HELP Please - British Sparky in Auckland - not able to find ANY type of work!
 

Hi I'm a 30yo UK qualified and registered Sparky with nearly 15 years of industry experience. I moved here on a Working Holiday Visa with my Kiwi partner and have been in Auckland, NZ for nearly 6 months now and have had very bad experience in finding work - Electrical related or otherwise!
I did find work initially with a trades company and was signed till Dec. for $20p/h, 12 hour shifts. I was doing all their menial work and having a strong work ethic I zipped through the hard bits quickly, thinking that I can move on to the more exciting stuff. But unfortunately, this was about the time the 90 days kicked in and without any valid reason I was let go. Later I found that the employer does this on a regular basis to other tradesmen.
Since then I have been looking for work. I have applied for customer services and retail work in Bunnings, Mitre10 and other trades stores and also apprenticeship jobs. I get called in for an interview but theri HR department are so lazy that they don't even bother calling back or sending a letter to advise that the outcome of my application. I am a well articulated and presentable individual and yet it seems that I can't even get retail jobs!
It has been a struggle here for me and being at home without a job for the first time ever, and it is really a painful experience. I have never worked so hard for so little in return. Would really appreciate to hear from any other Sparkies or anyone in general about their experience and life in NZ.
Thanks
W

Re: HELP Please - British Sparky in Auckland - not able to find ANY type of work!
 

I know it's not what you are really looking for, but I've had quite a few immigrant clients find hospitality work at Emplois. Might be worth a try especially with the Christmas season ahead. Would tide you over until you find something in your field.

Re: HELP Please - British Sparky in Auckland - not able to find ANY type of work!
 

I've been looking for jobs since January which is when my most recent job ended. I've applied for dozens of jobs and had several interviews but I've yet to be offered a job.

There's huge competition for jobs in the provinces on NZ. Albeit we only came here for my husband's job in June 2011 as we'd bailed out of Christchurch after a near disastrous start to our immigration three months earlier.

We tried to find work in Auckland as we stayed there for three weeks on arrival in Feb 2011. That went nowhere fast and we continued on the way to Christchurch as our furniture was already there. Anyway, enough said.

I applied on line for a seasonal Christmas/back to school job at Warehouse Stationery a couple of weeks ago. I filled in several pages of their online form answering the usual questions and some personality quiz type questions. On the last page of it there was written in red, 'we are only recruiting to the Auckland stores'. Great. There's a job advertised locally for fruit pickers at a nearby farm but it's described as, 'contract work' i.e. the more you pick the more you earn. I decided to put my foot down and develop some self respect i.e. stop grovelling around for unsuitable jobs.

I also applied to be a mystery shopper but that went nowhere fast i.e. I filled in the form and again, all I've had is the long silence. I chased up what was happening with the vacancy just to get the same automated e-mail that I got by way of reply when I applied in the first place. I e-mailed the sender of the e-mail direct, just to be asked to fill in the form again. :frown:

I've registered at several employment agencies and just got the long silence. I've applied for jobs from various internet sites such as TradeMe etc all to no avail. As I've already mentioned, on the rare occasion I get interviewed I inevitably get turned down.

There were a couple of admin jobs here in Wanganui that I applied for in the last couple of weeks. I got turned down without interview for both of them. I'm continuing to look for work but I'm so disheartened by all the turn downs that I'm coming to the conclusion that it just wasn't to be.

Re: HELP Please - British Sparky in Auckland - not able to find ANY type of work!
 

Right. Slow down. Let us get back to basics.

Electricians are in long term shortage so you should not need to struggle ------ theoretically. However, you would not be seen as fully NZ qualified until you pass <cough> the NZ sparky upskill course. Have you done any of these?

1 - How long have you been with your Kiwi partner? Here or UK or anywhere.

2 - Are you / have you all the quals needed for being a sparky? Don't shout back at me. I am just after the level.

3 - 30 yrs old with 15 yrs experience. Does that include an apprenticeship?

4 - Is your partner prepared to move for you to find work in your trade.

Now. Calm down and breathe please.
I speak as a plumbers wife who lives with a plumber.

Re: HELP Please - British Sparky in Auckland - not able to find ANY type of work!
 

I have a possible contact for you. I will send you a private message. Hopefully this will sort you out.

Re: HELP Please - British Sparky in Auckland - not able to find ANY type of work!
 

I am recently sparkying down in chch. As BEVS says above, have you attempted to get your NZ registration? Alot of Brit/Irish sparks think they can stroll in without learning the country's rules. They also give it the big un that it's not as good 'back home'. You're NOT back home, so deal with it. Get your registration and you'll find work opportunities open up

Re: HELP Please - British Sparky in Auckland - not able to find ANY type of work!
 

So true.

What gets me about this is why people aren't asking or telling the OP that he need his NZ qualifications.

Whilst asusming that you can turn up and find work is a bit green, you'd think that people would mention that by the way this, this and this will improve your chances ... ? :confused:

Not being a tradesman I wouldn't know, but you'd think someone from the industry might mention it?

Re: HELP Please - British Sparky in Auckland - not able to find ANY type of work!
 

To be fair, I have heard of the trial period wheeze.

It isn't possible to become NZ trade registered straight away. However, it is possible to gain work in your trade without being fully NZ registered/licensed. What can be hard is to know that you will be fully supervised and working under a temporary license for a while.

Once you have sat exams, done tests in practical workmanship, then you might gain full NZ registration/licensing

Livewiresparks came out on a WHV with his Kiwi partner. I doubt he knew anything about the EWRB at that point. Nor about how some NZ trade employers can treat the newly arrived overseas tradesman. Believe me, some of it is not good at all. Luck of the draw really.

So. Livewiresparks. You live and learn. You happened upon one of those use and abuse trade employers which was not a good experience but now need to move on from that.

To work in your trade as a properly qualified NZ sparky, you will need to go through the registration process ( I am assuming that you have not started this)

Pippalonghorn can help guide you on that one. She also has a contact for you.

Here is the link to the EWRB website and what you will need to do .

Re: HELP Please - British Sparky in Auckland - not able to find ANY type of work!
 

Thank you everyone for your messages and words of advice.
I am prepared to do any kind of work while I become registered here.
It's just been difficult to deal with being out of a job for this length of time for the first time in my life. And without money it's difficult to enjoy what New Zealand has to offer.
I am awaiting for my copy certs to be sent here, so that I can send in my ewrb application and get assessed.

Re: HELP Please - British Sparky in Auckland - not able to find ANY type of work!
 

Thank you pippalonghorn, I will look out for your message

Re: HELP Please - British Sparky in Auckland - not able to find ANY type of work!
 

Have you considered moving areas....Ashburton on the SI has vacancies all the time for sparkies...you should try ElectraServe and Laser Electrical....always on the look for sparkies.....Brent Christie owns/operates Laser......Property is cheaper here and the weather is very good...also 1 hour from Christchurch & 1 hour from Timaru....its a good place to work and live....

Good Luck with your search...