Avid

In today's 'Dominion Post' there was a story in the business section about some American guy who wanted to work in New Zealand.

He was hoping to work in the IT sector and had some top qualification that only 400 people in the world have (I know nothing about IT but I can go away and find out the name if anyone is curious)

After a year of applying for IT jobs in NZ he's going back to the States having had NO job offers at all.

Can you be too good for New Zealand?

Ted Logan

Depends what salary he's after ....................

Avid

I went and checked the paper....

The guy has 22 years experience, worked for Caltech and NASA and has a 'Master qualification in the ITIL standard for infrastructure management' (whatever that is).

He says he was willing to work anywhere in NZ and take the going rate of pay.

Too good for NZ?

The article kind of hinted that the top level jobs aren't open to foreigners....we are here to do the grunt work!

Ted Logan

Well that's bollocks to begin with.

Unsure why, maybe he should name some of the companies he went to and we can ask them.

Kiwiprincess

Every once in a while articles such as this come out - i am a teeny bit suspicious about them. The person may have a valid problem but there are a number of other issues at play. For instance, is he presenting his CV and introducing himself in such a way that he actually appears like he wants the job (and not doing it simply to fill in time until he finds his preferred job).

Lets be honest, qualifications and even sometimes work experience don't mean much if the guy comes across as a nutbar. Not to say he does, just that some people do and without knowing anything about the guy in question i wouldn't want to say.. I have dealt with a lot of applicants recently who may appear fine on paper but are simply too much to handle - ie won't listen when you explain something. Tell you that you should provide more time for applications (4 weeks to get them in!) etc etc. Drives me mental.

I hope he does get a job though cos it would be very disheartening.

Avid

At the end of the article it says that you can go to his website ('farstar-company') and look at his CV.

Perhaps somebody in the IT sector can have a look and tell us if the guy is too good for NZ.

(He ought to change his photo...to be honest....he looks a bit of a lounge lizard)

Ted Logan

He's not to good, the problemn seems as though there is no job for him.

He is a man of many trades in IT which may limit his job success as if he was to be offered a lesser job employers might be worried how long he may stay in that job before he moves on.

He best start brushing up on ITIL ver 3

Dustybin

it's hard being brilliant you know!

simonmarkellis

If he's done project management and business analysis, the jobs are there, especially in my company. Can't see what his problem has been.

NZBee

You can be too qualified here I have found. I had floods of job offers and also was head hunted a lot in the UK. I am now looking for a new job here....and have been told that I am over qualified, and recruitment consultants have told me to take one of my qualifications off my CV, to appear less threatening to potential managers!!! It is nuts.......and no I am not a nutbar!

Bellasmum

That is one of the reasons I would recommend that you don't just have one CV that you toss at many jobs.

If your CV is aimed at the position you are applying for and your front page has "CV prepared for the company" you may well already be ahead of other applicants.

And in these days of computers it is certainly easy enough to do.

NZBee

Absolutely....at my age (mid 20s)...apparently I am still over qualified with my experience. I cannot win....but I will get the job I want eventually....positive thought!!

whitesand

Why should being well qualified be threatening to potential managers? Is the level of insecurity here so bad that well qualified, experienced people are being rejected? This sounds to me like madness.

Kiwiprincess

It is a problem when the job market is so tight. I work in quite a small workplace and it is difficult for me because i am the one who has to train the new staff who come in. However, unlike a large Govt department there is nobody else available to do my work. The time and committment required is quite high. Especially for someone who potentially may still be seriously looking for work.

In case it was relevant, the highly skilled positions at my work are actually filled by people from overseas on work permits but when employing we still have to be very careful to check they are applying for the position because they want it or because they need to fill in time until they can find their preferred job.

whitesand

Do you think the higher the skill the higher the turnover? Do the less skilled stay in jobs longer? And, does salary play a part in turnover?