Can I work in my usual field while on a WHV?

With a WHV, you are only expected to stay in New Zealand for 1 year (with the exception of Canadian citizens, who can stay for up to 2 years, and British citizens, who can stay for up to 3 years). Many employers may, therefore, be reluctant to recruit and train a working holiday maker for a skilled role when they will be leaving at the end of their WHV. However, some WHV-holders still manage to find work related to their normal career, particularly in sought-after or specialist areas.

Some professions are regulated in New Zealand. If a position appeals to you, you can contact the institution and explain your situation, but be aware it’s unlikely you’ll be able to land a job without the relevant equivalent qualifications in New Zealand. Learn more about regulated professions in Chapter 5.

You should also be aware that employers often prefer people who have previous work experience in New Zealand. Applying for a job in your field in New Zealand without any work experience (even minimal) in the country can be complicated. Consider initially finding an entry-level or short-term job that will enable you to immerse yourself in New Zealand’s work culture before trying to work your way to a skilled position.

Alternatively, you could consider voluntary work for an association in your chosen field to gain that crucial first work experience. Read the chapter on volunteering to find out more.

How can I find work related to my field?

More information about specific sectors can be found at: Main job sectors in New Zealand.

Construction

If you want to work in construction, most available jobs are in Auckland, in the Canterbury region near Christchurch, and in Queenstown. There are also some opportunities in Wellington and the Bay of Plenty region. Supervisory staff and carpenters are particularly sought after. Around 310,000 people work in construction in New Zealand:

• 25% work in major construction projects (road and bridge building)
• 25% work in installation services (plumbing, electricity)
• 15% work in residential construction companies
• 7% work in non-residential construction companies
• 8% work in building services (site preparation, painting, decorating, etc.)

Be aware, however, that the most highly qualified professions (e.g. civil engineers) often require an equivalence between your local and New Zealand qualifications. You may need to contact potential employers to find out more about their expectations.

Useful job sites:

• Advanced Personnel
• Tradestaff

Information and communication technologies

This sector recruits regularly in New Zealand. There are opportunities for developers, systems administrators, network engineers, IT security specialists, programmers and software architects. New Zealand suffers somewhat from a shortage of ICT workers, so it often recruits from abroad. If you have a more creative profession in this field (e.g. graphic designer or web designer), you won’t find as many opportunities because of the influx of young, recently trained workers in New Zealand.

Jobs are mainly located in Auckland (46% of opportunities in the industry), Wellington (24%) and Christchurch (11%). Some large companies are well established and willing to hire foreign workers, such as SAP, Rakon, Datacom, Xero, Orion Health or Fujitsu.

Useful job sites:

• Trade Me
• Comspek International
• OCG Career Makers
• Potentia
• Place Recruitment
• The Big idea (more creative jobs)
• New Zealand Technology industry association
• DINZ (The Designer Institute)

Health professions

New Zealand always has a significant need for doctors, midwives and surgeons. Many health professionals in New Zealand come from abroad (around 4 out of 10). However, you must first get your qualifications recognised in New Zealand before you can work as a health professional, as these jobs are regulated in New Zealand.

It is advisable to start the process at least 4 months before your arrival in New Zealand (and it may take even longer than this) by contacting the relevant professional body. You can find the list of professions requiring occupational registration here.

Biomedical engineers and technicians also have good chances of finding work in New Zealand, with some major companies in the sector such as Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, Orion Health, Dynamic Solutions or Atlantis Healthcare. Generally speaking, this sector is booming.

Useful job sites:

• Association of Salaried Medical Specialists
• Health New Zealand
• LANZ Recruitment
• Life Plus
• Psych Recruitment

Engineering

Employers in this industry are looking for civil, chemical, electrical, environmental, mining and transport engineers.

Engineers do not need to be registered (at least, it’s not a legal requirement) but you will need to obtain equivalence for your qualifications in New Zealand. Substantial work experience in this field will be an asset.

Useful job sites:

• CRS Recruit (Auckland)
• Advanced Personnel
• Beyond Recruitment
• Airswift
• Inspirec
• Refocus Recruitment
• Rob Law Max Recruitment
• Tandr

Oil and gas production

People with qualifications in these sectors are in high demand in New Zealand, particularly in the Taranaki region, where oil and gas deposits continue to be discovered. Employers are mainly looking for outside operators, geologists, welders, electricians, gas fitters, instrument technicians and engineers.

Useful job sites:

• Energy Resources
• Taranaki Jobs
• Stellar Recruitment
• Carrington Recruitment
• Airswift
• Todd Energy
• Vector
• OMV Group
• Methanex

Business and finance

New Zealand has a sizeable financial sector. There are many national banks and financial institutions. New Zealand is also looking for auditors, chartered accountants and procurement managers.

Useful job sites:

• Alpha Recruitment
• Rice Consulting
• Sheffield

Advertising and marketing

There is a lot of competition for jobs, as many young people in New Zealand want to pursue a career in this industry. It is advisable to have substantial experience to have a chance of securing a job. You could also consider volunteering in the field to gain experience in New Zealand.

Useful job sites:

• Association of New Zealand Advertisers
• Marketing Association
• Advertising Standards authority

Education

The education sector often recruits teachers from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada or Australia. It is more difficult for other nationalities to find a job in an educational institution during a WHV. You must be registered with the Education Council of Aotearoa.

Useful job sites:

• New Zealand Education Gazette
• Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand
• Education Personnel
• Oasis Education

The entertainment sector

Unfortunately, opportunities in the entertainment sector are fairly limited. Whether you’re in video editing, working as a sound or lighting technician or production assistant, for example, you’re unlikely to find a job. In a sector like this where networking is absolutely essential, getting a job without local contacts is unlikely.

Useful job sites:

• MyJobSpace
• Star Now
• The Big Idea
• Student Job Search
• Crew Wellington
• Weta Digital
• Weta Workshop Recruitment
• Park Road Post Production

Journalism

Getting a job in this field is difficult: competition is fierce in the big cities, there are a lot of journalists for very few vacancies, and employers often rely on freelancers. If you absolutely want to work in this industry, try contacting local newspapers in slightly smaller towns or turn to online media.

Useful job sites:

• Stuff
• Journalism Education Association of New Zealand

The languages sector

If you’re thinking of working in translation, languages teaching or as an interpreter, the chances of getting a job are pretty slim and the jobs that are available do not generally pay a decent salary. It’s best to supplement your income with another job in a different industry on the side.

Useful job sites:

• PacTranz
• New Zealand Society of Translators and Interpreters