over nine years. I used all the flexible online delivery options I could and then, when my third child started school, I finished the on-campus components. The experience I gained via the clinics at Endeavour was invaluable.” Lisa now works in a busy clinic focussing on fertility and family wellbeing.

Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy) or Bachelor of Health Science (Nutrition & Dietetic Medicine) in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane

Let Endeavour be your guide with their Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy) and Bachelor of Health Science (Nutritional and Dietetic Medicine) offered at their Fortitude Valley campus. They help women every day to find their work-family-study balance and follow their heart to a rewarding career in natural health.

Endeavour College’s next Natural Health Open Day is on Saturday 25 June at 269 Wickham St, Fortitude Valley. Learn about their Bachelor degrees, attend mini presentations on health topics, speak to expert academic staff, tour the campus and more!

Register to attend an Open Day at your nearest campus, or enquire online now.

Thanks to a partnership between Nature Play QLD and the UK’s Forest School Learning Initiative (FSLI), our Brisbane kids are one step closer to making this dream a reality.

In a Queensland first, the partnership will deliver a number of training opportunities to educators working with children aged 2-10 years, aimed at supporting the introduction of Forest Schools in Queensland.

Image courtesy of Forest School Learning Initiative

So, what are Forest Schools anyway?

Forest Schools flip the traditional classroom setting on its head offering children an alternative way to learn that uses the great outdoors as the classroom and nature and all it has to offer as their learning instruments.

Kids leave their iPads, computers and books behind, replacing them with trees, mud and dirt – basically anything and everything that nature has provided. Check out this video to get the idea >

Regular sessions, which could be anything from one afternoon a week to every day, allow children to explore and learn about the environment around them. Qualified practitioners lead the sessions ensuring they support the National Curriculum and Early Years Learning Framework.

Nature Play QLD’s Community Engagement and Resource Coordinator Anya Perkins said Forest School doesn’t necessarily have to take place in a forest or woodland environment.

‘It can be any outdoor area, an allotment, creek or small corner of a playground,’ she said.

‘Forest School is intended for children aged 2 – 10 and works most effectively in kindergarten and Prep, where you can take kids out (from school or care) for longer periods of time.’

Ms Perkins said there has been great interest in the training on offer.

‘There’s a widespread recognition that it is needed as nobody is outside ever,’ she said.

‘People are getting the ball rolling developing suitable outdoor areas and the training is now here to support that.’

Benefits of Forest Schools

According to FSLI, Forest Schools aim to raise children’s self-awareness and self-esteem, offering them opportunities to achieve and develop confidence through hands on learning experiences in nature. It allows children to initiate learning, take risks and make choices. It also helps them to understand and care for the natural environment.

FSLI said educators involved with children participating in Forest School report significant improvement in independence, self-esteem, social skills and concentration levels.

Forest Schools in the UK

Forest Schools originated in Sweden in the 1950s and have since branched out to the UK, Europe and America, with interest from Australia gaining momentum in recent years. A similar concept to Forest Schools, Bush Kinder, was launched in Victoria at Westgarth Kindergarten five years ago.

Bridgwater College in Somerset brought the Forest School concept to the UK in the early nineties following a visit to Denmark. Since then, the UK has embraced the Forest School movement.

Heart of the Wildwood in Oxfordshire is an example of a UK Forest School. Accredited Forest School leaders facilitate sessions, which usually start with lighting a fire and educating children on how to stay safe. True to the Forest School philosophy, sessions are child-driven and typically include climbing trees, making mud pies and foraging for food.

Ms Perkins said Forest Schools have gone from strength to strength in the UK’s risk adverse and curriculum demanding society. She said Australia will take a similar approach to the UK, where Forest School is intended to enrich rather than replace traditional classroom learning.

Image courtesy of Forest School Learning Initiative

Forest School training

Nature Play QLD’s partnership with FSLI offers a number of Forest School learning opportunities for educators, from a one-day introductory workshop to five-day accredited Level 3 Forest School Leader Training.

Training supports the Australian National Curriculum and Early Years Learning Framework and Health and Safety and risk benefit analysis will also take into account the Queensland environment.

Introductory workshop

The one-day introductory workshop explores the principles and practices of nature play and forest school and the benefits for children. Attendees will learn how to implement these principles into their community and receive guidance on where to start in setting up a forest school. The workshop will discuss the barriers to implementing outdoor nature play and provide strategies for curriculum demands. It will also allow attendees to explore a typical Forest Learning session.

Image courtesy of Forest School Learning Initiative

Level 3 Forest School Leader Training

Introduction to Forest School Workshops and Level 3 Forest School Leader Training opportunities in Queensland.

More info: www.natureplayqld.org.au/programs/forest-learning