I'm 18. How can I find a ship to work on that will take me to Australia?

Question

I'd like to work on a trawler or whatever from the U.S. to Australia. What companies would I contact? What kind of work? My dad said that working on a cruise ship is like slave labor if you are doing physical work. Is he right?

Answer 1

Your dad is right, working on a ship is no fun, and as most of the crew nowadays is from countries where the pay is low, it might even be rather lonely too.
To find a one way job is even rarer, if they take you on they have to train you for your job, (unless you have experience) and they do not want to do that for a single journey.

If you are an experienced sailor you might find a job on a pleasure craft, but even that is not a very likely option anymore.

For the few jobs that are around, try all companies that offer paid transport for tourists, as they are likely to want to have some native speakers.
And learn to pray for an offer.