So you’ve decided it’s time to chase your first ever part-time job. Scary, eh? We asked seven former ABCN students for their best advice on how to land one.

Jennifer Truong

Current job: Maths teacher at Sarah Redfern High School

First job: Waitress at a Thai restaurant

Top tip: Treat every part-time job as your full-time job. The more you dedicate to it, the more you will start to build up good habits for your actual full-time job in the future.

Michelle Lwin

Current job: Digital consumer graduate at Optus

First job: Optus brand ambassador

Top tip: Don’t be afraid to take any job you get. I went back to Optus after I finished my degree and got into the graduate program, because of the exposure I’d had before.

Rachel Bonic

Current job: Paralegal at Australian Federal Police

First job: McDonalds team member

Top tip: Research and practise your interview questions and answers with family members. I came in very underprepared for my first interview.

Hajar Al Moussawi

Current job: Admin officer for the start-up Boss Ladies

First job: Call centre worker

Top tip: Opportunity lies everywhere and from unexpected people. Networking is very important. Speak to as many people as you can to understand their stories.

Hung Phat Duong

Current job: PhD student and lab demonstrator

First job: Year-in-Industry program for chemistry students

Top tip: Always be on the lookout for opportunities to improve your skills and gain experience. Look for internships through career advisers.

Fadila Fidina

Current job: Junior business analyst at fintech start-up LanternPay

First job: HSC tutor

Top tip: Be yourself in your interview, don’t lie about yourself. You don’t want to be in a job where you can’t express who you are. In the long run, you’ll be a better fit.

Helen Le

Current job: Associate Management Consultant at Third Horizon Consulting

First job: KFC team member

Top tip: Don’t fear rejection. You will apply for so many different jobs and if you start to back away from rejection, you’ll never land that job that you really want.