Job offers in IT - Software Devt.

[kiwidream]

Hi,

I was hoping people would be able to share their experiences. I have been applying for various development roles in NZ recently and have not had much luck so far. Granted, I am not in NZ and also do not have a visa entitling work but was hoping it would still be possible to get a job offer with a solid background + experience.

Naturally, I have tried the SMC route but did not get sufficient points to be pulled out of the pool due to having a Masters in IT as opposed to a Bachelors.

What are the chances of getting a job offer in IT without a work permit? Anyone been in a similar situation? I will be visiting NZ in June so I can attend face-to-face interviews but was hoping some opportunities would arise before then.

Thanks for all your valuable insights.

[targetNZ]

For IT jobs, being in the country is very important..BUT if you are some one with a niche skill, companies do offer u after conducting i/ws thru skype..
good luck

[zemien]

Agreed - doors started opening once I'm in the country with a work visa (Silver Fern). The annual Silver Fern spots should be opening very soon in April, so please keep your twitchy mouse fingers ready to get a place - it's an immensely valuable visa!

Good luck~

[kiwidream]

Hi Zemien,

My twitchy mouse fingers are raring to go and I am all set to click the submit button. Don't want to put all my eggs in one basket though as places are limited. Whatever happens come June, I will try and get some interviews lined up and then visit in person.

Very excited and counting down the days...

[dugdug]

For IT jobs, being in the country is very important..BUT if you are some one with a niche skill, companies do offer u after conducting i/ws thru skype..
good luck

Very true it happened with me. I was offered a job solely on the basis of a series of technical interviews over skype.

[kiwidream]

I do have a very niche skill in Middleware but I have not seen any jobs advertising for expertise in that niche only (WebSphere MQ). Most of the Middleware specialist jobs are not so specialised but seem to prefer a broader skill-set.

[Team Dawsy]

Its a tricky chicken and egg situation (no visa no job, no job no visa), but keep plugging away. If your on all the right job sites, consultancy firms something will come us. I've been trying for about 6 weeks while my EOI was being processed and had loads of knock backs, but finally someone wants to interview me over the phone. Fingers crossed for you and me!

[dreamer12]

As lots of others had already mentioned, and going by my personal experience too, it is really hard to get an employer interested unless you are physically in NZ or at least holding a valid work visa. In my case all the positive responses I got was after I got a work visa (Silver Fern)

If you are planning to come in June, I suggest you mention that strongly in your cover letter, and also try to speak to a few agents and get them fix some interivews for you while you are here.

If you are comming to Wellington, let me know I know an agent who is working with a company in the intergrations domain.

[Nz_Immi]

Hi,

I was hoping people would be able to share their experiences. I have been applying for various development roles in NZ recently and have not had much luck so far. Granted, I am not in NZ and also do not have a visa entitling work but was hoping it would still be possible to get a job offer with a solid background + experience.

Naturally, I have tried the SMC route but did not get sufficient points to be pulled out of the pool due to having a Masters in IT as opposed to a Bachelors.

What are the chances of getting a job offer in IT without a work permit? Anyone been in a similar situation? I will be visiting NZ in June so I can attend face-to-face interviews but was hoping some opportunities would arise before then.

Thanks for all your valuable insights.

Hello,

Its a similar case as mine, I have also tried applying with so many consultants and firms, but they have following pre-requisites:

1. Candidate must possess an Residency/ Work Permit
2. Candidate should be physically available for attending interviews
3. Since the turn around time for joining is very less (within a month) so they want you to be physically present in NZ to join immediately.
4. Also observed that having local NZ experience/ education is a plus.

Above points are as observed by me. Others can give you better experiences who have been successful.

[dreamer12]

Below is my experience on the issues mentioned by Nz_Immi;

1. Candidate must possess an Residency/ Work Permit
Yes I managed to get positive resposes only after I got the work permit (silver fern)

2. Candidate should be physically available for attending interviews
Yes;
But I managed to fix a few interviews via an agent only after mentioning my concreet travel plans (they wanted my arrival date and then fixed the interviews while i'm still at home; so I can attend to them as soon as I arrive)

3. Since the turn around time for joining is very less (within a month) so they want you to be physically present in NZ to join immediately.
I can only comment based on the couple of offers I got, but there, the commencement date was "negotiable". But this could really depend on the company and their needs

4. Also observed that having local NZ experience/ education is a plus.
I had no issues on this regard, my qualification is from a UK uni; and my whole experice is back home; however I have a little overseas work experience (working at a few overseas branches) but I dont think those things mattered much. All they were interested about was what I have been doing at my position. Again could be different depending on the company and the specific role you are applying for.

Hope this hepls