Working Holiday-type jobs

[maxgnr]

Hi everyone, I've been on the site for a couple of months now but this is the 1st time I'm posting something.

I'm from Argentina and I obtained a Working Holiday Visa. I'm going to NZ next month and a few weeks ago I began job hunting. Soon, I realized that most people from my country who obtained a WHV are satisfied with fruit-picking/packing jobs.

I understand that locals will have a better chance than I do in any job I apply to; but is the competition so fierce that foreigners with a WHV choose not to seek a better job? Am I being a little bit naive looking for better jobs?

Perhaps is that most of them have trouble with the language? I honestly don't know, maybe one of you does

Thanks!

[JandM]

Hello and welcome.

I don't know that anyone can give you a true insight into other WHV-holders' motives. I've never heard of a survey being done - anyone???

On a bit of guesswork, if someone is trying to do ONLY what the name suggests - earn just enough to keep them going through an extended holiday - maybe they are happy to do a job involving minimal brainpower, even being easy to find as it meets the normal expectations. 'Be a human machine for a while - move on.'

[sophiedb]

You can get all kinds of jobs on a WHV, depends what you're looking for though - and who is looking for someone like you!

For instance, on my Aussie WHV I did a lot of admin work - firstly a month-long contract that became 3 months for a public sector body, then (after 3 months' travelling) the remainder working for the recruitment agency that had placed me in the first role. Not very exciting and certainly not career-building, but it paid the bills. My cousin, on the other hand, picked grapes and other random produce on his Aussie WHV - boring!!

My husband, on his UK WHV, worked in several workshop/maintenance roles - all via recruitment agencies - for anything from Heathrow Airport to ICI headquarters. Oh, and a boring night-portering job at a hotel when he first landed.. Also not very exciting, but it paid more than my line of work

Some of the apparent lack of zing could be because the WHV is designed to be short - and some employers might think you're building up to a big travelling stint. I've generally found that recruitment agencies are pretty good at cutting through the rubbish though, if you have demonstrable skills and come across as willing to do the job properly.

Don't let what other people do dictate where you set your sights though, and regards your question about language - yes, that might be a factor, but your English skills (based on this one post) seem pretty good and certainly not limiting

[flair]

You can get all kinds of jobs on a WHV, depends what you're looking for though - and who is looking for someone like you!

For instance, on my Aussie WHV I did a lot of admin work - firstly a month-long contract that became 3 months for a public sector body, then (after 3 months' travelling) the remainder working for the recruitment agency that had placed me in the first role. Not very exciting and certainly not career-building, but it paid the bills. My cousin, on the other hand, picked grapes and other random produce on his Aussie WHV - boring!!

My husband, on his UK WHV, worked in several workshop/maintenance roles - all via recruitment agencies - for anything from Heathrow Airport to ICI headquarters. Oh, and a boring night-portering job at a hotel when he first landed.. Also not very exciting, but it paid more than my line of work

Some of the apparent lack of zing could be because the WHV is designed to be short - and some employers might think you're building up to a big travelling stint. I've generally found that recruitment agencies are pretty good at cutting through the rubbish though, if you have demonstrable skills and come across as willing to do the job properly.

Don't let what other people do dictate where you set your sights though, and regards your question about language - yes, that might be a factor, but your English skills (based on this one post) seem pretty good and certainly not limiting

Hi SophieDb, I'm also searching for more office-related jobs on my WHV. Which recruitment agencies gave you the best results? I've compiled a list of them but it will be lovely to filter and know my top choices.

Maxgnr, I hope you don't mind me jumping into your post! I'm also heading to NZ in March but most probably on the last week. What about you?

[Nikki_d72]

I originally came to NZ on a WHV and I deliberately went for jobs that would not have too much pressure or responsability - I could have earned more in a more responsible role but the title says it all - it's working HOLIDAY, so I didn't wany heaps of stress or being tied down, I think most of us did jobs we would never even consider doing at home! I'm a vegetarian and even ended up working in KFC (admittedly only for 3 hours, that was a step too far!!). Most employers, too see you only have a years visa and they know that you will also want to travel in this time so may be reluctant to give you a role they would normally give to a permamnent resident. It depends on your own circumstances though - if you are using it as a stepping-stone to residency in NZ then you'd be better going for somrthing in your qualified field and I'm sure most employers would understand this. You'll probably get on better applying once you get here, if you can bring yourself to "wing it" like that.

Best of luck and let us know how you get on, will you?

Cheers!

[sophiedb]

I'm also searching for more office-related jobs on my WHV. Which recruitment agencies gave you the best results? I've compiled a list of them but it will be lovely to filter and know my top choices.

In NZ, I only registered with 2 before getting a nice job through one of them

Graham Consulting - sent my CV in following a general advert for admin temps on Seek; had a brief interview, no testing; never heard from them again. Literally.

Hudson Recruitment (they of the ginormous global network) - sent my CV in following a general advert for admin temps on Seek; had a long interview including MS Office, typing, data entry and psychometric tests; a few weeks later they placed me a 7-12 month maternity cover position

In both cases, this is the Christchurch office I'm talking about

[globetrecker]

I got an excellent job on a WHV so not all fruit picking. I applied for a full time 1 yr contract job (with option to extend once I got PR). I was an executive assistant for a large District Health Board. They totally worked with me and it was the golden ticket to getting PR.

[flair]

Hudson Recruitment (they of the ginormous global network) - sent my CV in following a general advert for admin temps on Seek; had a long interview including MS Office, typing, data entry and psychometric tests; a few weeks later they placed me a 7-12 month maternity cover position

Thanks Sophiedb, that's really helpful

[sophiedb]

Yay! I need to also say that Hudson are wonderful for another reason - they're paying their Chch temps not just for Monday and Tuesday of this week, but also Wednesday and Thursday!

I know this comes out of their hard-earned *cough* profits (I know what my charge-out rate is..), but still: it's not something they have to do and they certainly can't bill Chch employers for anything past 12.51pm last Tuesday (and probably not even that, realistically speaking.. not for a while anyway).

So yay, Hudson

[maxgnr]

Thanks for all the replies everyone! You've been really helpful

Sophiedb, thanks and no, english is not a problem since I've been learning it since I was 8 and im going to be a Eng-Spa translator when I get back from NZ and take 5 more finals ^^

Flair, I don't mind you ask questions here!

Nikki, thanks for your input! You do have a good point, it is called working holiday after all.

Globetrecker, thought that with a WHV you can't hold a job with the same employer for more than 3 months. How come you got a 1 year contract?