idreamadream

Hi,


I got my PR visa in February and am registered with the professional body for my job (biomedical/ medical laboratory scientist) in NZ. I have 13 years experience in my field. I have applied for over 20 jobs since I got the visa and have been rejected relentlessly by every one. I asked the most recent employer if they rejected me because I don't already live in NZ and they admitted that that was the reason.


I am feeling so depressed and to be honest, a little duped by the NZ government, as my job is on the so called "skills shortage list", but apparently NZ doesn't need me at all! I have applied for every kind of lab job where I have relevant experience. My husband has done the same but again, no joy.


I don't understand how a country that advertises itself to potential immigrants as a land of opportunities can discriminate against non-NZ residents when it comes to job applications!


I am now seriously considering just moving there with no job and hoping that once I have a NZ address, the interview offers will start rolling in.


Have other people had the same experiences? I'd be very grateful to hear similar stories, hopefully with a happy ending!

mikelincs

It's not the country discriminating, but the individual employers, and it's the same in most other countries, they are not aware of how long they would have to wait for you to arrive to start work, or aren't prepared to take the risk of waiting. They may not even have read your application, but just filed it in the round bin on the floor. You may find you have to bite the bullet, move over and then apply with a NZ address.

idreamadream

This is what I am now realising. What is your experience of emigrating? Did you move there without a job?

mikelincs

Only moved to Spain after retirement (as a medical Laboratory Scientist!) so didn't need a visa or job

moneypenny20

Unless a company desperately wants you, you're unlikely these days to find employment whilst out of the country. We migrated to Australia with no job. The husband got one three weeks later and I volunteered for a while before I found work. We did this with two kids 10 and 13. I'd say most of us in Aus came out with fingers crossed, not so sure about NZ but imagine it's much the same.

MrsFychan

boots on the ground will open many doors.

get yourself over, you have done the hard part by getting a visa

msmyrtle

I moved to NZ with a job offer, but I only got the job offer after visiting NZ on holiday and meeting up with a few companies (in between the Magic Bus stops ) I was able to use that job offer to get a work visa.

When I moved to Australia we (my then partner and I) moved with no jobs lined up and were able to find work within a month. Now with the economy as it is, a month would be pretty good going,

I second (or third/fourth) the posters that said without a super indemand skill you're unlikely to get a job offer from overseas. Being in NZ and available to interview in person might just be the way forward. Good luck.

idreamadream

Thanks for the replies everyone, you have made me feel a lot better about just going without a job lined up! My husband wants to give it until July and then hand our notice in at work, and just keep applying for jobs until then. I don't think anything will change by waiting but it's a fair compromise.

I'm just so desperate to get going with our new life!

jmh

Once you have a travel date, put it in the covering letter that you are arriving on xxx July and available for an interview. If you know anyone in NZ, put their address at the top of the CV. They will probably contact you by email anyway. Being overseas puts all sorts of barriers up for a potential employer and they will want to take the easy route and appoint locally if they can.

idreamadream

Thanks, I will do that!I've just removed my home address from my saved cover letter! At least they might read it before realising I live in the UK!

Snap Shot

Yeah, we emigrated/relocated without getting a job first. My husband is a New Zealander, I have a family category visa which gave me Permanent Residency straight away.

We arrived on 28 February 2011 with no job to go to for either of us. My husband and I applied for jobs in Auckland initially. We mostly got turned down either with or without interview, plus being given the run around by employment agencies. After three weeks we journeyed on to Christchurch as that's where we planned to settle prior to the earthquake.

Same deal, job interviews, no job offers. I got three months work from an employment agency which ended after four weeks because they got a previous employee to do the work and therefore sidestep the employment agency fee. I got no further work after that, from them or anyone else.

During this time we spent five hundred dollars (about two hundred and fifty quid) that we really didn't have on flights and accommodation for one night in Wellington for a job interview during business hours for my husband via an employment agency at Wellington City Council and they turned him down as they just wanted someone to come in and take a difficult employee in hand.

He finally got a job offer which entailed relocating to a small town on the North Island of New Zealand and started his job on 5th July 2011.

The time line between arriving on 28.2.2011 and starting his job on 5.7.2011 doesn't seem long. You could look at that and think, 'four and a half months, that's not bad, is it ?'

You don't know the, 'hell and high water' we went through, and were planning to return to the UK broke and empty handed just before my husband got his job offer. Although I've remarked on it often enough and it's as boring to keep reiterating it as it is to read.

New Zealand isn't as 'emotionally loaded' for most people that it is for my husband and now for me.

Oh, and whilst I'm not keeping score, I've been turned down for loads more than 20 jobs since I've been living here. Again, either with or without interview.

idreamadream

That's great! I'm really feeling a lot more positive about just going without a job now! Thanks for your reply.

BEVS

Back in 2003 there was a chronic shortage or plumbers & gasfitters. I know. That's rather similar to your job ...innit.

Anyway. We contacted many prospective employers but all were cautious. Would offer a full time perm job once in NZ.

So, we came on a reccy . He had interviews all over the place and was offered every single job.

We returned to Blighty with said job offers. He accepted one and returned to NZ on a temp work visa. I stayed in the UK to sort out our affairs before joining him.

It was boots on ground did the trick. Even though the trade was crying out for time served qualified tradesmen , employers were still reluctant to commit to him until he showed he was commited in return.

You'll be fine.... and hurry up. You lot are in shortage .

escapedtonz

We secured Resident Visas without job offers, however I did land a couple of jobs shortly after receiving the passport back with the visa stickers so just picked the job that best worked for the family. We'd already set a date to travel and booked shipping for 4 months in to the future so we were travelling regardless.
Prior to getting the visa I was met with a brick wall at every turn from employers here but as soon as I had the right to live study and work in NZ, employers seemed to want to talk.

Having a qualification and experience in a skill shortage occupation doesn't mean it'll be easy to find work. It's a common mistake people assume, that they'll be able to walk in to a job when in reality that is not the case.
Many employers are wary about recruiting from overseas. It is a massive risk for them as who's to say when or if you'll ever turn up ?
Many employers want a potential candidate to start asap and not have to wait for them to pack up shop in another country, move over and settle before starting in the position. They also don't want to get involved with anything Immigration and avoid the extra expense of having to pay out relocation fees or even offer assistance in the form of temporary accommodation and a hire car etc etc. They just want it to be clean cut, so unless an employer is desperate to employ a person with your skills and experience you have little hope of landing a job from overseas. It's not impossible but it is very difficult.
Being here in person will stand you in a much better position.
Don't stop trying, change your CV / cover letter to add details of your emigration progress, that you have visas that allow you to live and work in NZ and that you have booked travel etc etc. It will at least maybe get a few invites from potential employers to go see them shortly after arrival.

Good luck.

idreamadream

Absolutely cracking advice guys, thanks!😀
I totally agree about employers not knowing that you will actually turn up! Just because I know we will, doesn't mean they can trust that we will! I keep saying to the hubby that our employers would never offer a job to someone living in another country. We were a little bit too hopeful and a little bit naive thinking we would get a job the minute we got the visas.

We were hopeful because I actually had one phone interview for a senior scientist position in Christchurch (which I am not even qualified for) before I even got the visa. I didn't get the job but it made me think "if they interviewed me for that, they will definitely want me for my actual job" but when my actual job cameup, they rejected me! They were the people who admitted it was because I didn't live there already.