shelloid

I have found that my work colleagues here have been absolutely fantastic. I had to do a month of 'supervised practise' before becoming a fully qualified pharmacist and I had so much help from all of the department. Everyone was very willing to help and show me where to get information and what I would need to know for my final interview before registration....in the UK overseas pharmacists were often just left to it to get the info themselves and if they failed the interview/exam well tough you're out of a job.

I guess it really depend on where you work. There are going to be some awful people out there who are only interested in looking after number one and there's going to be some great people out there who bend over backwards to help.....and there's going to be all manner of people in between. I was one of the lucky ones, I guess.

We'll see what happens when OH starts work. He was looking for work for 2 months before being offered a job.
With him he did have the whole issue of having no NZ experience. The more senior posts he went for he got told he wasn't suitable due to lack of NZ experience, and the more junior posts he got told he was too experienced! Really frustrating.

lardyl

professional services. good clients, good fee rate, low overheads and can work pretty much as and when I want.
I can earn my previous salary by working the number of hours it took me to commute to the old office and no-one in this house wants to stab me in the back cause they feel threatened.....for other reasons maybe but not that one!
there are courses run on setting up by the local development councils, unless the Nats (govt) have taken them apart to save money.
google the development agency where you are looking to start up or look at:

www.nzte.govt.nz
www.businessmentor.org.nz
www.edanz.org.nz
www.nzchambers/cp.nz
www.nzte.govt.nz/biz

http://www.companies.govt.nz/cms
is all about the nuts and bolts of setting up your company

Should help.
Plus the tax man here is your friend (if you are not dodgy) and the IRD can help you set up on the tax allowances, etc front

Good luck

s3r3

I have read the replies with a great deal of interest. All I will say is that I've been here nearly 3 years & love it!! It is completely what you make of it. As long as you don't come across with the attitude that "its like the UK 30 years ago..." because it isn't. It has its own issues/problems like everywhere, it isn't perfect and its a bit like marmite - love it hate it!! I found it really important to make friends with kiwis and poms in fact I probably know more kiwis now especially as my other half is kiwi (and yes I did meet him out here). You have to make an effort to fit in and not refer back to the UK all the time (huge mistake!!!)

Good Luck with what you decide I for one love it out here, yes I miss my friends and family but at the end of the day you only live once........

AndyR

We love NZ so far. Living in a rental in Takapuna on Auckland's North Shore and think its fantastic. Food, weather, people, all great.

Only downside so far is people at work. Both my wife and my companies, the people are complete and utter work-a-holics! They never take breaks, never seem to go home and are constantly working from home all hours of the day, night and weekends. I'm the IT support at my company so I get emails from all hours.

Not experienced this level of work addiction back in the UK so its a shock, especially when they pay so low.

Oh well, everything else is grand!