Finding a job in New Zealand

Now that you know which sectors are recruiting in New Zealand, you’re ready to start looking for a job! If you’re not sure what you’d like to do, don’t worry. Remember that the most common sectors for working holiday makers are tourism, hospitality (restaurants and hotels), horticulture (as well as viticulture and agriculture) and construction. Then follow the opportunities, the people you meet and offers according to location and time of year. It’s generally quite easy to find a job in New Zealand!

Although it can be useful to have written a CV beforehand, don’t forget to adapt it to the job in question. A cover letter is important for skilled jobs, but much less so for backpacker jobs (often a quick text or e-mail is all you need to apply).

In this section, we give you detailed advice on job hunting. You’ll need to be strategic, efficient and vary your search methods.

And now, to your CVs!

The public job market and the hidden job market

In New Zealand, it is estimated that 70-75% of available jobs are not advertised, either in newspapers or on the Internet, for example. This is known as the hidden job market. In other words, for every job offer published, there are three others that are not. This video explains the phenomenon quite well.

So, while you’re going to have to look for a job in the ads, you’ll also have to go beyond the ads and multiply the steps you take to land a job in your field, or even a small job.

Browse job ads: where to look?

Ads are the easiest way to find out which employers are looking for workers. They can be found not only on the Internet, but also in newspapers, on shop fronts and in restaurants.

Internet

There are two main job boards in New Zealand:

• Trade Me Jobs: Even if Trade Me isn’t specifically geared towards employment, it’s still the most visited site in New Zealand, and every employer knows it. As a result, the vast majority of advertisements are posted on this site before being published elsewhere. The government and many professional associations have also understood this, since the classified ads they promote are most often posted on Trade Me.
• Seek: this site specializes in employment. Many employers also post their classified ads here. You can easily create a profile and find many tips for your job search.

You’ll find more links in the last section of this guide, but bear in mind that most of the offers published are on these two websites.

If you’re applying for a job, don’t forget to make a note of the names of the companies and any other information you might need to know about the vacancy. If an employer contacts you, you need to be able to quickly identify the job offer they are referring to.

Advantages: you can easily find the contact details of many employers who are actually looking for staff. What’s more, you’ll be able to submit more applications quickly, and be reactive as soon as new ads are published. If you’re looking for a small job, going to meet the employer directly could be a big advantage and show a little more of your motivation to get the job.

Inconvenients: you’re clearly not the only one to respond to these classified ads. Employers can receive dozens of CVs in just a few minutes. Drowned in a heap of applications, you’ll have to hope that your CV stands out from the crowd. What’s more, many companies don’t publish their ads on websites (Trade Me is a paid service, for example).

Newspapers

Job ads are often published every day in newspapers. However, you’ll find more job ads on Wednesdays and Saturdays thanks to the job sections published by daily newspapers. Often, you have to contact the person by phone or e-mail (or even go directly to the job site). This is often a less expensive way for employers (especially small companies) to advertise.

Newspapers are often available free of charge in many cafés. There’s no better way to start your day than with a cup of coffee and a perusal of the newspaper (to keep abreast of New Zealand news) and the classified ads on display. Don’t forget to take a small notebook where you can copy down the contact details and information for the ads you’re interested in. Get in touch with potential employers as soon as possible, and hopefully land an interview! Alternatively, turn to libraries, where newspapers are available.

Every region and town has its own daily newspaper. In smaller towns, local newspapers, although published less regularly, are also full of classified ads. Here are a few examples:

• Auckland: The New Zealand Herald
• Wellington: The Dominion Post
• Christchurch: The Press
• Hamilton: Waikato Times
• Dunedin: Otago Daily Times
• Tauranga: Bay of Plenty Times
• Nelson: The Nelson Mail
• Rotorua: The Daily Post
• Hastings: Hawke’s Bay Today

Note that there are also free newspapers where you can also find classified ads.

Advantages: there are probably less people replying to the ad. Since fewer and fewer young people are looking for jobs in newspaper classifieds, preferring the Internet, why not turn to paper ads?

Inconvenients: if you’re not very fluent in English, the first few phone calls may be difficult. You need to be able to understand the caller (sometimes with a strong Kiwi accent) and make yourself understood.

Backpacker hostels

It’s not uncommon to see small ads for jobs that are essentially made for you on youth hostel notice boards. It could be a traveler who’s about to quit his job and wants to share his deal with others, or employers looking for people with a working holiday makers profile to carry out a more or less long-term mission, or a job that working holiday makers wouldn’t mind doing.

Supermarkets

There are almost always notice boards at supermarket checkouts. As well as ads for van sales, baby-sitting and the like, it’s not uncommon to find job offers too. It could be to mow lawns, or to work for a few hours on a move, for example. It’s all work experience, and a great way to make a quick buck!

Door-to-door

Door-to-door can be the best solution for many small jobs. It’s also an opportunity for you to discover the city at your leisure, combining business with pleasure. Note that, for this type of job, you don’t usually need to include a cover letter.

Take a few CVs with you and visit the companies that interest you. Some companies have small signs in front of their windows announcing whether or not they have any positions available. If they don’t, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not looking for anyone! Take several types of CV if you’re applying to companies in different sectors. A CV for a job as a kitchen hand is not the same as one for a job as a supermarket sales assistant.

If you’re applying to work in a restaurant, avoid coming during the lunch and dinner rushes. Dropping off a CV at this time shows your lack of knowledge of the business (the employees and managers are primarily concerned with the customers and don’t have a minute to spare for you!) In the same vein, don’t drop off your CV in a clothing store in the late afternoon, when customers are leaving work to do their shopping. Instead, go door-to-door in the morning.

Get off the beaten track!

Apart from a stroke of good luck (or through connections), it’s unlikely that you’ll find a job in the places that are beaten and beaten again by working holiday makers. For example, dropping your CVs on Queen Street in Auckland, Cuba Street and Courtney Place in Wellington, or Main Street in Queenstown may not be the most appropriate way to look for a job. Yes, this is where you can find a job, but it’s also where most young foreign workers come to drop off their CVs on a daily basis. If you don’t succeed at first, don’t hesitate to move away from the centers. Other companies may be looking for people elsewhere.

Look presentable!

No, we don’t go around dropping off CVs dressed any old way. A manager’s first impression of you is essential. When you go door-to-door, you need to make a good first impression.

Ask to speak with the manager

Employees are not always aware of the company’s recruitment policies. What’s more, these people are often not responsible for hiring new employees. So ask to see the manager or the person in charge. If they are not in, ask when you can drop by again to hand in your CV. Employers need to meet you, assess your level of English quickly and remember you.

Sell yourself now!

Prepare a short speech for when you hand over your CV. Of course, you can ask if the company is currently hiring, but also be prepared to say a few words about yourself, your qualities and your motivations. It’s not a question of going on a 20-minute tirade about all your qualities and professional experience, but rather of presenting yourself in three or four particular points that should make the employer want to hire you (because you have experience, particular skills, because of your motivation, your passion for the job…). In this way, you show that you are motivated and proactive in your job search.

People know people

If the dialogue is well underway (this advice is not valid in every situation, so it’s up to you to decide whether it’s relevant or not) but the company isn’t really hiring anyone, don’t hesitate to ask your contact if he or she knows if other people are hiring for the same type of job elsewhere. Perhaps they’ve recently heard someone say they’re looking for staff at their company. That’s what networking is all about.

Make a note of the places where you have submitted a CV

Each time you submit a CV, make a note of the company’s name, address and main activity (if you’re looking for jobs in different fields). Also note any relevant information (such as the name of the manager, for example) that could be useful to you if one of these people calls you back. You need to be reactive and quickly visualize the company in question. This will also enable you to go back to these companies to ask if the manager has read your CV.

No news after a few days?

If the discussion you had with the manager when you submitted your CV was promising, don’t hesitate to come back and check up on them. This will show your motivation to get the job.

Advantages: you outwit the hidden job market by reaching out to employers to offer your services. You never know, they may have an employee who has just resigned, a new job opening, maternity leave…

Inconvenients: if you’re not comfortable with English, talking to employers can be complicated. What’s more, there’s no guarantee that you’ll easily find a job: a huge number of working holiday makers of all nationalities are dropping off CVs at the same companies every day.

The direct approach

If you’re looking for a job in your field, don’t wait for a vacancy to be advertised before approaching companies. The University of Otago has published an interesting article on the
direct approach.

Identifying companies in your industry

Tâchez de trouver sur Internet (ou les New Zealand Yellow Pages) Try to find companies on the Internet that interest you, that are close to your home and that are in your field of activity. Try to find out about them, how many employees they have, and any previous job advertisements they’ve published. If the company has a “Job opportunities” or “Careers” page, you can find contact information and the latest job offers there.

Also try to contact them to find out the name and contact details of the person in charge of recruitment. Direct contact shows that you’ve taken the time to find out more about the company.

Email or phone

You can then try to reach this person by telephone or e-mail. For the telephone, prepare a short speech beforehand with a few sentences to introduce yourself and ask if the company has any vacancies or is looking for people with your qualifications. If you opt for e-mail, personalize it as much as possible – not just by changing the company name – to show your interest in the company and the job.

Recruitment agencies

You can also register with recruiting agencies. In New Zealand, there are agencies we all know like Adecco, Kelly Services or Manpower, but there are others, some of which specialize in specific fields.

Note, of course, that employment agencies do not charge candidates any money. Their income comes from the companies that delegate the hiring of workers to them. If you are asked to pay a fee to be included in a listing or database, the employment agency is not being very honest.

An association of employment agencies, the RCSA, groups together the main employment agencies in New Zealand and Australia. Simply enter “New Zealand” in the section dedicated to the country on this page of the RCSA website, you can find a list of all of their agencies.

Without a decent English, many employment agencies may refuse to add you to their database (or may never call you back). Employers who turn to such companies for manpower often expect to have employees who can communicate well in English.

Please note that registering with an employment agency will not guarantee you a job! It’s simply one of dozens of strategies you can adopt if you’re looking for a job. Bear in mind that their primary mission is not to find you a job, but to identify, in their database, the best candidates for their clients.

Socialize and network!

In New Zealand, networking can be very important to your job search. The people you meet on your arrival in New Zealand can provide you with job leads. They may even know someone looking for an employee with your profile.

But you’ve just arrived and don’t know many people! So how do you go about meeting new people?

Before leaving your home country

Even before you leave for New Zealand, you can find contacts in your home country. Ask your professional circles and your circle of friends if they know people in New Zealand (locals or foreign workers). Who knows, these people might be willing to give you advice on arriving in New Zealand, or even job leads.

You can also attend meetings of working holiday makers who are also flying to New Zealand. Depending on your affinities, you can get in touch with them once you’re in New Zealand for a drink and an update on each other’s progress. Who knows, if one of you has a job plan that might match the other’s profile, it could give you access to job opportunities that aren’t advertised. It’s not just about being a backpacker, it’s about forging links between people who can share things, tips and job offers.

Professional networking

If you’re looking for a job in your industry, it can be useful to join professional networks such as industry associations, specific groups on LinkedIn or even trade associations. Chambers of Commerce are also a good place to make industry contacts. New Zealand has a good network in this area. You can get information about your job sector, the qualifications sought by New Zealand employers, and even find job leads.

Outside of professional networks

Any encounter can – even if you’re not looking for it – lead to a job. So don’t be afraid to meet new people, to get out and about, and not just sit at home waiting for a phone call for a job interview.

You could, for example, join an association on a subject you’re passionate about, or a sports club. These get-togethers help you to improve your English, discover the country better and do something you enjoy doing. And who knows, the people you meet may know someone who knows someone…

You can also go to a Meet-Up to meet other people around topics or activities of your interest. You like video games, hiking, you want to learn English or take photos, there are plenty of groups that meet regularly around these common passions. A great way to make friends, but also to meet people who have a network themselves.

Don’t forget to pass it forward!

Networking doesn’t just work in a totally opportunistic sense. Whether you have a job or not, you too can share your good tips with people who are looking for a job (or even accommodation or something else). It doesn’t cost you a thing, but you can be a great help to people by sharing tips that aren’t necessarily useful to you!