brianlee

Hello there

I am 2 year experience Highway ( and civil engineering ) QS plan to apply working holiday visa to come to NZ to look for a job.

From your view and experience, which place should I head for better opportunity to get a job ? Christchurch or Auckland ?
I know I can apply online through out the country but I think it s better off to be in a place that more chances.

Any answer are welcome and highly appreciated.

snaps

I have no experience on this matter at all and I'm unable to offer any advice unfortunately. Looks like it could be more time spending on research. I have only flown into Auckland and not visited the city centre as yet. Christchurch seems a very active location in the job market for rebuilding and friends report good thinks about the place. You may wish to check out Wellington too.
Sorry I'm unable to be more helpful.

Pom_Chch

Hi Brianlee,

I am not too familiar with your actual job role but why not try living in both places or expand out to different locations within NZ? Maybe head to Auckland first and then try Chch or vice versa? Or if you really enjoy your time in one particular place then stay. That's the great thing about a working holiday is having the flexibility to move around and try different places. I met a girl at work the other day who is on a working holiday and she has worked all over NZ and has now ended up in Chch. She is having a ball

If you would like any specific info on Chch let me know!

Tom1983

Wellington, Tauranga, Rotorua, Nelson, Westport, Greymouth, Queenstown, Dunedin, Palmerston North, Hamilton..

Seriously, look elsewhere... especially from a financial point of view

brianlee

Really thank for your responses. I just think that the big market for job should be big places such Chch or Auckland, especially for Highway and civil engineering.

I am surprised by Tom s idea. Actually you mention others because of living fee right ? But how about job market there. Especially in my sector ?

Purrball

I know nothing about highway quantity surveying or Christchurch (haven't been there since I was little), but what I do know is this:

• The North Island contains over 75% of the population.

• Auckland and Tauranga are projected for above the national trend in population growth over the coming decade or two, but generally, the top half of the North Island.

• New Zealand has a 'National Roads of Significance' plan. Most of these are in the North Island.

• Wellington has mapped out and has approval for the 'Airport to Levin' or so-called Northern Corridor. In addition, roads between the Porrirua Basin, Gold Coast and the Hutt Valley are being lined up for redevelopment and/or building. Basin Flyover, Transmission Gully, the Kapiti Expressway plus pressure to look at the Petone-Grenada (P2G) link means more and better roads for Wellington are on the cards.

• The cost of living is higher in Auckland than elsewhere.

Can I suggest that given the speciality of your line of work, that asking questions on a general forum will only go so far in determining where the work might be. Some potentially useful links might include:

http://www.roadingnz.org.nz
http://transportblog.co.nz
http://www.nzta.govt.nz
http://nz.indeed.com/Quantity-Surveyor-New-Zealand-jobs

If I were you were, I'd also be researching and networking, on places like LinkedIn and with various trade/industry bodies and contacts over there to build up a list of resources and contacts.

Hope that's helpful. Best of luck.

Tom1983

There's some very good job opportunities going on at Hamilton at the moment. Have a look on seek.co.nz and search for your line of work

It's not really about the cost of living, it's more to do with job sustainability. Whilst I see there's a lot of so called six figure jobs in Canterbury for your line of work, the pooh is going to hit the fan soon and I reckon over half of these jobs will get pulled. They're mostly contractual jobs which have no fall back or redundancy package when they decide they don't need you anymore. Contractual work on the rebuild is mainly start, stop, start, stop and frustrating the heck out of people.

Private investment is not happening for the rebuild, hence Bill English's rush to force through all these companies to go on the stock market to get more money. The council can't sustain the costs they're spending on the rebuild and nor can the government. Gerry Brownlee's vision of completion in 2017 aint gonna happen, unless the world market improves. It's more looking like 2020 minimum.

Pom_Chch

Job sustainability doesn't really come into it for the OP considering he is coming over on a working holiday visa. All he will get is a contract seeing as you aren't allowed to sign a permanent contract whilst on a WHV. If you are correct with the six figure salaries being offered in Chch for his line of work I would say go for it! Six figures in Chch as a single person with no kids would be a dream Work it for as long as you can, spend some having the time of your life and put some into savings and if it all gets canned then move on. Simples.

BEVS

That is not good advice for the OP , although I do realise that it is written in re-action to Tom1983's post.

Brianlee is not single. He is married. As per a previous post of his, they are Vietnamese and really working towards building a long term future in New Zealand. He is young enough to be able to use the WHV as a springboard to build a new life and to start a family.

For that , his job offer needs to be a quality job offer. A job offer where the NZ employer would wish to and also be in a position to offer Brainlee a long term full time contract. In other words sponsor him enough for him to be able to apply for residency. With such a job offer and with his WHV , he would be free to take up the work. From that the contract terms would be changed from 1 year to indefinite and Brianlee would apply for a temporary work visa/permit or go straight to applying for NZ residency under the SMC.

What Brianlee needs to know is which area of NZ is most likely to offer him that security. Christchurch does not seem to be that area from news media, treasury reports and anecdotal news I am personally hearing coming out of the area. As Tom1983 states, it is about the sustainability of the job offer. That is something that NZIS will examine as it does for any visa application.

I am with Purrball's excellent post on this one Brianlee. Look to the North Island .

Pom_Chch

Sorry BEVS, I did not realise Brianlee's intentions as this was not specified in this particular thread (unless I have missed it?) I gave advice based on Brianlee's first post, which seemed like he was coming over on a WHV to experience NZ rather than a long term move with the intention of raising a family. Of course my advice now is terrible!

I wish Brainlee all the best And thank you BEVS for correcting me, I wouldn't want a potential expat to end up in trouble because of bad advice.

brianlee

Can't say how much I'm br grateful for all of your very detailed and priceless advices.
To be honest with you, I plan to Use WHV as a step to secure a long term full time employment for residency visa later.

Thank BEVS, Tom1983 and Purball for very useful advice,I shall head to North for looking for long- term employment when I come to NZ
Thank Pom_ Ch. You are very friendly and really willing to help people.
All the best.

stevedun4

Brianlee I do know that Wellington have a big new highway being constructed, its on an alliance with 4,5 companies involved. Try looking up fletcher construction website. The positions may now be filled, also you will need transport as the role is 30 mins from wellington. May be worth looking up recruitment agencies such as catalyst, rob law or hays. I obtained a estimating role going direct to a company commercial manager via linkedin. As mentioned above im not sure if you will be offered a role on a working holiday visa. Good luck

Woodlea

Incorrect, all the subdivisions (residential and commercial) are being built by private companies.

MrsFychan

did you see the latest Wanted Down Under with the Morse family? If not maybe have a look on iplayer. unfortunately it does not give the reality but it does at least let you know that the expected hours of work for QS was a minimum of 50 per week and from talking to the mum she is doing that and sometimes more. she had to spend the first few months commuting back and forth from Australia so if you are after a better family life you may not get what you are looking for. also on a WHV you can only work for a set amount of time and not sure how companies would view that.

brianlee

Hi
I do not mind working hard or transport. I just a bit of worried when MrsFychan and stevendun4 talk about the WHV. As I heard and hope WHV is just step to be present in NZ to meet employer and get more chances to get a job than applying outside NZ. Then when I have an offer, it shall be temporary work visa or Work to Resident visa then might be SMC visa. But like you said, as I am on WHV, employer shall be reluctant to give me any long-term offer ?
Stevendun4, have you got the job offer while you re in Uk or while you are in NZ ?
Thank for all your reply.