GonetoNZ

Hello All,

Well, Jp and I have now been in NZ for almost 4 months. We came over without job offers so it has been a bit of a struggle at times but things are now going in the right direction.

We were based in Blenheim and were looking for employment in Marlborough/Nelson region. After 10 weeks of applying for numerous jobs, neither of us could get full time employment. Jp is a carpenter and managed to get a weeks temporary work but they were not in a position to take him on full time.

We were getting extreamly disheartened and when we asked some of the businesses why they turned us down, the general response was that they were giving preference to Kiwi applications.

Well, I can kind of understand this but it is a shame that they are not choosing applicants who may be more suited or better qualified for the job because they are not Kiwi's.

So, to cut a long story short, we handed in our notice on our rental in Blenheim, threw our furniture in the back of a lorry and moved to Christchurch!

Jp signed up with a trades agency and is now working with a team of carpenters and joiners on the new building opposite the Police Station on Hereford Street.

We are in a rental in Sumner until October and hopefully by then we will have found a place to buy.

So, after a wobbly start, we seem to now be enjoying life in NZ and are looking forward to making some friends and getting properly involved in Kiwi life.

Su.

tonydu

Hi Su,

Good luck I know what you mean about looking for work I have been out of work since December and I'm still looking I think everyone has my CV now. It does make me so unhappy that kiwis can treat you like that, most don't even get back in touch with you. Its not what you know its who. We live in Wakefield Nelson.
I don't want to go back to the UK as it is really nice here but i just don't know how long we can live on just one wage.

Anyway good luck with the whole thing hope it all works out for you take care.

Michelle

GonetoNZ

Thanks for the good wishes Michelle.

There is no deniying that getting our permenant residents visas without job offers has been tough but we are pretty pro-active people and so now things are looking up.

Blenheims loss is Christchurch's gain

Good luck to you guys too.

Dewb09

Thanks for posting update. Well done for sticking at it 10 weeks trying to find fulltime work must have been very demoralising. Good on you for just moving on and trying again.

Hope things keep heading in right direction for you

Dewb

billabongbunyip

Slightly different scenario but when I was backpacking in NZ, I NEVER had a problem getting a job.

I worked in hospitality, which meant there was always some sort of job to be had, especially in the tourist areas – I just had to be flexible.

I was a manger at holiday accommodation, a cleaner at a hotel, a receptionist at a motel, a barmaid, etc...

Now hospitality may not be your field, but it is pretty easy to do, and at least it is money coming in until you find something better. And Christchurch is on the tourist route.

Good luck.

GonetoNZ

Hi billabongbunyip,

Well, after all those weeks of endless CV sendouts with no joy in Blenheim, we had immediate success here in Christchurch - Sorted :-)

Dewb09

fantastic news, such a relief for you

Dewb

BEVS

A very different scenario actually.

The OPs have PR and are looking to be able to survive financially here for the foreseeable future. They want to put down roots and find work within their occupation and trade.

You were a transient backpacker who worked temporarily but, hopefully, legally on a WHV.

billabongbunyip

Yes, I said it was different scenario.

But it is not very different, as fundamentally the basics are the same (i.e.) you need money.

I was suggesting hospitality because:

1) You can usually get a job even if you have absolutely no hospitality training

2) It will bring money in until you can find something in your chosen field

3) It will give you contacts that may then lead onto something else. Often when finding a job (especially in a small town) it is not what you know, but who you know.

4) Locals often don’t want to do the menial hospitality jobs and this is the key for new people in town to get the job.

Even if you don’t really want to do the job, just look at it as a means to an end, until you can get yourself more established.

I have moved around a lot and lived in many different countries and always used hospitality type work to fall back upon, until I could establish myself long term.

Who knows, someone else in a desperate financial situation in a new country may perhaps find this information handy too??

I am planning on moving back to NZ in 2011 and will be using the hospitality routine again when I first arrive, until I can put proper feelers out and establish myself.

BEVS

Please re-read the OP's post.

and so they have gone where the work is & fair play to them.
They need to put down new roots in their chosen country and for that they need full time , permanent employment , preferably within their occupations so they can settle properly. Maybe buy a house. Schools for kids etc.

I think most adults are savvy enough to know that if they have no money then any possible job will help. Of course, they would need to be NZ citizens , have NZ PR , OZ PR or a work permit to take up that work.

Out of interest when were you last living and working in New Zealand ? The work situation has changed massively in just the 6 years we have been here. New Zealand is no longer a cheap place to be.