kat589

Hi All. I am about to go back to NZ after being back in the UK to look for jobs in the NHS. Had one interview (reason why I came back quickly) but then had no luck with my salary range of jobs (around $30K+). I even gave my CV to an agency for casual work in my field at University College London and had everything they wanted but still no answer. I assume I am too old for them and lacking in UK experience for these jobs. Before this I had applied for quite a few jobs from NZ and had all the experience albeit in NZ and Aus - perfect but still no interest. So after lots of thought am going back to NZ and will start trying for jobs in NZ and Aus but of course am worried I now wont get anything there are I may have burnt my bridges (left my Aus job as I was going to the UK "permanently" and they weren't pleased about that.

Has anyone else of a similar age done the same and got a decent job back in NZ or Oz ? Would really help with the sleepless nights until I get on the plane back to NZ next week. Thanks!

ElizabethK

I'm curious to know how long you were looking in UK for a job, did you give it enough time?

Moving back to UK myself this year from USA and will hopefully find something worthy of getting out of bed in the morning for! I too am 50 and am hoping that prospective employers won't be put off by my age, but instead will look more at my experience and reliability.

When you returned to UK, did you believe you had a job already lined up for you and then were let down or did you just come on a whim in the hope you'd find something?
Good luck and I hope you get a good job upon returning to NZ

Snap Shot

Last year my kiwi husband celebrated his 50th birthday. The year before that we left the UK for NZ. That was also the year that my husband accepted a job offer here in NZ. We'd been in NZ for about four months. Doesn't sound long but we sweated every minute of it as we were looking for work and couldn't relax. We moved to the city in NZ where the job offer was made and haven't looked back.

He emigrated from Britain in the '60s with his parents and went to Britain on his OE in 1990. We met in 1992 and married in '94.

kat589

Hi ElizabethK - I tried for 3 months from NZ and only 2 weeks from the UK. BUT the attitude of the panel was quite arrogant straight away as if they already had someone in mind and they were a bit envious of my experience. I kept looking every day on the site and as mentioned thought the least I could get was the casual job in the city as its my field perfectly but when even that failed, that's when I thought at my age I dont have time to waste and I do have another option where there is more money (Aus). Only downside is that I will have to stay until I retire or at least till I have made enough to get back properly.

If you have enough to buy a house etc, you will be more than good. You wil be in a different field so I am sure it will be fine. TBH, if I really had to stay and did not have a choice to go back, I probably could get something but the salary would be around 21K-25K !!! Considering I left the UK 10 years ago on 30K its a shame and I also have to support kids abroad so its a very low salary considering rents in and around London.

kat589

Hi Snap Shot, great to hear your hubby has a job! And back home for him!! Hopefully I will also get something soon when I get back next week. It is really hard when one does not have an income so fingers crossed I wont have to wait too long.

Snap Shot

Thanks. 'Home' is a relative concept !

kat589

Yes, sorry wrong way around!

moonie2011

Hi, my OH is 50 this year and over a year ago he was forced to retire from a very good job and 30yrs in the police force. With UK the way it is at the moment it is extremely unlikely that he will find a job on good money, with the level of responsibility he is used to (listening to other officers who left at the same time and still haven't got jobs)
He has been offered a job in NZ, they have asked that he apply for a second more senior role and are already talking that when he arrives there is a good chance of further promotion
This opportunity is far too good to miss and we are grabbing it with both hands

kat589

Wow moonie that's great!!! congratulations! I really hope I can get something with a decent salary in either NZ or Aus. It is worrying going back now and still not knowing if I have made the right decision but atm there is nothing here so I dont think I have a choice. I really hope I get this sort of luck re promotion etc as well. At the moment packing up to leave in a couple of days so nervous! At least the weather will be better!

Its so good to hear such positive outcomes from you all - am feeling optimistic, but I know there's a lot of hard work ahead to secure something. At least they are less likely to turn their nose up at my experience.

Snap Shot

Way hay ! That sounds fantastic. Good on ya, hope it all comes together.

moonie2011

Thanks guys, it has been a long 2yrs since we made the decision to go, an emotional rollarcoaster consisting of thousands of emails, lots of dead ends and quite a few interviews, but hoping we are on the final run and the result will be worth everything we have been through.

Boopy

Congrats, thats good news. They defo need his skills & experience here