How to Get a Job Through a Temp Agency in Australia

If you want to know how to get a job through a temp agency in Australia, choose agencies that place your kind of work, register with an up-to-date resume, and give a clear picture of your availability, location, work rights and licences. Then respond quickly to suitable assignments and check the employer, pay, hours, award, duties and end date before you accept.

What is a temp agency and who employs you?

A temp agency matches you with short-term work, but the agency may be your employer when the arrangement is labour hire. The agency hires and pays you, while the host business is the workplace that directs your daily tasks. In a direct recruitment arrangement, the agency may instead introduce you to a business that employs you itself. Fair Work explains the difference between a labour hire employer and a host employer.

For example, a warehouse picker might sign onboarding paperwork with a labour hire company, report to a supervisor at a distribution centre and submit timesheets to the agency.

A temp assignment is not a promise of ongoing work. The Australian Government says vacancies may be filled through agencies and registration can include an interview, form, skills test or proof of qualifications. Jobs and Skills Australia reported a 69.1% national fill rate in the June quarter 2026, with applicants per vacancy higher than a year earlier, so an agency is one practical way to widen your search.

How do you register with a temp agency?

To register, choose agencies that recruit for your target work, complete their form honestly, and be ready for a screening call or interview. Register with more than one suitable agency if their roles, locations or industries differ, as the South Australian Government recommends.

1. Step 1: Search for agencies that place warehouse and logistics, office support, trades and labour, or health and care work.

2. Step 2: Upload a current resume and use the same role name you would search for on SEEK or Workforce Australia.

3. Step 3: Prepare a short explanation of your recent work, preferred shifts, travel range and start date. A barista moving into office reception could explain customer service, cash handling, bookings and early starts rather than saying only that they are hard-working.

4. Step 4: Attend the agency interview with the names of referees. A referee is someone who can describe your work, usually a former supervisor or manager, so ask permission before listing them.

5. Step 5: Keep the agency updated when your availability, licence or work rights change.

Want an honest check before you tailor your application? Check your fit for free with Job Harbour, which shows what the ad asks for that your resume does not show yet.

What should you send to a temp agency?

Send a focused resume plus evidence of your relevant tickets, not every document you own. Show recent job titles, tasks, equipment or systems used, measurable volume where you know it, and the kind of work you want next.

For example, a warehouse worker can include pick packing, RF scanning, dispatch, stocktakes, manual handling and the exact forklift class held. An office worker can include reception, rostering, Microsoft 365, customer records and invoice processing.

Send copies of qualifications and licences only when relevant and requested, and name them clearly. Safe Work Australia says a white card is the construction induction card for construction work and is recognised Australia-wide. WorkSafe Queensland explains that forklift work can require the correct high risk work licence class, with LF and LO covering different forklift types.

Do not put your tax file number or bank details on your resume. Fair Work says that after you accept a position, an employer can ask for information needed for wages, tax and superannuation, including bank details and a tax file number.

After an agency sends you a live role, use Job Harbour to reshape your existing resume and draft a matching cover letter, with every claim grounded in work you have actually done.

How should you describe your availability, tickets and work rights?

Describe availability as specific times, places and limits, then state your tickets and work rights accurately. Say your earliest start date, days, preferred shifts, travel range, transport, planned leave and whether you want one assignment or ongoing shifts.

For example, a warehouse applicant could write: Available from 4 November, Monday to Saturday, day or afternoon shift, reliable transport to Wacol, LF forklift licence current, full Australian work rights. An office applicant studying part-time could write: Available Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, can start next week, happy with a three-month contract in Parramatta.

Use plain evidence instead of vague claims. Write current LF licence, white card, RSA, driver licence, first aid certificate or relevant registration only if you hold it. A white card does not replace a site-specific induction, and a forklift licence does not mean you should operate equipment you have not been trained to use at that workplace.

Be clear about your right to work in Australia. Tell the agency what you can legally work and be ready to show requested evidence, but do not claim permanent or unrestricted rights if your visa has conditions.

A free Job Harbour fit check can count skills you built in a different job and tell you honestly what to explain when an ad uses unfamiliar wording.

How do you compare a temp or contract role before accepting it?

Before accepting, compare the written assignment details with your real costs and goals. Ask: Who is my legal employer? Where do I report? What are the dates, hours, gross pay rate and pay cycle? Which award or enterprise agreement applies? Are penalties, overtime, allowances, travel, uniform, tools or training handled separately? Who approves timesheets?

An award is a legal workplace instrument setting minimum pay and conditions for an industry or occupation. Fair Work says most employees are covered by an award or registered agreement, and that hours, leave, pay, penalties and allowances can vary with the work and employment type. Casual employees generally have no firm advance commitment to ongoing work and do not receive most paid leave, notice of termination or redundancy pay.

For example, an office contract for three months may suit someone who wants predictable weekday hours, but not someone who needs school-holiday flexibility. A trades assignment may look close to home until you confirm travel, tools, site induction, parking and whether the end date is firm.

Ask who provides safety instructions and equipment before the first shift. The host controls the day-to-day workplace, but the labour hire employer remains responsible for your pay and entitlements. Fair Work explains that a regulated labour hire arrangement order can require a protected pay rate no lower than the host’s relevant workplace instrument, but the rule has conditions and exclusions.

If the role is casual, ask how shifts are offered and cancelled. If it is a fixed term contract, check the end date and the Fixed Term Contract Information Statement. Keep the offer, roster, timesheets and payslips, and contact Fair Work if the written terms do not match what you are paid.

Where to start this week

1. Step 1: Choose two agencies that place your target role and check their registration requirements.

2. Step 2: Update your resume with a short skills section, two referees, availability, location and current tickets.

3. Step 3: Register, complete the screening call and send only the documents requested for that stage.

4. Step 4: Before accepting an assignment, get the employer, host, duties, hours, pay basis, award or agreement, location, safety requirements and end date in writing.

5. Step 5: Save the offer and timesheets, then update the agency when your availability or tickets change.