broonie30

Hi everyone,

My partner and I are wanting to move to New Zealand (spent 10 weeks travelling there over summer) and want to work hard to ensure we give ourselves the best possible chance.

We're both 32 and have University degrees in business, my partner also has an MBA in HR. We could move under the SMC if we got a skilled job offer but in order to get that offer we need experience in our chosen professions first. This is where we could do with some advice.

I would like to work in Hospitality or retail and could spend the next few years working away in the UK to gain management experience in either of these areas. Hotel and Retail manager jobs are skilled jobs and a job offer in NZ would enable us to submit an EOI. My partner will look to gain experience in HR and hopefully climb that ladder at the same time.

Our questions:
1) Are Hospitality (Hotel) & Retail Managers from the UK in demand in New Zealand? Is one more likely to generate job offers than the other?

2) With a couple of years experience under our belts would going to NZ on a Bunac IEP Visa be a good idea? It would allow us to work in the country for a year but get that all important job offer to submit an EOI may be easier from in the country?

3) Do you think there is much chance of us getting a job offer in our chosen industries by just writing to companies in NZ from the UK?

I know these questions are very subjective but we would love to hear any advice or input from those who are more in the know. We really appreciate your help.

Thanks

MrsFychan

sorry not much help but I think the quicker you can get here the better, who is to say what will still be on the lists in a years time.

have you checked out trademe or seek for your professions ?

broonie30

Thanks for the reply. I have been looking at seek and other job search websites for NZ but it's the old problem of every advert asking only for those with the right to work in the country to apply.

I'm just wondering what the prospects are for us finding a job (from the UK) with an employer in Hospitality or retail who is willing to hire from overseas??

Regarding the skills shortage lists, our professions aren't on there for now and we are looking at applying wia the SMC, just need a skilled job offer.

Persephone

It's unlikely that your occupations will suddenly become 'not skilled'. That is a different list to the skills shortage lists as you said.

I don't recall anyone from the HR or retail/hotel industries on here but it's always possible someone might come along. I don't know what everyone does for a living.
I can't really help with those specific job titles as they are very different to mine
All you can do is try and send off your CVs and see whether someone would be willing to go for it. I suspect it will be difficult getting that offer from the UK though and especially without experience.
Anecdotally on here, it seems that many employers do not realise that it is usually job offer first and then visa so you may want to mention this in your covering letter to explain the lack of current visa.

I can change the title of this thread if you like so it mentions your jobs. It might attract someone who is in your professions rather than be passed over. Let me know!

broonie30

Thanks for the reply, it's all very helpful advice. We are hoping to get some experience in our professions in the UK for a few years to appeal more to employers in NZ, however we want to make the move asap. We will definitely mention to employers the issue that the job offer needs to come first so we can secure a temporary work visa and then use that job offer for our EOIs. Hopefully they will be more accepting than job adverts lead you to believe.

If you think the thread title would benefit from being changed then please go ahead. Appreciate the help and advice!

janiejones

You've mentioned HR, have you considered working for recruitment agencies? I know of people who have taken jobs as recruiters to get out here, and then move on. They will also have a better understanding of the visa situation. Just a thought.

broonie30

Thanks Janie,
Yeah my fiance has an MBA in HR and is currently looking to gain experience in the field within the UK. It's a good idea to look at recruiter jobs as I think there are a lot of them out there rather than hanging in for that one HR position that is 'skilled'.

To take a little bit of a tangent here, has anyone had any experience of landing a job in NZ on a Bunac IEP visa? They allow you to work in the country for a year and I thought this might be a good way to appeal to prospective employers and once we have the job offer apply for residence via SMC.
Just wondering if this might be a better option that trying to convince employers without having a visa and going down the route of a temporary work visa?

Thanks for all the input thus far everyone.

Persephone

It does seem that it is easier to find work whilst in NZ rather than from abroad. I can understand why-how many employers would choose to pick someone from overseas if they don't need to [excluding shortage professions and extremely highly skilled individuals]. So you may be more successful if already in NZ on a visa that allows you to live and work temporarily ie Bunac.

I have altered the title slightly-it means that it may attract those who do your jobs, not everyone reads all the threads and may just gloss over a more generalised title. I hope this is acceptable

janiejones

Something I've been meaning to post for ages, but I'm rarely on a keyboard, so here goes. A (different) friend of mine is involved in recruitment, so I asked him about that visa question on applications. He understood the frustration that many expats go through, but explained that when he didn't have that 'filter' on, he ended up wading through heaps of applications from people who had none of the skills he needed, and he had no idea if they were likely to ever come over here, He felt that it was a better use of his time to only have to look at applications from people who were able to take up the position.

Not much use to wannabe expats I know, but just an attempt to explain the thought process behind it.

broonie30

Thanks for the input folks.
Yeah I think being in the country, and having the right to work, would be so much more appealing to employers than the alternative. I only have a couple more years for which I am eligible for a Bunac IEP visa so I'm going to work my socks of in the UK to get as far as I can in Hospitality management before applying for the Bunac visa, then hopefully I can get an offer of 'skilled employment' in NZ, and can start on my SMC application.

It's good to know the thought process that the recruiters go through when asking for the applicants to have the right to work in the country but surely if a good candidate CV landed on their desk and the candidate was willing to meet the visa costs, then they would be just as appealing for the role. I will make a point of applying directly to employers still from the UK and highlight these facts and cross my fingers.

Thanks for the advice everyone!!

jmh

There are a few recruitment agents in NZ who specialise in hospitality - it might be worth contacting them to get some advice. A lot of migrants get entry level hospitality jobs here, but there is a high turnover so if you stick around and have some talent management opportunities crop up regularly.

Another thought, if you got a job at one of the prestigious hotels or global chains it might provide some great travel opportunities not only to NZ but other countries as well. Sounds like a good way to see the world. Maybe consider work on cruise liners too (won't solve your NZ visa problem though).

Two things that often trump not being in NZ are working for a well known global company, e.g. Microsoft, or a personal recommendation from someone with a contact in NZ. But if there are plenty of people to choose from locally they won't be interested in the hassle of dealing with someone on the other side of the world.

broonie30

Sorry for the delay in replying but thanks a lot for the great advice jmh. I am actually trying to get work with a well known global hotel chain and attended an interview a couple of days ago, fingers crossed. I see this as maybe my best chance for travel opportunities, perhaps to other places as well as NZ.

I will do as you suggest and contact the local recruitment companies in NZ who deal with hospitality and get some advice.

Thanks again to you any everyone else on here who has contributed. I'm sure I will have some more questions in the near future.
Cheers!