Employment in New Zealand

Migrants coming to New Zealand on various visas that authorise them to conditionally or unconditionally work have just one question on their minds. Will I get the job? A question, that is responsible for all their apprehensions, fears, insecurities and in many cases sleepless nights. However, I keep telling you the difference between ‘a’ job and ‘the’ job. Migrant job seekers are looking for ‘the’ job. It’s ‘the’ job that fetches them their further visas and helps them ultimately qualify for their NZ Permanent Residencies. “Will I get ‘the’ job?”, is the question. There is a lot riding on this question, there’s so much at stake. The answer to this question will decide whether they have succeeded in their pursuit for a better lifestyle for themselves and their families, whether their decision-to-relocate for an overall convenience has paid off and whether the time, emotions and money that they invested towards achieving an exceptional work-life balance was worth or n...

We have heard this phrase countless times in different shapes and forms, “Nothing plus Nothing equals Nothing”, “Nil and Naught are never sought”, “Zip and Duck Always Suck”, “Santa ke saath Banta? Babaji ka ghanta!” I am sorry the last one is in Hindi, it’s a wee bit naughty and it’s R18 but they all mean the same. If nothing is added with nothing the result will always be nothing, méiyǒu, rien , nichts , amugeosdo, kahore…. NOTHING! On the other hand, research shows we are attracted to people who look like us, behave like us, who have a similar personality type and we even tend to gravitate towards those who share our level of education. It’s true. You come to think of it what happens when you walk into a gym the very first time after you have decided to get into shape? Every step is a bit tentative, it’s so easy to get intimidated looking at those big bulky hulks pumping iron, sweating and grunting out loud. You look at their arms, legs and chest and you give a peek at y...

Students, when they arrive at the Auckland International Airport; what do they have? A big smile on their face, spark in their eyes, enthusiasm and determination to achieve their goals, butterflies in their stomach and a commitment to themselves that they will try to get a job as soon as possible and make sure they are not a burden to their parents back home and friends, if any, in New Zealand. Their attitude is nothing less than that of a total innocence and sincerity. Once here, they don’t take much time to make friends with the groups they stay with or with the guys they move around or the ones who are in their college. Soon they get introduced to this very special group of students/immigrants who are the ‘been-there-done-that’ kinds. They are a respected lot having solutions and or opinion on almost everything and are often addressed as ‘Seniors’. These so-called seniors always feel the uncontainable sense of responsibility in sharing their pearls of wisdom with the...

Said no immigrant job seeker ever!! However, we all know that the transactions are taking place. Money is being DEMANDED, money is being OFFERED and money is being ACCEPTED in broad daylight and jobs are being SOLD. You know it, I know it and I am sure even the Government and the authorities know it, but the problem is you and I can’t prove it and I doubt if the Government has the intentions and resources to prove it as well. That said, we should expect some movement as this (2017) is the election year in New Zealand but employers who are involved in all this are so beautifully covered and have found exceptional ways to work around the laws, that they are almost untouchable. They are making a mockery of the system, abusing their privileges and laughing their way to their banks. Their books and records are perfect and yes, you guessed it right… the transactions ARE taking place!! Since no one can prove the foul play, hence it’s proved that they are doing nothing wrong! A...

As a job seeker in NZ, you would’ve heard and experienced this statement countless times. “It’s not important what you know. What is important is, WHO you know!!” And I can bet, you know or have heard about someone who got the job just because he/she knew someone in the company. Many times you see someone less capable or deserving walking into the role over you and you feel, how did that happen and why is it happening to me?! We all like to think and believe that factors like competence, education, knowledge and experience should be the ideal determinants for a job seeker to secure their dream role but who said we live in an ideal world. It is disturbing to see yourself slogging through your job search doing your best with no or minimum results and losing that chance that you wanted so badly to someone else and as a result, you often feel resentful, bitter and sour. I am new in New Zealand and I don’t have any references, I don’t know anyone. Where ever I apply, I am aske...

I was myself a job seeker once and I have been consistently involved with applying for and securing short-term contracts ever since I started my own venture. I call it ‘hands-on job searching’ and it’s quite rewarding sharing my experience with professionals who have hired me as their mentor. No matter at what stage of your career you are on, I can easily conclude that searching a job is a full-time job in itself unless that is if you have skills that are highly sought after or you are one of the few people in an industry where workers are always in demand. Getting a job is never easy especially when you are trying for that first break in a new work environment. As a job seeker, you are constantly riddled by job descriptions, employers’ cultures, the skills gap and inaccessible recruiters (some of them love playing god) adding up to making job hunting an often unpleasant and frustrating experience. It’s easy for anyone to relate to the emotions of fear, anger, shame, conf...

I met a job-seeker who has been in NZ for the last few months and in our meeting he was constantly complaining about the employment market, recruiters, job boards and his agent from his home country. He was frustrated about his job application rejections besides the fact that he felt he had the required relevant experience. He asked me, “Is that right on how I am being treated in NZ job market?” in a tone that he was the victim of wrongdoing. I tried to explain him that key question wasn’t whether it’s right or not, although one would tend to agree with him in principle. The key question is what are you doing about it? “Are you playing victim or are you adapting?” I asked him, “if you’re being robbed, you don’t just sit around thinking…Oh, why is this happening to me? Why me? This is not right. Instead, you react. You shout for help or you fight to defend or you call a cop or you run away…right?” Constructive action / adaptation is opposite to sulking as a victi...