A word of encouragement and advice...
 

Advice even, shocking grammar!!!

To all those job seekers...

x I got a job over Skype but I would say in most cases you've got to put yourself in front of a prospective employer, in person
x NZ companies' bosses seem very open to the idea of having "a chat over coffee"
x I'm finding it quite straightforward to set these meetings up - just email companies of interest, and go meet. In a lot of cases, you would be coming with skills equal or superior to what they can get in NZ. So be confident!
x NZ really is all about who you know, so never turn down an opportunity to go for coffee! You never know where that might lead. I have 16 months to run on my contract, and I'm doing the networking now to find my next rock to jump to
x Try to get them last thing on a Friday - this is not a serious point but the people I met yesterday were already down the pub (and having boozed with a client over lunch) and consequently pretty easy to talk too :rofl:

Re: A word of encouragement and advice...
 

I'd pretty much agree with everything you said.

All NZ employers recognise the importance of recruiting and retaining good people. One pattern I've noticed is many companies here have really low staff turnover, and it's very common to find people with 10-20 years in the same firm. The company I work for here fits this pattern too.

As you say, in NZ it's all about contacts. As for the coffee thing, I never turn down the chance to do this as it's a really easy and quick way to work out if someone might fit in. It's also common for me to have these meetings and find that, whilst I might not have anything for that person, I know someone who will and can put them in touch.

Re: A word of encouragement and advice...
 

Networking is good. I got a job via my hairdresser!! LOL:lol: Spread yourself about a bit.

Edited to add: not in hairdressing by the way.

Re: A word of encouragement and advice...
 

Suddenly I understand why you got a job ;).