[Leccy-Lee]

Ok i been asked pretty much all time so far the expected question ie "Why did you give up everything in UK to come live in NZ on a chance?"

I know my reasons, such as always wanted to move NZ since teen, better lifestyle, love the outdoors etc etc

BUT i get the feeling i am being asked with a kind of "Hmm whats he hiding" kind of tone? Just what do employers want to hear to this question? I tell the truth that i always dreamed of NZ, planned to come here 10 years ago with friends but we never did, and now so i upped and left it all behind to start a new life in NZ, does that not sound truthful or honest, does it sound like i am hiding something? Or am i just paranoid? :o

Would appriecate any advice or good answers that employers will love :p

[Anita & Marco]

Hi Lee,

I honestly think there is not such a good or wrong answer to these questions. You have your own truth and your reality which would be good enough for me at least.

Why are you asking this question?
Do you have problems finding a job? Join the club!
I do not think employers are suspicious or something when you tell them what your feelings are at all. But we can talk about his over a beer next Sunday.

Cheers,
Anita

[swissmissdesigner]

I would just tell the true.

[skibumwa]

I will be asked the same question.

I live here in the USA where salaries are higher than in NZ. Everyone here so far is like "why move there, you can make more $ here?". The answer to that is that I want a balanced life. I want to feel deep down happy. I live in what I deem as the prettiest major city in the USA - which is Seattle. We have snow-capped peaks to the East and West of us. We have beautiful Vancouver BC (constantly ranked in the top 3 most livable/beautiful cities in the world) 3 hours North of here as well as a wilderness coastline that only is as amazing, and untouched from human kind as the coastline in Alaska. Yet still as an outdoorsy nature lover, I still don't feel happy here.

The decision to move so very far away as we ALL are doing is a HUGE, no BEYOND HUGE decision. A deep down desire to improve your life, in my opinion, should be the only driving force for this decision. I don't personally care if I take a 20% pay cut from the USA salaries in my profession. I felt a sense of peace and home that I have never felt ever while I was in NZ, especially so while I was in Wellington. I was actually depressed and homesick when I flew back home to Seattle.

As for work and interviewing, yes we all need jobs there unless we are independently rich. Here's a link to a post I wrote about my 'interviewing expedition' I did 2 months ago. It was a big step into a new larger world for me. It might give you some ideas too...

Interviewing Expedition (http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=12190)

You are not being paranoid my friend. No you just being cautious on making such large decision. It's perfectly natural...

For your inspiraton, imagine getting your PR or WorkVisa & then landing in Auckland to see this on the beginning of your new life!! (see attached pic)..

Be inspired my friend! Go for it if your heart and instincts tell you it's a good move improve your life!

[swissmissdesigner]

John : that was very clever! I think we just should talking honest about our feeling and goals as you did.
Well done. Thanks for the picture...makes tears in my eyes.

[Anita & Marco]

Yes John, that's true - but what if your salary cut is that deep that you have to work long hours and can't enjoy the outdoors, because you are just too busy and tired.

Of course, everyone wants to have the work/lifestyle balance right, but it is not natural that this is easier to achieve in NZ than somewhere else. I can only talk for myself, but where I came from the balance was much better than in NZ. Why do I stay? Because I still hope it will improve in the upcoming future.

Cheers,
Anita

[Leccy-Lee]

John thanks for the kind words, and reading your story was great, and pretty much my last 3 days has been either phone or interviews with agencies ans employers. So heres keeping my fingers crossed too.

I have several more leads to work on next week now, i was just surprised when you say "bonus points from employers for making effort etc to come out here on a gamble". As i feel i people been very sceptical with me being here, and whether i am commited, wich i very much am.

Maybe i am coming across all wrong?

PS: John, i have an identical photo i took at auckland! :)
PPS: Give me a pm and we have a beer when you get to Welly...

[Kim39]

As folk have said Lee, just tell the truth. No point in lying is there. Been many times i have been asked the question, and the answer has always been the same - you seen the UK recently!! and they automatically come back with the answer, point taken.

Your a sparky aren't you? well try Ward Chandler up in Hamilton as they are always on the lookout for sparkies and will be prepared to listen to you.

Kim

[Leccy-Lee]

Kim,
Yes indeed i am a sparky and will contact ward again (sent them CV last eyar from UK). Really finding the NZ registeration process a major hurdle right now, many firms said i'd have 100 offers as soon as get NZ registeration sorted, Arghh speed up the red-tape! :)

[skibumwa]

Hi Anita!

My career path and the job offer I accepted in NZ as an Software Design Engineer/Sr. Test Engineer pays very well for NZ standards. I can make a nice living in Welly for sure. I can make more $ in Seattle, but what good is it with only 2 weeks vacation a year and working 50-60 hours/week. My job in Wellington will only be 40-45 hrs/week tops with over 2x the weeks off in vacation + national holidays. I am coming out far on top believe me!! :laugh My friends here in Seattle still concentrate on making more $$$ at the expense of their sanity. No thanks!

Living in the USA- there is no work/life balance... at all :wah hence why i want to leave..

John

PS. Besides, I am no fan of Corporate America or G.W. Bush either :mad:






Yes John, that's true - but what if your salary cut is that deep that you have to work long hours and can't enjoy the outdoors, because you are just too busy and tired.

Of course, everyone wants to have the work/lifestyle balance right, but it is not natural that this is easier to achieve in NZ than somewhere else. I can only talk for myself, but where I came from the balance was much better than in NZ. Why do I stay? Because I still hope it will improve in the upcoming future.

Cheers,
Anita

[skibumwa]

Thank you..

Yes that photo brings tears to my eyes too. Once my 30 month visa is approved, I will see that sign 4 days later!

Keep working at your dream and you will get to see that sign too.. .

I am actually looking forward to the day of seeing NZ Customs in Auckland Airport who will convert my NZ Work Visa into a NZ Work Permit..yeah!

John





John : that was very clever! I think we just should talking honest about our feeling and goals as you did.
Well done. Thanks for the picture...makes tears in my eyes.

[Ana&Steve]

i was just surprised when you say "bonus points from employers for making effort etc to come out here on a gamble". As i feel i people been very sceptical with me being here, and whether i am commited, wich i very much am.

Maybe i am coming across all wrong?

We had the same experience, people very enthusiastic until they realized we (Steve) were only on a trip, not to stay. Then we felt that they thought we were nuts for doing it. Very worrisome.
Sometimes we felt there was no benefit to our reccy, but then we remembered all the great people we met:D The business contacts we made and the better understanding we had of NZ job hunts/business practices will prove vital, as well....eventually!
I know our situations aren't quite the same, but I just wanted you to know that I know what you're talking about:) Also that thinking about the situation differently can turn negatives to positives (cheesy but true:nice1)
Take Care,
Ana

[welshgang]

I'm wondering whether or not to use a nursing agency to arrive in NZ then work and try to secure a permenant job and eventual residency. Any views on this? Is there a serious job shortage?
Liz x

[skibumwa]

Ana -

Did you inform everyone (the companies you were interested in) that you were just going on an interviewing trip only? What is a RECCY?

If you suddenly arrived in NZ & interviewed then then told them in fact were not there living or on your PR, but you were just visiting then I can see how they'd be NOT enthusiastic anymore about your visit only. Maybe their expectations were set too high.?

I deliberately told them all I was only going to be there for 3 weeks interviewing. Then I'd go home, accept an offer and get my visa, then move.

Maybe it was your delivery and how to told them about your visiting trip only hence why they were not so happy in the end? I don't know... I am just guessing...


John

PS. An update on my process: My 30 month visa is going to take 3 full months to process (at the rate things are going!) :mad: I am pretty dismayed that the government of NZ can only afford or will only pay for 5 medical accessors (5 MDs = 5 people) to review the medical paperwork for all visa and PR applications worldwide. I find this appalling and ridiculous as well as downright stingy. Those poor 5 people must be so overworked... gosh! I hope their medical accessors are not stereotypical to the US-doctor image. US doctors take a lot of time OFF for fun time- play time- golf, etc. grrrrr

We had the same experience, people very enthusiastic until they realized we (Steve) were only on a trip, not to stay. Then we felt that they thought we were nuts for doing it. Very worrisome.
Sometimes we felt there was no benefit to our reccy, but then we remembered all the great people we met:D The business contacts we made and the better understanding we had of NZ job hunts/business practices will prove vital, as well....eventually!
I know our situations aren't quite the same, but I just wanted you to know that I know what you're talking about:) Also that thinking about the situation differently can turn negatives to positives (cheesy but true:nice1)
Take Care,
Ana

[Ana&Steve]

Ana -

Did you inform everyone (the companies you were interested in) that you were just going on an interviewing trip only? What is a RECCY?
The interviews we set up from the US were informed that it was an interview trip, the interviews we got while there were informed in the interview. Many who were informed still showed surprise that we weren't there for good. I shared this mostly to emphasize that forking out for an interview trip didn't impress as much as we thought. They seemed to be of the mind that we should wait til we were there to stay before bothering to job hunt. The employers and recruiters IMO are surprisingly ill-informed about the immigration process and what is involved on our part. A "reccy trip" is slang for recreation or reconnaissance trip, learned it from this forum.

If you suddenly arrived in NZ & interviewed then then told them in fact were not there living or on your PR, but you were just visiting then I can see how they'd be NOT enthusiastic anymore about your visit only. Maybe their expectations were set too high.? Again, we had hoped the trip, our house being on the market, and having our medicals and FBI checks in hand would have gone a long way to impress our dedication; this didn't seem to be the case for us, though it has worked for others.

I deliberately told them all I was only going to be there for 3 weeks interviewing. Then I'd go home, accept an offer and get my visa, then move.
We hoped for this, too.
Maybe it was your delivery and how to told them about your visiting trip only hence why they were not so happy in the end? I don't know... I am just guessing...
Can't say, we did the best we knew how.


It's a bit disconcerting to share our "failures", but the info could be helpful to others. We haven't given up yet, though, and we have many contingency plans. The main thing is still selling the house.
Ana

[skibumwa]

Sorry your RECCY trip was not as successful as mine. I went to NZ on whims notice just like you so I am surprised of the negative response you got being it a RECCY trip to get a job offer. I am sure everything will work out in the end, so no worries ok?

You are 100% correct in that most employers in NZ have no real clue about the NZ immigrations process. The only employers who do know about it are the 'accredited employers'. My job was supposed to start on June 18th. :mad: :wah Luckily the hiring company knows what I am going through as even my hiring manager, a wonderful person, actually emmigrated from Europe I believe so she herself knows my pain. Luckily the company is holding my position for me.

I'd say that most if not all job recruiters no nothing about the immigration process. They expect you to get an offer and start in 2 weeks even if you live in North American or Europe. The reality of all of our NZ job searches is that NZ Immigrations is the gatekeeper with all the keys locked in a safe. NZIS seems like sort of like an hourglass of sand-- grrrrrr- everything just sort of just sloooooows down when you get NZIS involved...

Ahhhh I hope we all can get to NZ asap!

-John

[Dave1965]

wow John...a very inspiring story ! by the looks of things you are busy packing getting ready for the big move.

The job hunting thing is a real chicken/egg problem... you want the security of a job offer and securing a work visa but on the other hand employers are often only interested if you there to stay on not on some Reccy ..

I myself am a NZ citizen and even I am daunted by the thought of moving home without a secure job offer. I've been out of the country for more than 20 years..

Ill probably end up doing something similar to you .... but saying it and doing it are 2 different things.

RESPECT matey.... you definitely have balls...

Dave.

[xanctus]

I got that questions once during interview and my answer pretty much the same from time to time...
"I would rather be part of a developing country rather than surviving in well developed country."
Quite frankly, my answer were quite positive for the interviewer. One, actually said...I like the way you put that answer, showing that you have faith for your new place/country such as NZ. I replied, yes indeed sir, I would be proud to be part of NZ's growth in every which way.

It's kind of like my trademark answering that way. :D:D:D

[tiefchord]

PS. An update on my process: My 30 month visa is going to take 3 full months to process (at the rate things are going!) :mad: I am pretty dismayed that the government of NZ can only afford or will only pay for 5 medical accessors (5 MDs = 5 people) to review the medical paperwork for all visa and PR applications worldwide. I find this appalling and ridiculous as well as downright stingy. Those poor 5 people must be so overworked... gosh! I hope their medical accessors are not stereotypical to the US-doctor image. US doctors take a lot of time OFF for fun time- play time- golf, etc. grrrrr

John,

I highly suggest you rethink some of your expectations of things - as when you get here and start living full time you might be in for a rude awakening if you continue to expect the same kind of liquidity, speediness, and accessibility that the US offers in some aspects.

[xanctus]

John,

I highly suggest you rethink some of your expectations of things - as when you get here and start living full time you might be in for a rude awakening if you continue to expect the same kind of liquidity, speediness, and accessibility that the US offers in some aspects.

300% AGREE!!!
Do not live up your expectation when you come and live here. Things are quite different. I mention one example of my apartment search through an agent.

[vande23]

Think of it this way (re: interviewers for jobs)- the people are wanting to fill a spot and soon. A lot of the agencies are getting paid on commission and are wanting to know that you are ready to work soon! IF it were me, I would not expect anything but indifference and appreciate any time I get in front of an interviewer on a RECCY trip. I think the trip should be focused on housing and picking a town and touring the land and the people - and the jobs should be in that list too, but not with so many expectations, no matter what your field. Connections are good, I admit... so its still worth it to make the effort at interviews even if you are not a PR or not planning on being there for months.

Re: the comment previously in this string about USA and G. Bush - I'm with ya, I just can't see that anything (like going to NZ) is so incredibly better - yet - then moving away from all friends and family due to politics or false flag terrorism like 9/11. Course, after the next "event" here, maybe I might be fast tracking a way out of here.