[purring]

Hi everyone!

I'm having a tough time getting a certification from my first job ten years ago because they don't keep personnel records that ancient, and they cannot verify my stint with the company. (I worked there for nine months.) What I have with me is a 9-year-old certification issued by their former executive secretary, in company letterhead, which I faxed to the present company secretary. But they said they still could not accept it as proof of employment because it was only signed by a secretary. The boss who referred me to the job is already dead, and I can't locate the boss who replaced him who could verify my employment with the company.

Questions:
1. Can I just submit my 9-year-old job certification to the NZQA for assessment, and the NZIS?
2. Are they still going to call up the office and verify my employment? Do they really call up the offices which you indicated in your application?

I'd really appreciate your answers because this certification is holding up my submission of the NZQA assessment, and the ITA submission. Thanks a lot!

purring

[Smiler]

Hi Purring

When we were submitting employment history to NZIS, one company OH worked for 10 years ago, (National Power) had 'evolved' several times and no one could find the HR records etc. He did have some tax returns though.

We put this on our ITA and told our case officer this. It was fine. I'm not sure if it is the same for NZQA. Have you told them of the problem?

Deborah

[Bubbles]

Hello there,
I gained PR although the company I served my apprenticeship with some years ago is no longer in existence, but was one of my main points earners. Also, my present employer who I've been with too long to mention assures me they have not been contacted at any time by NZIS.

Hope this puts your mind at rest

John

[PaulandHelen]

I needed to prove that i worked for a company over ten years ago and the only way they could do it was through payroll, that data went back a lot longer than anything else they kept, maybe its worth asking them about that. Failing that is there anyone at the company who you worked with who could give you a reference?
P+H

[purring]

thanks a lot guys, i appreciate your replies on this thread. i finally received my last job certification after two anxious-filled weeks.

another question please: does the certification have to state how relevant my academic background is to my job? the certifications i received contained the usual name, dates of employment, positions held and job description, but i read somewhere in the NZIS guide to filing an ITA that the certification should clearly indicate the relevance of my academic background to my job, and those previous jobs.

help!!

[Debbie]

Sorry I don't have a clear answer for you, I can only give my experience.
I claimed work experience in social care from before I qualified so no reference to my qualifications on them. The agent we are using just wrote on the ITA form under 'why are you claiming this' question- "Because it's relevant to social work". I don't think you need to worry greatly about a job referance stating specifically why its relevant to any qualifications you are claiming. All of my referances stated very simply start and end dates, job title and description. I never saw an incompleate ITA but I assume from the print out I did see that the 'why are you claiming this question' is standard and you could use this to add a bit in if you felt the need to.
PS none of my employers have been contacted so far.
hope this makes some sence. Debbie

[purring]

thanks helen! i was getting jittery with my references because a friend of mine who's applying for canadian immigration said that she had to do her own certifications and had them signed by her former employers, and she said that there's a specific format for the certification which need to be followed, otherwise it will be ignored by immigration people. but what the heck, i suppose that's the system they follow in canada but this is new zealand i'm applying for, isn't it? i think that so long as what i'm claiming for is true then i don't have anything to be afraid of.

[purring]

by the way, good luck on your interview helen! :clap i know that will be a breeze for you. is that going to be phone interview? you guys have it better with the phone interviews, cuz applicants from the philippines such as moi will have to fly over to bangkok for our interview. :no

break a leg!!! :raebanana