Reception
Answer calls, welcome visitors and manage bookings or meeting rooms. Ask about working alone and cover for breaks.
AUSTRALIA · JOB GUIDE
Office & customer support jobs in Australia
Use temp agencies to find reception, administration and customer-service assignments that fit your experience and travel dates.
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This could suit you if…
You are organised, comfortable with customers and software, and can finish an agreed temporary assignment.
The trade-offs
Some roles involve complaints, targets or shift work. Employers still need reliable availability even when the contract is temporary.
Is this work right for you?
Administration
Keep records accurate, process documents and support a team. The software and responsibility vary widely.
Customer support
Help customers by phone, email or chat. Ask whether the role involves complaints, sales targets or shift work.
Look for an assignment you can finish
Temporary cover can fit a working holiday, but the employer still needs you for the agreed period. Give the recruiter your earliest start, last available date and any booked travel before they put you forward.
What do I need?
What skills should I show?
Name software you have actually used and the tasks you can do in it. Accurate data entry, email handling, bookings and spreadsheets are more useful examples than simply saying you are good with computers.
How much English will I need?
Reception and phone support require understanding names, questions and instructions in real time. Written support needs clear, accurate messages. Data-entry work puts more emphasis on accuracy and following processes.
What does the agency need?
Have a CV, availability and referees ready. Agencies may use software or typing assessments alongside work-rights checks. Short assignments and ongoing placements suit different lengths of stay.
Courses & training
Target a skill you actually need
For entry-level administration, useful practice includes typing accurate records, sorting and filtering spreadsheets, email and calendar management. Specialist booking, CRM and payroll systems are separate skills; focus on the software named in the roles you want.
Where can I apply?
Official recruitment routes checked 17 October 2026. Check the individual role for current openings, work rights and the length of commitment.
Hays
Office-support recruitment across Australia, including reception, administration and temporary contracts. Hays’ Globalink service explicitly includes working-holiday visa holders among the skilled professionals it assists. Individual vacancies can still require unrestricted work rights; use the work-rights requirements in the actual advert, not the agency name, to decide whether to apply.
See jobs & applyAdecco
Choose Administration & Office Support and search location-specific opportunities. Confirm that the recruiter is considering temporary assignments for your dates.
See jobs & applyMake your application useful
Tell the recruiter your suburb, available dates, software skills and preferred hours. Be clear about whether you can start at short notice.
Ask who employs and pays you, who approves timesheets, when payment arrives and whom to contact if the client changes your duties.
Build your backpacker CVSave companies to your shortlist, then record applications and replies in your dashboard.
Track my applicationsHow much does it pay?
Under the Clerks—Private Sector Award, adult casual office staff start at $33.71 an hour at Level 1, Year 1. The classification reflects the work and experience, rather than whether the advert says receptionist or administrator.
| Role / shift | Hourly pay |
|---|---|
| Level 1, Year 1 — weekday | $33.71 |
| Level 1, Year 2 — weekday | $35.30 |
| Level 2, Year 1 — weekday | $36.81 |
Adult award minimums effective from 1 July 2026, before tax and excluding super. Casual loading is already included. These rates apply where this award covers the job; an enterprise agreement may apply instead.
Industry-specific administration and contact centres can have a different award. A technical support or supervisory role is not automatically an entry-level clerical position.
Sources & next steps
Hays temporary and contract work
Compare other workRecruitment pages describe pathways, not guaranteed jobs. Employer acceptance depends on the role and your work rights.
Pay rates and employment terms
Hays Globalink: applicants it supports (checked 20 October 2026)