Recce Trip Impressions

[SueDonim]

Sorry I have been away from the board for so long. I’ve been swamped with some consulting projects, preparations for another recce to Auckland, and for about 2 weeks constantly got error messages from the website (probably because I had about 50 windows open in Firefox).

But I thought I would provide a running commentary on my recce if there is interest. As it stands right now, I am in Auckland for one month to network and interview (if I can get any!). I'm in Auckland until 12/12, and would love chance to get a beer with anyone in the area.

Since I had my PR approved, I felt it was time to follow up on my recce from last year (about the same time in 2009) and catch up with those I met, and expand the network. My wife is keen to move, but not unless and until a get a job lined up, so it seemed time to make a new visit even if this is not the best time for hiring.

So here are some comments and impressions of the visit so far (I’m on Day 3 right now). It’s partially a log for me, but I’ll try to focus on issues broad enough to be of some benefit to others. If this is helpful, let me know, and I'll keep it up. If not, I won't bug you with it. I do tend to be a bit verbose, but tried to categorise comments to make it easier to follow.

Recruiters: While they provide good commentary and help, I was surprised at how slow recruiters can be to return emails. I thought they were avoiding me for a while, but it turns out they were just busy. Is it typical for kiwis to be slow about responding to emails without at least providing a heads up that they would be delayed?

I did get a couple of recruiters to meet with. They both cautioned me about contacting too many companies directly. It may be a bit self-serving, but there seems to be some logic. According to them, if a company receives your CV and logs it into their system, they will not entertain any contacts from a recruiter on your behalf, since they did not provide the introduction. It seems to be more of an issue with large companies with formal HR departments. The concern would be if you applied for a position in Business Unit A of the company and the recruiter found an opportunity in Business Unit B of the same company, the recruiter could not forward your CV, so if you were unaware of that opportunity it would pass you by. On lots of questioning for clarification, they said it was less of an issue with smaller companies and should not dissuade me from networking, just be careful that you know where your CV is sent. So definitely some pros and cons to working with recruiters.

Rental Cars: I followed the advice of several on the forum (http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=31333) and went with Apex Car Rentals . Very happy so far. I am paying just a bit more for a one-month rental than I paid for 2 ½ weeks last year from Alamo. My car has about 75,000 km on it, but is clean and just as good as any new car I have rented from one of the majors. I remembered to ensure I had CDW coverage from my credit card this time, so did not pay to bring down the excess.

GPS: I bought a reconditioned Nuvi 765T from Tiger Direct and loaded the open source maps for New Zealand (http://gwprojects.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=357) that was discussed a couple of weeks ago on the forum (I get so many great ideas here!). I now own the GPS for less than Apex would have charged for a one month rental. Works well too.

Short-term rental: I did not want to stay in a hotel and eat out every night for a month, so went to www.holidayhouses.co.nz to find a place to stay. I am very happy with the results. I got a 2 bedroom house in Coatesville with a full kitchen, Sky TV, and broadband, for NZ$145/night (GST included). The house is well-equipped and has great 360deg views including a great view of the CBD about 8-10km as the crow flies. It takes work to find a place, but well worth the effort. Be careful you understand exactly what is included and what might be an additional cost. Also, many do not have full kitchen, so if you need it, be sure you check the details.

LAX: I have to admit to being wrong in the LAX discussion a while back (http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread....hlight=bradley). Air New Zealand is indeed in Terminal 2, and not in Tom Bradley. Not a great Terminal either (#4 is about the only good one at LAX), but way better than Bradley.

[GrumpyGoat]

Lots of luck with your job hunting!!!

[Sun777]

All the best SueDonim

[JandM]

Good luck in the hunt!

And yes, please, keep it up - it IS interesting to hear how you're getting on.

[dharder]

Trying to remember here, seems years ago, re recruiters.

They are not good at responding, out of all the ones, i think one was okay. Everyone always had to be followed up with a phone call.

As far as contacting companies go, I am not sure that logic makes much sense to me. Either they use a recruitment agency, or that don't. If a company has an Hr dept and you send your CV 'just in case', surely they would tell you that they recruitment is handled by XYZ and to send your CV there?

I became quite disillusioned with recruiters here after a month or so, and then applied directly to job ads in the paper but the companies directly.

Good luck,

Daniela

[SueDonim]

Thanks for the good wishes and the recruiter advise. I've not used recruiters before so am learning the ropes. I do have some promises from one to help me contact some interesting companies that I have been unable to crack. that would be very helpful.

Here's Day 0 (travel) + Day 1

Day 0: I HATE US Airways. Had the absolute worst airline meal ever (in 1st Class, no less (I am travelling using Frequent Flyer miles)). I had a slab of pork that I literally could not cut through. I almost got a blister trying to cut through it (no exaggeration). Absolutely rubbery and tasteless. LOVE Air New Zealand. Friendly service, very good food, those awesome cocoon seats, and a huge video selection. The only negatives? The cocoon seats make it virtually impossible to see out the windows. It is very slow to scroll through entertainment menu. Beyond that, they are my favourite airline.

Day 1: Apex rental personnel very friendly. GPS really paying off. The Open Source maps are right up to date including the new Southwestern Motorway which would not have been on a Garmin map. The only problem is it seems to give directions a bit too late to react sometimes. “Turn left on Fershlugginer St. in 50 metres” doesn’t quite help.

Grocery shopping: It doesn’t take much to blow through NZ$300. Of course that included some high cost essentials like razor blades, Diet Cokes, and Carlsbergs. Pak and Save is a bit odd. 1) They aren’t kidding about the “Pak” part; you have to box your own groceries. Not sure how that saves money though. The woman at checkout spent more time organizing the groceries in my cart than it would have taken to put in shopping bags. 2) There seems to be no rhyme or reason to how items are organized on the shelves. Paper towels are on a different aisle from napkins. Ketchup is on a different aisle from mustard. It’s very hard to find things. 3) You can’t find rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol at all. Have to go to a pharmacy. The woman at the store said too many people were drinking it (!). Produce wasn’t cheap, but it was huge, and rich in colour. Best looking stuff I have seen.

[IanW99]

...
3) You can’t find rubbing (isopropyl) alcohol at all. Have to go to a pharmacy. The woman at the store said too many people were drinking it (!). ...

Not sure I believe that story, you wouldn't want to be drinking isopropyl alcohol

I was told that it was used in the manufacture of 'P' (drug) so its distribution is restricted i.e. only from pharmacies and only in small quantities.

Ian

[SueDonim]

Not sure I believe that story, you wouldn't want to be drinking isopropyl alcohol

I was told that it was used in the manufacture of 'P' (drug) so its distribution is restricted i.e. only from pharmacies and only in small quantities.

Ian

That makes a lot more sense. Still silly, but understandable compared to drinking the stuff.

[SueDonim]

Day 2: Highly recommend travelling tired and staying up late the first day. It made for a somewhat miserable start, but by Day 2 I was virtually adjusted to the time zone.

Banking: Set up a migrant account at the last minute with BNZ (Bev Long came highly recommended there, though she is out right now on family leave). They worked very quickly to set it up, even though I was late in getting started. Very friendly. Spent about 45 min with me to get the account, internet banking, and EFTPOS set up. It’s good to have a local account available so I can move some money over before the USD falls further. Also nice to actually earn a little interest on my deposit. Haven’t gotten that on a chequing account in the US for some time. I will have to suffer withholding at 33% rate since I do not yet have an IRD number. I have my residency approved, but have not gotten my stickers yet, so I can extend my residence deadline by 6 months. But I can’t get an IRD number until I am an actual resident.

I sent a few grand over to set up the account and have money available while I was here. The bank’s exchange rate is crummy (like all of them. Not singling out BNZ) and going forward, I definitely will use one of the forex companies like
- Currency Online http://www.currencyonline.com/fx/
- HiFX http://www.hifx.co.uk/personal/emigration/overview.aspx
- XE http://www.xe.com/
- Forex http://www.forex.com/au/index.html
The difference in rates is about a penny, which adds up quickly when you move your life savings!

Networking: Most news is very specific to me and my industry so not worth stating here. However, I would note how open people are to meeting and giving ideas on who might be worth contacting, as well as passing on contact info which can be hard to find. Dress code in the CBD seems to be similar (or slightly more casual) than the typical US business casual. There are lots of mergers in process or pending in financial services making it a bit of a challenge, though all recognise the need to gain talent, since so much is lost to OE.

In my case (a mid-to-senior role), it is more a matter of being in the right place at the right time. Opportunities generally arise when someone leaves, so you need to be in the loop. Most of the financial markets are underdeveloped compared with much of the world since the savings rate is low and so much investment goes to property rather productive investment. Generalist skill sets seem to be well valued since you often have to wear many hats.

There are some companies that have problems or a poor reputation that I am aware of. While I was networking, when someone mentioned those companies, they tend to make a circumspect comment, but not say anything derogatory or even direct. Once I would mention having some knowledge of the issue, they open up. But, had I not known about the issue, I might never have learned about it from them. I have had this happen several times. Point being, watch their body language as they may be sending subtle messages that are important. Or ask directly. People seem willing to discuss bad companies if asked, but not to volunteer the information. I guess it is because the market is so small and everyone knows everyone.

Driving: I’ve been surprised how comfortable I have gotten driving on the left. I do have about 3 weeks of experience gained in the past. Even so, I was concerned my natural reaction would be to move to the right. Other than occasionally looking left instead of right at an intersection, it has been surprisingly smooth. CBD car parks are incredibly tight. I could barely fit in the spaces or make the ramp turns in a Camry, a good-sized but not huge car. My CBD meetings have been mid-day, so I have not yet gone through rush hour over the Harbour Bridge.

Heating and Cooling: N/A. My house (which I really like, and highly recommend) has absolutely no heating or cooling system, and it clearly has been built in the last 5 years or so. It’s not a problem now, as the temperature is quite pleasant (12-23 deg C/ 54-73 deg F). I regulate the temperature by opening and closing windows and blinds. That’s worked quite well and is very nice in a way (though I would prefer screens on the windows, especially at night). But I’m not sure what it would be like in the winter. Perhaps all the windows would create a bit of a greenhouse, but I don’t know. I really like the light pipes in the bathroom. I’ve heard of them, but never seen one before. They are fantastic. The rooms are bright and carry the full colour spectrum.

[Squiffy]

Please keep posting SueDonim - the tiniest detail is hugely interesting