Making the move

[DMS]

I posted my resume on Seek and through the help of a couple of references, I have two potential job offers in Auckland. This puts my points total at around 220-230 or so I know when I submit I know I'll be accepted. As much as tried to focus on the negative, in the end it just felt like it was what I was meant to do. A kiwi friend has a granny flat that is currently unoccupied and will let me stay there for only $200pw for as long as I want so I can save up and buy a place so that helps immensely and the place is in Parnell so going into the CBD for work should be relatively painless.

I've decided to do a 2 year plan. I'm putting my stuff here in storage, keeping my car and all of my furniture. If it's not my cup of tea, then I'll come back no-harm no-foul. I'm flying out next week to meet with the hiring managers for both jobs for the final smell test and to work out compensation. At this point both positions are ideal as they are lead/manager roles in IT. I've been advised to ask for $140k with the intent of settling for around $130k. I'm really excited about the move and I'm looking forward to touching down in Auckland next Tuesday.

[Janey]

Good Luck

[Sun777]

Sounds like a great plan & everything seems to be falling in place, I think remuneration is also inline with current market so all the best

[DMS]

Thank you! I'm really excited. I'm meeting up with some American friends who are currently in NZ doing the LOTR tour who are also potentially considering the move as well.

[Fern49]

All the best

[A.C. Slater]

$140k? I don't even think Peter Jackson makes that much!

[relocate2014]

Hi DMS,

Great news and good luck with the move.

When you write 'through the help of a couple of references' what does this mean. I only ask because I'm also an IT Manager/Project Manager and I have 125 points without job offer at the moment? Any information greatly appreciated.

I posted my resume on Seek and through the help of a couple of references, I have two potential job offers in Auckland. This puts my points total at around 220-230 or so I know when I submit I know I'll be accepted. As much as tried to focus on the negative, in the end it just felt like it was what I was meant to do. A kiwi friend has a granny flat that is currently unoccupied and will let me stay there for only $200pw for as long as I want so I can save up and buy a place so that helps immensely and the place is in Parnell so going into the CBD for work should be relatively painless.

I've decided to do a 2 year plan. I'm putting my stuff here in storage, keeping my car and all of my furniture. If it's not my cup of tea, then I'll come back no-harm no-foul. I'm flying out next week to meet with the hiring managers for both jobs for the final smell test and to work out compensation. At this point both positions are ideal as they are lead/manager roles in IT. I've been advised to ask for $140k with the intent of settling for around $130k. I'm really excited about the move and I'm looking forward to touching down in Auckland next Tuesday.

[Norgal]

WHAT do you do for a living? How fast did you get a job?

[DMS]

Hi DMS,

Great news and good luck with the move.

When you write 'through the help of a couple of references' what does this mean. I only ask because I'm also an IT Manager/Project Manager and I have 125 points without job offer at the moment? Any information greatly appreciated.

I have been travelling back and forth from the US to NZ for 8 or so years now and have developed a good circle of friends during my time there, many of which who work in IT, most at a mid or executive leadership role. I am also a former Microsoft engineer who happens to know a couple of MCS Engineers who relocated to Auckland. It was from this network I was able get the inside scoop on Sr. level funded positions which led me to the two roles I was offered. I posted my resume on Seek but it was my contacts which landed me my job.

[DMS]

WHAT do you do for a living? How fast did you get a job?

I am a very high level Infrastructure Architect/Engineer and Application Developer. I am a former Microsoft Engineer specializing in SCCM 2012, MDT, SCOM, SQL, AD and OSD. I am also a MCAD, MCSD, CCNA, CCNE, CCIW, ITIL v3 Expert (certfified), ITESPM, and some others that have since expired. I have two Bachelors in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science with my MBA from University of Penn in MIS. On the side I have numerous applications published in the Apple App Store, Google Play, Windows App Store (Windows 8 RT & Windows 8 Phone), Amazon Kindle Market and BB (deprecated). I have over 1,400,000 unique downloads of paid applications and over 7,000,000 downloads of my free (ad-supported) applications across the mobile platforms and I have two part-time interns that support my apps and help do debugging, in exchange I share with them 27% of my net profits for the apps they work on. For the past two years I have been specializing in Windows 7 Deployments from a Program Manager role, specializing in enterprise automation.