[blearyjane]

Hi there everyone - I am not sure whether I am posting this in the right place... but it didn't seem to fit elsewhere!

We are hoping to get to NZ at the end of 2008 but OH will need a job offer. He is currently a Policy Analyst in the NHS. I understand there is an expo in London in April, and just wondered from those of you who have been whether they are worth going to, and particularly whether potential NZ employers attend.

Any advice will be gratefully received!

[Myrkk]

We've been to both the April? ish time expo and the one in October and the October one wins hands down. More stands there.

Seemingly the April? one is a new one and so not as many employers etc go to it, they concentrate on the October one. And that has been our experience of them.

Go early, take water, leave kids at home. Head for the immigration stall early if you are going to ask immigration any questions as the queue for them is always horrendous. Make sure your patience is abundant as there are usually lots of people and lots of queues. Make sure you're presentable as an agency photographed my hubbie. Some will want a CV, others won't. There was something else I was going to add but can't remember it. Hope that was helpful.

They usually have a jobs list somewhere on the site.......

http://www.expo-newzealand.com/

so you can see if any relevant employers will be at the expo.

[dookieusm]

We went to the April '07 Expo in London. We did get to talk to an NZIS official which was extremely valuable and probably worth it for that alone. I agree that, from what I've heard, the October event tends to have more employers (none were there in April). Westpac had a stand and it was useful to talk to them about NZ banking etc.

There were a few stands specialing in teachers/NHS careers so that maybe useful for you.

To be honest, given the low cost (15GBP pp if I remember rightly) I reckon its worth a look.

Stephen

[blearyjane]

Thanks for the responses...we will give it a go - at least it will feel like a positive step toward the eventual goal!

[PeteS]

We went to the one in October '04.

I took many copies of my CV and gave them out like confetti. Spoke to lots of people and got a feel for what they (NZ employers) wanted. As a result of giving my CV to Peter Tennant, Mayor of New Plymouth, I ended up with a job interview in Hawera, got the job and here we are. In Blenheim that is, but that's another story......

The other thing we sorted out were Bank accounts. Westpac were helpful, we did all the paperwork in the UK, and all we did when we got to NZ was walk into a branch and confirm a few details. And the Migrant banking service they provide got us through the "you can't have a credit card you've got no credit history" logjam.

As Gordon F Ramsey says, Job - DONE, Banking - DONE.

[Familyofmonkeys]

Agree that the October Expo is much better than the April one if you are actually wanting to get a job rather than just some info. You could also have a copy of CV on a pen drive...we found this useful as even when you give out hard copies of CV they often want you to e-mail one too.

[RamblingPaddies]

i visited the October 07 London expo and found it to be no great shakes ... thats probably because i was looking for a job in auckland ....

that is until one of the companies - the economic development agency for the bay of plenty - persuaded me to fill out their forms and within 3 weeks i had a job offer from a company in tauranga ... :raebanana

55 days to go :exit

[blearyjane]

Wow Rambling Paddies and Pete S - hope something like that happens to OH! (Well, I can wish, can't I? )...

Thanks for the tips everyone - will keep you posted!

[dblake78]

The wife and I are going to the April Expo bleary! Hoping to soak up some information and keep the fingers crossed for a job-based miracle like the guys above.

Hope you find it useful

[ablears001]

My girlfriend and I are going too hoping to make contacts for web work, armed with paper CVs, USB sticks, infinite patience and lots of snacks :)

Anthony

[RamblingPaddies]

the expo is well worth a look at least

its big, but not that big !

as far as i know its not in the convention centre proper but a hotel down the road