Moogle87

Thank you KOH2,

Best of luck to you too (I get the impression that you haven't moved yet.)

From what I've seen (I think from BEVS?) if he starts & finishes his Pharmacy Technician course this is on the shortage skills list, which gives us a lot better chance & better options.

<I've just added this in>
He isn't happy with his current job, but I think he will feel happier once he starts his training to be a Tech & he knows that this gives him as many, if not more (certainly in terms of NZ) options as it gives me.
I also think that he will happier when he is using his intelligence a bit more (I explain this a little more later.)

I agree with the other poster (sorry, I can't remember the name) that it wouldn't be fair for me to ask him to give up a career that he wants & loves, but he actually isn't bothered about it.

Unfortunately though he has been doing a shop job for a long time whilst trying to get his foot on the ladder in Film & TV which is his passion. He hasn't got anywhere with this sadly, so has started looking into other options. He's kind of had to give up on his dream (I would just like to add in here that it was not me who made him give up, he decided this himself because as much as he didn't want to give it up, he also didn't want to be stuck in a "shop job forever" - his words not mine, whilst he keeps trying.) so he does feel a little down about it all.

I think once he realises that it has value, real career prospects & that he's using his intelligence, that he might see it in a different light.

I have suggested that he should still keep an eye out for a career in media whilst he is doing his training.

<Finish edit>

It will also mean that both of us have 2 careers to be going with, rather than 1.
It will also mean that we have the potential to be earning more too.

Realistically we were looking at Jan 2018 at the earliest anyway, so waiting this extra time, probably will have little effect time wise, but the possibility of big gains for both his career & financially.
Although the problem is that in 2 years time it may have come off the skills shortage list.

But it will give us a little longer to save & sort things out if we decide that we do want to pursue this as an option.

Moogle87

Hi PB65,

Thank you for the advice & your best wishes.

I promise you, it isn't that I don't want to hear the negatives. I really, genuinely, would prefer that people be honest with me. & I am taking everything on board that people have been saying.
But I'm also somebody that likes a balanced argument.
Sometimes I have felt that people have ONLY been willing to tell me the negatives & I have sat there thinking "Then why on earth have you moved then, if it is this bad?"
This doesn't mean that I don't believe them.
& I promise this isn't me ignoring what they have said, I just find it a little frustrating that people only seem willing to say the negatives & not follow up with anything positive.
Of course this is not everybody & I think that I have actually had some very sound advice too.
I have always made an effort to thank people for posting & tried to follow up with a reply, because I think that if people have taken the time to give advice then this is the right thing to do. To recognise the time taken to do this.

I appreciate that sometimes it may have looked like I wasn't listening because I may come back with a counter argument for something, but this really isn't the case.
Neither does it mean that I know better.
If I thought that I knew better then I wouldn't have asked for peoples advice in the first place & then continued asking questions.
Its just my way of trying to process what people are saying, I suppose.
I just like to feel that things are balanced (or at the very least if there is something positive to say then if you are going to write out a load of negatives that you should also mention this.)

Maybe its because in the classroom I'm used to giving instructions several times, lol. Its messed with my brain!
A psychologist that I know once told me that the brain likes to hear things 3 times.

& we definitely are planning a trip to NZ. At the very least it will make hubby happy because he will be able to explore some of the places where LOTR was filmed.
We may come have a look & think that is an awesome place for a holiday, but not somewhere that we could call home.
If that happens we will continue our adventure somewhere else.
Maybe in the UK or maybe in another country.

Moogle87

Thank you Parnell

Moogle87

Thank you Peter.

He is just starting out in his photography interests, but he's bought himself a decent starter DSLR & a few decent starter lenses.
It is something that is he is VERY interested in.

He also has a Film degree & this is something that he sadly hasn't been able to pursue here in sunny Stoke-On-Trent!

Obviously he isn't expecting to walk into a job in film in NZ, but it is something that excites him.
Even just being able to visit the studios & past film locations from LOTR is really exciting for him.

Moogle87

Hi BEVS,

I do appreciate this, even if I haven't shown it always. & thank you for your persistence.


Sadly, Maths & PE just aren't an option for me. Apart from the small amount of Maths that you do in Business Studies (with a calculator though!) my Maths education finished at GCSE. I didn't do too bad; I got a B, but I am bloody hopeless at Maths, lol. & I don't even have a GCSE in PE.


I did the points calculator & we came out with 130.
But if we maybe look again at moving when hubby has finished his Pharmacy Technician course then we will be in a much stronger position.
We are only talking about another 8 months anyway.

& in that time something might change that means we are no longer able to move.

I do believe in fate & that things that are meant to happen, will happen.

Thanks again.

Moogle87

I think I have just addressed this, but I will reply, just in case I didn't.

He hasn't starting his training to be a Technician yet. He is about to start it shortly.

At the moment he is a qualified Dispenser.
When you go down the Technician route there is a much better scope for promotion.
I never realised this before hubby started training for his dispenser role, but there are lots of different levels of Technicians (in the UK anyway) & what the Government are trying to do is to get the Technicians to run the Pharmacies whilst the Pharmacist can concentrate on basically giving some of the services that the GP used to do.

Hopefully (maybe wishful thinking, lol) there may be a need still in 2 years time when he finishes his training.
I agree this would put us in a significantly stronger position than we are now.
In all fairness though it would put us in a stronger position than we are in the UK too.

Although we would also need to check that his qualifications are recognised in NZ!

mooshroom

I think many people don't stress the positives that bought them here as they are unique to them. It may be assumed you already have those pull factors that are relevant to you and these could be completely different to those for someone else. Your question generally relate to facts not emotions and these have been the focus of peoples responses. You need personal strong pull factors to make it work rather than push factors usually.

If you haven't already check out the process for NZ immigration for both professions. For teaching even before the job side of things you will need to have your qualifications assessed by NZQA approx. $800 I believe. This can take 1-3 months. Then you can apply for Teachers Registration. The have panel meetings every month, but this process can take 6 months. (not sure of the current cost for the application) Additional things need to be set with your application eg. Police check with a cost and time frame attached. Then when all this has been accepted you can then apply for a job. Particularly when jobs are hard to come by, schools are not going to wait months for you to go through this process and with no certainty the outcome will be positive (they don't know you- not a criticism of your skills), therefore a financial commitment is needed even before you get to the point of job confirmation.

Check out the required qualification for a Pharmacy Technician and the process involved- any registrations etc. It looks like the shortage is 'hospital' based technicians so this will limit your locations.

There is a lot of information on the relevant organisations web sites. Check it out so you know what you need to do and the cost/risk/time frames to see if it would even work for you.

BEVS

Quickly and without reading the latest posts on this thread.

If the shortage is and remains with District Health Boards then this is good news for the OP as all DHB are what is called New Zealand Immigration Accredited employers.

They will be very used to dealing with overseas health care professionals and the visa paperwork that goes with this.

Moogle87

Great advice, thanks.

We will certainly look into that.

stubarrhamilton

Hey,

If you can find a job totally move. If you are not happy with uk then move. Be willing to go down in living standards but a better lifestyle. Don't get a job in auckland. Better lifestyle of course is a matter of opinion. I have been here for 5 years and don't regret it for a minute. Sure a lot of houses are not good but you can make them good or make them temporary. The cities are small compared to the uk and easier to get around. If small towns in the middle of nowhere are your thing then might be a better employment option. There is more to nz than auckland wellington and christchurch. I live in dunedin and kiwis who have not been here laugh about it. Kiwis who live here love it. Ex pats who live here love it. It's got the climate of the North East of UK. Crummy winter but ok summer but has access to the best part of nz, the south island. Wherever you go on the money your talking about you will be in a house with no double glazing some insulation and only partial heating, unless maybe you go for some small but modern apartment/FLAT. But so what you'll be out of the uk and in nz. Make sure there are actually things here you will like. Outdoors is sort of a must. At least tramping walking cycling boating camping.

You don't get the same material or financial quality of lifeach as you have now for the same money but just the kiwi way is so less stressful I reckon. I'm talking from a 40 yo perspective who came here by himself from uk and had a job to come to. Nz not perfect and kiwis are Def not perfect. After 5 years I have a girlfriend and pretty much no one else but I still love it here.

Bezza

Hi Moogle, just had to reply to this as i stumbled across this forum whilst doing some reseach on wellington (see my other post on wellington) and felt it was my duty to respond to this thread.

Myself and now wife moved over when we were late 20's(10 years ago, ouch) with a whole load of research complete, excitement and fear (mostly from these forums).

Long story very short, it's the best thing we have ever done. We live in a beautiful country with fantastic weather (i know its important for you guys back there in the freezing cold/damp drizzle hoping for 6 weeks of summer, to state that).

Our careers have enhanced far further than the trajectory they were heading in whilst in the UK. Admittedly, I could now earn far more in the UK, with my current skillset - but that is not gonna happen

Life in NZ is definitely what you make it, yes it is a long way away. That is such a factor if you fear homesickness and seeing your parents age (over skype and the odd visit is far from cool). It gets even worst when you have kids But that is not NZ's fault and many of the perks about living in NZ come from its remoteness. Certainly no worries about crazies blowing themselves up here (unless its in a P-house)

Like the good advise you have received, make sure you do your research on the maths. If they don't work, you will be on the back foot from the start and resentment/blame can come into your life.

i certainly would not recommend anyone to think about moving to Auckland at the moment unless you have a serious deposit to put down. But that does not mean you cant successfully live elsewhere in the country. With your jobs, you could easily set up a great life in Hawkes Bay - houses in many areas still very cheap (google property brokers nz). Most houses are not up to standard, but that is slowly changing with insulation and heat pump grants. With a bit of elbow grease you can do up an older style house to a very liveable standard (north island - not so sure about south) without breaking the bank.

Is there no way you can rent your UK house out while you test the water? Use the next 2 years to save up for flights and a bit of living cost? We rented our UK house for 10 years and have only just sold it (as we are sick of uk tax returns so wanted to move all the money to one country). You get a 5 year amnesty before declaring it. After that its best to get an accountant to sort it for you - i know a uk guy based here that is great for both countries services.

Just remember there are so many expats happily living over here, so don't take the majority view on here as the majority view in the real world.

Research, save, ask yourself those inner questions as to why you want to do it. Go with your gut and give it your best. If it doesn't work, don't blame - life is too short. No matter what, if you do give it a go you will certainly have a great experience!

All the best and good luck with your decision making.

LittleGreyCat

Talking about this on another thread, but how did you do for Capital Gains Tax?

I assume you must have had an appreciable gain over 10 years?

MrsFychan

you do not get 5 years amnesty its 4 and its 4 from the day you land, which caught us out as the day MrF landed he was on a temp visa but it still counts.

Hammy54

Rototuna Junior High School in Hamilton are currently recruiting.