Job Hunting in New Zealand

Some tips from the kiwis!

Finding a job in NZ

Is competitive.

Is harder for people who are not native English speakers.

Can be a very lonely process.

Employers expect many different skills.

Sometimes jobs are not advertised.

And our CVs are different too

When you apply for a job, your CV and cover letter should be tailored to the job you are applying for.

Your CV needs to sell yourself as not just an employee but also as a colleague.

You need to talk about the jobs you have done and skills you have using as few words as possible.

The next slide is an example – my recent CV.

Some helpful tips

Here are five tips which I found helpful:

1. Know what you want to do.

2. Know your skills and capabilities and how they are transferable.

3. Research the position and the company.

4. Build a strong network.

5. Be disciplined, set goals and have a plan.

1. Know what you want to do

This is not always easy to know and I have changed my mind a lot!

Sometimes when you do a job you discover things you don’t like, which helps you work out what you would like to do.

Personality tests like the Myers Briggs test or 123test.com can teach you about yourself so you can find what type of job is right for you.

2. Know your skills and capabilities

And how they are transferable – this means how you could use your skills in another situation (eg. Because I was a checkout operator at a supermarket, I knew how to look after customers well so was able to move into sales).

We are all good at some things – when applying for a job you need to talk about how good you are, but at the same time you do not want the employer to think you are arrogant!

3. Research the position and company

If I was an employer I would pick someone who was passionate about my product or service over someone who had good grades in most cases.

These are common questions in a job interview so you need to be able to say why:1. You would like to work for that company.

2. You would be good for that specific role.

4. Build your network

Your network is made up of people you know in New Zealand who have worked with you, or know what your good qualities are and can act as references for a NZ employer.

A common saying for people finding jobs and working in NZ is “it’s not what you know, but who you know”.

Even if you need to work for one or two years in a job that you did not study for, this will help you build relationships with more New Zealanders and help you get a job in the future.

5. Be disciplined, set goals, have a plan

Consider carefully which jobs you would like to apply for – very few people are offered a job when they just send their CV to a company.

You have a better chance of being offered a job if you work for someone for free or go to their business to give them your CV.

Pace yourself – job hunting can be discouraging, so plan to apply for one or two jobs, or visit one company or recruitment agency each day.

Enjoy the time you have free, or volunteer somewhere which will help build your network.

Final thoughts

In my experience, finding out what job you would like to do is like baking a cake – it doesn’t taste right if you don’t have all the ingredients.

Think of each job as an ingredient for baking your cake – you may not find what you love doing straight away but it could help you gain important experience.

Don’t try and do it alone – make sure you still see your friends and talk to people when you find job-hunting hard.

Resources

Job Skills, CV Writing

www.careers.govt.nz

www.seek.co.nz/jobs-resources/resume-cv

www.trademe.co.nz/jobs/job-hunters-guide

Personality tests

Myers Briggs

www.123test.com

http://freestrengthsfinder.workuno.com/

Careerpath – color career counselor

Interview tipsFrom “What Color is Your Parachute” by Richard N. Bolles

1. Approach small organisations with twenty or fewer employees, since they create two-thirds of all new jobs.

2. Hunt for interviews using the aid of friends and acquaintances, because a job-hunt requires many pairs of eyes and ears.

3. Identify who has the power to hire you there, for the position you want, and use mutual friends and contacts, to get an introduction to that person.

Interview TipsFrom “What Color is Your Parachute” by Richard N. Bolles

4. Ask for just twenty minutes of their time, when asking for the appointment; and keep to your word rigidly.

5. Go to the interview with your own agenda, your own questions and curiosities about whether or not this job fits you.

6. Talk about yourself only if what you say offers some benefit to that organisation, and their “problems”.

Interview TipsFrom “What Color is Your Parachute” by Richard N. Bolles

7. When answering an interviewers question, talk only between 20 seconds and two minutes, at any one time.

8. Approach the employer as if you were a resource person, able to produce better work for that organisation than any predecessor; not as a job beggar.

9. Always write a thank-you note the same evening of the interview, and mail or email to employer by the next morning at the latest.