[NewHope]

Hi,

I am new here and am seriously considering migrating to NZ. My wife is the main applicant as she has many more years experience as an IT system/business/consultant analyst.

I have a degree in Electrical Engineering from the United States emphasizing in electronics. (I think it is called ‘Electronic and Electrical Engineering there?).

I did a quick search at some online websites and it seems like most E&E jobs are for experienced high power Electrical Engineering and very little in Electronics Engineering. (At least little for new EE like me with 2 plus years experience.) Is that the norm in NZ where there are few jobs for Electronics Engineer?

We are looking at Wellington and Canterbury to live, are those right place to consider for IT and E. Engineering? Thanks.

[StevieD]

Drop Bob the Engineer a pm on here, he works in that field in Wellington. Sure he won't mind your questions.

Steve

[Bunstar]

Hello!
My OH is an electronics controls engineer and I've just mentioned your post to him and he said "I know what he means"
I think if you look broader than your job title you should be ok. My OH was offered a Consultancy job in Wellington, a Commissioning job in New Plymouth and is currently working as a technical sales rep for an industrial controls distributor in the Bay of Plenty.
He's cooking my tea at the moment so I'm not letting him out of the kitchen but I'm sure he'll add his comments later.
:yes

[andrewp]

I'll be following this thread closely. I'm also an Electronic Engineer and have spent many hours on Seek.co.nz. I'll probably branch in to project management or IT as I also haven't seen many "Electronics" jobs. Or, judging from the many posts on here about speaker wiring and DVD set-up, maybe I'll start a consultancy helping new immigrants to get their home theatre systems working ;)

[NewHope]

StevieD,
Thanks for the input. Will contact Bob the Engineer as soon as I reach the 5 post requirement.

BunStar,
Electronics and Electrical Engineering crosses path all the time that I don't even know to categorize them. Your OH must have lots of experience. Did he get the offer before you guys left?


Take it easy.

[troutman]

Hi NewHope
Hello and welcome to the forum.
Try the following link to the Institute of Professional Engineers NZ,
there are a few vacancies in the electrical/electronic engineering section
of the job search.

Regards

Dave

www.ipenz.org.nz/ipenz/

[JandM]

Hello, and welcome.:)

[bumpffslam]

Consider applying to the power lines companies (not the electric retailers) or other large utitilies most of who who use SCADA telecontrol and telemetry systems to remotely manage plant. It's a specialist area often with few internal applicants and without a huge inward flow of applicants.

[MonkeyControl]

NewHope, it's BunStar's other half here, I've finished cooking, and we've finished eating. It was a Chicken Rogan Josh, seeing as you asked.

w.r.t. Consultancy role & Commissioning job. Interviews were arranged from the UK. 1st through old Uni friend (Thanks again Simon), 2nd online through NZ employment agency. Interviews in Auckland & Wellington for the first, New Plymouth for the second. Both declined due to the discovery of beautiful little Tauranga. Current role arranged through a local employment agency upon arrival.

I would say that if you go into this endeavour with an open mind, and a degree, (no pun intended), of flexibility, you will be snapped up in a flash. The job market here is understandably smaller due to the low population, but there is plenty of opportunity, and some areas of Engineering are very well represented. In the honourable pursuit of Science and Engineering there is a serious shortage of skills that is in my experience apparently due to a constant migration to Aus for a few extra Bucks (fools), and of course if there are three positions with only two suitable applicants you're probably going to get the job.

In a nutshell, Be open minded, remember that your skills are transferable and can be developed if you have a good basic philosophy to your work. The only place where your current skills are ideal is your current position, you will have to learn new names, faces, procedures, tricks, etc, wherever you go.

I don't want this to turn into an essay, but will gladly answer any questions on this thread or via private messaging if I can.

Come to NZ by all means but please lets keep it amongst ourselves, it's a lovely place, but if it gets out, everyone will come here.

[Farfields]

Have you have missed Tait Electronics in Christchurch, one of the biggest NZ electronic companies.
http://www.taitworld.com/main/index.cfm/1,111,0,46,html/Jobs-Christchurch-NZ

Drop me a line if you are interested and need specific advice.

[StevieD]

your welcome matey, sorry i can't be of further help to you...

[thewoodies]

my OH an electronics engineer - he peaks at the website whilst at work!! Hello darling!!!! so may see this and reply. We are looking at moving to Auckland (only because our 1 friend in NZ lives ther and told us North Shore is the best!) its a starting point anyway. He has been watching the employment agency sites and jobs for him keep coming up all the time.

PM us - it would be good to hear from you. You may know stuff we dont and visa verse etc.

[NewHope]

bumpffslam,

Whoa! Lots of big words there. Luckily there is Google. :D
So you think even a 2 year undergrad would have a chance with work like this? I would say the Data Acquisition and telemetry part is Electronic Engineering and the rest may be Electrical. Again, fine line between them. I guess I have to dig out my college books soon. :laugh

[NewHope]

MonkeyControl,
An electronics controls engineer that cooks well. Hope that my OH does not find this thread. :D So there is actually an outflow of EE going to Australia? Interesting. Do your know if the headhunters (employment agencies) will do a decent job even for greenhorns? Good news is hard to keep ;) Will PM you when I can.

[NewHope]

Fafields,

Very interesting jobs listed. Odd requirements they got there, e.g. A junior RF design EE that requires a Master degree. Will be PMing you soon. Thanks!

[NewHope]

thewoodies,

So you guys are already been accepted and decided to move to Auckland? How long has your OH been looking for a job as an EE online? Or thru agent? Will PM you soon. Thanks.

[thewoodies]

OH hasnt applied for anything yet - we will wait until we get there - unless anyone knows of employees who will interview in the UK? - just waiting for house to sell. We will rent out our house and go anyway december time. He has been watching to see what jobs come up and where they are.

[thewoodies]

monkey control -
I would love to live in taranga - are there electronics engineering jobs there?

[StevieD]

not a lot of stuff over in Tauranga....

[IanW99]

OH hasnt applied for anything yet - we will wait until we get there - unless anyone knows of employees who will interview in the UK? - just waiting for house to sell. We will rent out our house and go anyway december time. He has been watching to see what jobs come up and where they are.

You are aware that NZ tends to slow down from December to February so don't hire as many people during this time.

If you arrive during this period without a job offer, you may find that you can't secure a suitable job for a few months, so should be prepared for this.

Ian

[thewoodies]

thanks Ian thats worth considering

[thewoodies]

Hi,
This is thewoodies OH. I am also a fantastic cook - ex chef - who now does control electronics/embedded firmware/bit of application software/pcb layout/test/installation/ documentation/making the tea and anything and everything in my current role.

Jack of all master of ?????

I have been looking on websites - seek etc. - for the past year or so since we first decided to go for NZ and there are always at least a couple of jobs around the Auckland area that I would definitely go for and usually a few more that I could easily adapt to so I'm quite confident that I will get something. The main thing I've found is that employers want you to be available for a face to face interview and so I've held off applying for the time being . The couple I have gone for - pre PR approval - have said that you need to be resident and entitled to work. Agents also have said the same sort of thing - that work is out there but you need to be here or coming out in the very near future.

I also keep my eye out for anything suitable in other areas and again there looks to be jobs all over the place. The Canterbury area - Christchurch and surrounds - seems to be the best place for electronics. There is a good networking website which advertises all sorts of engineering jobs for that area. Ill dig out the address and post it here later.

I will just keep on looking and keep building up a list of potential employers and agencies that I can approach on arrival.

At the same time I will be looking to go it alone and have a few ideas. Any like minded people out there please PM me.

Anyway. I'd better get back to my current job now before I lose it! Oh, but who would debug the new machine and then sweep the floor if I wasn't there?

Good luck to all EE's.

[MonkeyControl]

NewHope,

I don't know if your 'GreenHorn' status will have an adverse effect on your employment prospects, but I wouldn't have thought so, not as much as your presumably younger age will work to your advantage.

As for prospects in Tauranga, well truthfully I struggled, which was a bit of a shock compared to the responses I received in Auckland, New Plymouth, Wellington, etc, but w.r.t. IanW99s comment, I did only start looking for work in Tauranga about two weeks before Christmas/Summer Holiday.
A lot of Consultancy work in Tauranga, but not a lot of industry as such, except for the Port. I ended up taking a job based out of Rotorua, and I know a lot of people commute, for example Tauranga to Rotorua, or Whakatane to Kawerau.

Power is a big issue as bumpffslam points out, and there may be opportunities for work in this area. We get a lot of issues with industrial Clients stemming from noisy supplies on the grid here, and there's a lot of talk in the press about the supply being overcome by the demand, bring some candles and a camping stove. Only joking, you can buy candles over here. A lot of Hydro & GeoThermal stuff going on too if that floats your boat.

[thewoodies]

Here is the link to the Electronics South jobs networking site.

http://jobs.realcontacts.com/signup.asp?i=3675591

Maybe of interest.

[NewHope]

Hi Everyone,

We finally got our ITA and am officially looking for jobs now. Lets see how difficult it is to look for a job that is in Absolute Skill Shortage List but seems to be in absolute low demand :laugh

How is everyone doing?

[thewoodies]

What do you do? my other half is the electronics engineer and has an idea to set something up but doesnt necessarily want to do it on his own. PM us and i will get him to reply - He thought he sent a jokey post( he is very good at what he does and is very flexible he does both the electronics and writes all the computer software/firmware etc ) he isnt green horn status he just keeps getting promoted and not replaced so is now doing three peoples jobs !!!! (wants to leave job- counting the days until we fly in december)He was a chief and re trained as an engineer.

[nellyt]

I came here a year ago with a job lined up in ChCh.

I used Larry Beck at http://www.alignrecruitment.com/
and wouldn't of got the job without him. Fully recommend him. (mention my name!)

He has an engineering back ground and specialises in engineering/medical recruitment. He seemed well connected into the ChCh going ons of the industry and got me an interview.
Most of the other agents I looked at seemed to be national organisations
with little understanding of "electronics", they seemed far more IT centric.

Neil