sr71

Britain is just as bad, but it's all cocaine or pills over there. People use cocaine in London as much as they use dope in NZ. The rampant drug culture was one of the things I really disliked about the UK. I also don't like the marijuana culture in NZ.

I'm sorry to hear you have had a hard time, I can understand some of your comments about the Kiwi personality as I can't say I've ever really got on with 'real' Kiwis, but then I've never really had any problems with them either.

I am an anomaly in my family, the only NZ born. My parents are English as are my younger brother and sister and if I was born 3 months later I would have been British. I lived in the UK until I was about 8, so even today I probably don't fit either country and have identity issues. My family have also never really socialised with anyone else other than British immigrants either, but I have to say that all the Brits I know have done pretty well for themselves over here, including the ones that have only emigrated recently.

mickey_d

"Loads" was probably over the top.
Most of them, never hear a thing.
When I have got further, I got the impression I was too experienced
For 1 of them I was told they needed people with less experience, so they could be trained up.
Maybe I need to be Dumber

sr71

Or more pushy. As an IT contractor I've applied for dozens of jobs over the years and you generally won't hear a thing if you just apply or send your CV. You have to ring the agents up and pester them, almost sell yourself to them first.

mickey_d

Couldn't afford to live there, but having spent a year there wouldn't want to anyway. We used to call it "Little Britain".
We're happy anyway, just be nice to get a job doing what I enjoy.

mickey_d

That's what I've done.
I think the main problem is engineering is pretty scarce around here anyway & most jobs tend to be filled via word of mouth, which is another avenue i'm now exploring. I get plenty of work anyway, just be nice to have 1 job!!

lardyl

don't worry all that is par for the course - if you are "too experienced" the only way in is for someone inside to "champion" you, then the real problems start once they leave and the "tall poppy pruning" begins in earnest ..... been there, seen it, done it, wearing the tee-shirt.....in fact the former MD of that company asked me 9 months later when I told him the whole story "why the heck did you take the job?" - I said because I could no believe that some of the people I would have to work with couldn't be as negative as they firs appeared and I did not expect my "advocate" to leave so quickly......

applied for four jobs here, one I was too experienced - twas true, but I was prepared to take it as a way into another role, one they took a SAer who was more experienced and lasted 2 months, one I did not get an interview and when I met the NZ head of that division about 18 months later and mentioned it he said "I can't believe that" before asking me if I was prepared to contract for them at my new "private" rate, ie about 5-7 times what they would have paid as an employee.....the other one I got.....(see above).

Of all the professional engineers I know in NZ who have worked overseas as well as in NZ not one of them can truly recommend the working environment here, they all have reasons for being frustrated or bitter or both - several of them have got out of the technical side into other roles due to frustration.
But then that is just their experience - funny how it matches our's though?????????/

Kiwiprincess

PPS: I guess if NZ is so wonderful folk like you would still be here or are you just saving up to return ?

Bit of both really. I think I am honest/realistic about things. I was on a WHV - yes, different to a family living there but that is also how a lots of Brits come to NZ. They aren't all looking for living there for just a month or so. For many people it is simply a start of a new life. For me, I loved London (actually, I love london - present tense, ditto with the UK and particularly England) but had some family and heath things (won't go into here) I needed to come home for. It was time to come home to visit and the stay was longer than I anticipated. I was intending to change my visa from a WHV to a Highly Skilled Migrant Visa (now a Tier 1 migrant) while I was living there but am actually quite happy here at the moment. I worked mainly in social services- the london borough I worked in was one of huge variation of economic levels. Quite interesting really.

Like I said, I think I am realistic. I don't see NZ as perfect. I am just willing to accept many of the problems people find with the country. Though sometimes I have a tendency to point out that sometimes things aren't so different with the UK - just perhaps different from the area someone lived in.

Also, I sometimes just like being a stirrer! A helpful wee stirrer.

Oh I forgot your other questions. Ooh, am I going back? Yeah probably. Possibly. I am single and 29. So I figure that I don't really have an excuse not to if I so wished. Currently I quite like being home

Jokerman

In a way it's not NZ's problems that some migrants don't fit in here. But then again, without migrants the country would be in the toilet.

Why do you think Kiwis don't like migrants very much?

number 33,001 to leave!

Kiwiprincess

But that's the thing though - people do leave. And come back. It is a concern if a regular group of people leave and never want to come back due to economic conditions (or whatever).

But there is also a large number of people who will simply leave. And come home. My family is here. I would always come back

I disagree with kiwis not liking migrants though obviously realise that it is a HUGE problem for people coming here, so will explain it. I do think that while the cultural cringe is less and kiwis are prouder about kiwi stuff now, there is still a bit of a reaction to criticism. For years people were told that something wasn't british (mainly British, sometimes European but mainly British) and therefore wasnt good enough or up to standard. Regardless of whether that was true or not, or if it was something that was questioned. I do think it is one (one - not the only, and not really an acceptable) reason that people are a bit resistant when a new person arrives and says "oh, you shouldn't be doing it that way, you should be doing it this way". I don't really agree with those people but I do think it is similar to someone working for a new company, say Vodafone, and always saying "Oh at Telecom we did it this way". Well, at Telecom it may well have worked better. Or at Telecom it may well have been tried and tested. Or, simply Telecom wasn't interested. Whatever the reason, some people don't like to be given suggestions but others do. I don't think it is good if people automatically reject a reason.

Oh re kiwis not liking migrants because some are racist t*ssers, well, there is a perfectly good harbour in Wellington that could be utilised for those people.

Jokerman

Well, true, im going back the other way. Here is my list of things I will miss about NZ.

Decent coffee
Access to nature trails, greenery in wellington
Excellent library in Wellington
My best friend
Bourdoux cafe chocolate and custard pastries
Steak and cheese pies.
Some radio programs (e.g. Willy & JT)

Jokerman

Who? The kiwis or the migrants?

I hear where you're coming from re:criticism. At what point is it *safe* for a pommy to suggest an alternative way to do something? After what amount of time?

Kiwiprincess

And that is the problem! People should be able to constructively suggest alternatives from their first day. Admittedly knowing why something is done in the first place is helpful. But criticism isn't a bad thing.

lardyl

yeah constructive criticism is good for us. Its when people become defensive at every comment, serious or whatever, and then you have to walk around on eggshells - all it takes is one or two people like that in an office or team to poison the atmosphere.

Having said that all you need is one "real" "whinging Pomm" to make everyone else's life a misery too - particularly if they really hate NZ, don't want to be here and are already planning to leave.......doesn't help the rest of us immigrants who want to get on and live here long term.

I found too much of the "lets shut the door before we discuss this in hushed tones as someone might not like us even discussing change/what's wrong...." - just because some of us wanted to look at doing things differently this became the norm and in the end did not work - essentially the most obnoxious people remained and all the rest "bailed", leaving them in their own world.....

Lookin2Oz

No I think you are wrong, have applied for heaps of jobs IN AUCKLAND

Over 200 to be precise

I would say the WHOLE COUNTRY "are" back in the 50s as you say, I would say the 70s but I'll go with your 50s description

As a Kiwi - have you lived in UK or as an ex-pat, I am really interested to hear your comparison ....

southerner

Thats easy - like my post says it was my opinion.