Working in New Zealand could be a good move for your career. The traditional small business culture of the country offers many opportunities to learn rapidly, take on new duties, and assume leadership positions faster than you might think. Also, New Zealand is gradually increasing the number of jobs in New Zealand for foreigners. These jobs are permeating many people of varying abilities.
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Right now, New Zealand’s unemployment rate is just under 5 percent. Competition for even the juiciest employment can be poor, however, with just under 5 million people living here. Furthermore, some positions are more in demand than others, reflecting wide differences in the job market. Because of this, the New Zealand government creates the ‘skills shortage list’ as it searches overseas for trained, seasoned professionals to fill those gaps.
This makes New Zealand one of the best work destinations in the world, especially for foreigners. But before you actually decide to move and apply for jobs in New Zealand for foreigners, you should pay attention to our list of FAQs that we compiled first. It will really help to give you an idea of what working life in New Zealand is like. Also, you will find out what jobs in New Zealand are available for foreigners.
Are you ready?
List of FAQs About Jobs in New Zealand for Foreigners
How can a foreigner get a job in New Zealand?
By applying, of course, for a working visa. That is unless you are a national or a citizen of Australia. You’re free to work and study in New Zealand using only your passport if that’s the case. Yet, if you’re one of the other 7.25 billion people on the planet, you’re going to have to apply for a work visa.
In New Zealand, there are work openings for foreigners if you know where to look. To begin with, there are unique websites that connect foreign workers to employers in New Zealand. If you are just starting your study, this is a good place to begin, as these employers are usually experienced and open to recruiting foreign employees.
Also, the New Kiwis website can help you to register your CV. It is an online recruitment program for migrants that connects skilled migrants with employers from New Zealand. Besides, there are other opportunities for foreigners who wish to start working in New Zealand. Yet, only bear in mind that not all employers are open to recruiting overseas employees. Starting by searching for vacancies in your field on the most popular general job search websites is one of the easiest ways to get jobs in New Zealand for foreigners. These are Seek and TradeMe.
What jobs are in demand in New Zealand?
In sectors like health, engineering, and IT, New Zealand has many work openings for specialists. Nevertheless, employees with more generalist skills, particularly in construction/trades and in business services, also have opportunities. In addition, New Zealand always accepts individuals with skills. However, certain abilities are properly looked for.
If your position is on one of these lists of skills shortages, it implies that the government agrees that there are not enough eligible New Zealanders for the role. For that reason, they need to hire people from abroad. Therefore, that will make it easier to get a visa, assuming you have the right credentials and experience. Currently, here are the abilities they highly sought after:
- Transport
- Agriculture and forestry
- Engineering
- Trades
- ICT and electronics
- Finance/business
- Education
- Science
- Health and social services
- Recreation, hospitality & tourism
- Construction
What is the most common job in New Zealand?
Here are some of the common jobs that most New Zealanders do:
- Construction worker
- Au Pair
- Housekeeper
- Picker (packer)
- Hospitality & tourism jobs
- Administrative worker
- Sales worker
- Manager
- Driver
- Clerical worker
- Technicians and trade worker
What is the highest-paying job in NZ?
Mining, power, gas and water supply, finance, and information technology have been the highest-paid industries in New Zealand over the last 5 years. Particularly, employment positions in IT sales, digital architecture, and financial management, regularly rank among doctors as the highest-paying jobs in the world. Compared to skills and experience, the lowest-paying positions in New Zealand are:
- Hotel receptionists
- Waiters/waitresses
- Bar staff
Unfortunately, these jobs consistently ranked at the bottom of the scale.
Can we get work easily in New Zealand?
If you are aged between 17 and 40, jobs in New Zealand for foreigners are available. However, if you have a health issue then the doors are a little harder to open. Still, depending on your skills and qualifications, there are many jobs in New Zealand for foreigners. Sadly, once you turn 45, then your prospects diminish. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that this is not only specific to New Zealand. Also, this happens to several other large countries in general.
Where is the best place to live and work in New Zealand?
Wherever you live in New Zealand, the locals will tell you that that place is the best. In fact, there is a huge variety in NZ, so it depends on what you want. Often people make the mistake of thinking that NZ is a small country. Yet, it isn’t. It’s 1,800 kilometers from South to North and 2–300 kilometers wide. In short, it is a similar size to Great Britain and Japan, but with only 5 million people.
How many days does an employee have in New Zealand?
New Zealand has a number of public holidays. If you are working these days, then the employer pays you time and a half and a day in lieu. If the day falls on a weekend it will be “Mondayised” – it will happen on Monday. This will mean that some cafes will charge more on these days. There are about 11 of these in total.
As a result of there being four public holidays between 25th of December and 2nd of January, most people will take this time off work.
Then, should you have a child, the mother will get some paid parental leave. Also, she will be allowed to take a year off work. When the kid turns three, you get 20 hours of paid childcare a week.
Besides, New Zealand has compulsory sick leave. This means that if you are sick you can go off work. As a result, you get five days per year. Also, leave is allowed to care for a sick dependent.
Regarding paid annual leave, every worker gets four-week annual leave. If this is not used, you will be paid out when you resign. However, some employers require you to have worked one year before being allowed to use it. Additionally, the pay rate for annual leave is based not on your salary, but on how much you earned over the last 12 months.
Further, there is a right to three days of bereavement leave for a close family member.
How can I apply for jobs in New Zealand for foreigners?
Firstly, it is necessary to know what kind of visa you wish to obtain while deciding how to get a job as a foreigner in NZ. This will determine what kind of advantages you can get and how you can choose a work market place. Nevertheless, bear in mind that the first step in your moving process is to find a job in New Zealand. For this reason, you usually need a job offer to apply for a visa in the first place.
Next, keep in mind that in New Zealand, networking is very necessary. 70% to 80% of job positions may not even get to the advertisement stage. Hence, it is important to be in situations where you can meet other professionals in your field. Moreover, you need to check for opportunities for such meetings to present yourself. In the largest towns, you will not have trouble identifying network possibilities. Also, you may try service clubs that may not directly cater to networking. Yet, these clubs can offer good opportunities to meet your community’s other professionals.
Final thoughts
Isn’t it very easy to find jobs in New Zealand for foreigners? Therefore, prepare yourself as best you can and fulfill your dream of working in New Zealand right now. All in all, good luck and happy job hunting!