Kiwi, Me?

[mbarrick]

I'm up a little earlier than usual today. Uncharacteristically, I woke up ahead of the alarm because I have a question to answer. Yesterday I got a rather serious nibble about a permanent, full-time job in Wellington, NZ. I've been asked to answer the question "why to I want to migrate to New Zealand" in advance of setting up a telephone interview. I'm not exactly certain, "Because it is not next to the States" is really going to cut it as an answer. Or is it? After all I had a letter to the editor published in Macleans years ago now, well before 2001 and all the subsequent incursions into personal freedoms and the concept of "innocent until proven guilty" that have happened since, that if these things happened (as they have) I would pack my bags and move to New Zealand.

Obviously Elaine has friends there. And coincidentally enough a friend of ours from here has just moved down there for a job. That much I'm certain is worth mentioning. But how far do I want to go in answering this? Should I get political? And if so, how political? It's one thing to say this sort of thing in conversation with friends and acquaintances, but quite another in the context of a job application.

Comments

[sebastian6.livejournal.com]

I think getting overtly political is the wrong way to go. It can't be assumed that the person reading your response is liberal. Hell, it could be(however unlikely) a staunch Bush-supporter reading your answer. I think it would be more savvy to talk about the current climate of unrest in the US rather than specifically saying America sucks.

And besides, I think they'd like to hear why you're wanting to come to them rather than why you're running away from whereever.

Just my .02

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Thanks. This helps.

[sovietnimrod.livejournal.com]

A close friend of mine has seriously been considering moving there. His reasons are threefold: 1) his wife is from there; 2) he cannot afford to buy a house in Vancouver; 3) neither has a love for Asians. (Interestingly enough he's also been contemplating a move to Calgary)

Bear in mind that they don't have pensions in New Zealand - that has been his big 'negative' on moving there

If I were you I'd leave all the politics out of it. Kiwis or at least those I have met seem to be a more conservative lot than Canadians

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Dave. #2 is an excellent point.

[sovietnimrod.livejournal.com]

#2 is an excellent point

He figured that they could buy a house there and then rent it out which would still pay for a house in Calgary. For the same amount of money, he's limited here to buying a 2-bedroom apartment at best

[seymour-glass.livejournal.com]

seems to me new zealand is much closer to asia than here...

but being a rascist he should get along famously in calgary...though he will be disappointed to know there are asians there...where do you think the internment camps were...lethbridge had lots of asian families there...

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Oddly enough Asians only represent about 5% of the population of New Zealand. Europeans make up about 80%. I got this graph off the New Zealand Statistics website (http://www2.stats.govt.nz/domino/external/web/CommProfiles.nsf/FindInfobyArea/09-rc):

[seymour-glass.livejournal.com]

i figured as much, if anyone knew where whites are predominant it would be sovietnimrod...it was more just a jest at his kluxer friend...ha ha...

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

BTW, thanks for the pension tip. I'll be sure to ask about the employers pension plan (I'm sure they'd have one -- it's a bank).

[sovietnimrod.livejournal.com]

If they a pension plan, it'll be a private arrangement. But there is no national plan (I think he said because the country declared bankrupcy years ago). My friend works in the medical technican industry, earns a six-figure salary, and all the jobs he would be applying for had no pensions plans available.

But then again, maybe people there aren't syphoned off their income through taxes to the extent like here that most people do have the luxury of saving up for a rainy day

[vomvamuse.livejournal.com]

Stay away from politics. I would stay away from any negative type "running away from" answers.

In my experience when they want to relocate you they ask the "why do you want to move?" question to feel the waters. They want to make sure that you are not going to fly the coop after 6 months since it is an investment for them. With that in mind I would answer it.

*shrug* not sure if that helped.

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Yes, thank you. This is very helpful.

[valerian.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't mention politics AT ALL unless they bring it up (and have a sly answer prepared for the phone interview - "well, *chuckle* being that Canada has a very famous neighbor, it would be nice to go somewhere where I am not distracted by what's going on with them on a daily basis...") or something like that. All that implies is they're in your face, not so much whether or not you like them.

They will want to get a feeling of stability from you. Mention your connections there, and the feelings those people have about living there (the effect being very encouraging for you). That should give them an implication that you understand what you would be getting into.

But... DON'T do this because you feel you have to. We are not starving, we are not desperate. As much as I know you want to get the hell out of where you are now, and back doing something that makes you feel actually useful (and get paid for it), do it because you WANT to go New Zealand specifically, for more than just the work. Trust me, moving there is a big operation and it will be very expensive to do. Travelling back and forth from there to come back here for visits eats up an entire day of nothing but airports, and will cost at least about $1300 each, return. And you'd have to get used to everyone thinking you are a Yank, especially since we won't know a soul in Welly to break the ice for us socially. I'm not trying to talk you out of it, I just want you to understand how *FAR AWAY* it is!

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

The expense isn't a huge concern. What I am being paid now compared to what I'm worth (i.e. what I was making at Lignum, and what I expect from these guys) is a difference of about $1500 CAD every month.

The job *starts* at four weeks vacation, so coming home for a week to have a proper winter Christmas would be nothing, and still leave three weeks to go anywhere else we wanted and plenty of money to afford it.

This is a tough call.

[valerian.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I guess. I'll ask Mary & Maab what the scene & shopping is like in Welly (although Maab regularly goes to visit friends in Oz and does a lot of shopping there). It may be we won't be spending much.

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Off Dave's points I've been looking at rents. Average rent for a 3-bedroom house near the central business district of Wellington is less than a third of what we are paying for our apartment!

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Right, I't twit. I'm looking a t per-week rent, not per-month... duh.

[valerian.livejournal.com]

Uh yeah, that *would* have been be pretty remarkable.

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Still, though, that means houses rent for about the same as what we are paying for our apartment and apartments are cheaper than here. We could probably get a 2-storey, 3-bedroom townhouse like the ones across the alley for the same money we're paying now. And to buy is waaaay cheaper than here.

[valerian.livejournal.com]

HOLY F......

:D

[valerian.livejournal.com]

And of course, you could tell them the obvious - the line of work you do is employed by financial institutions, communications corporations and big business, which are all centred in only a few hubs in the world. A few in the States, London, and Wellington. And given the choice, Wellington would be more suitable as far as cost of living.

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Awesome point.

[valerian.livejournal.com]

Being who this company is, they would understand that reason perfectly.

[valerian.livejournal.com]

I just checked the NZ postal rates to North America and Europe. I would be able to charge LESS for shipping than I do now, for the same quality of service and turnaround time. Amazing.

[mbarrick.livejournal.com]

Small country, I guess. They don't waste as many resources doing things like flying mail into places like Ilaquit.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_disdain_/]

Well, now the later post makes sense ;-)

I wouldn't get political... personally, I don't think that would sit right with many people. I would focus on the "personal" side of such a move... why you would want to do it, how it would impact you, what you expect to gain from it. Think of it from an HR perspective: "is this person going to get homesick and leave in six months?" You need to prove why you would stick with your decision -- I suggest being candid, yet diplomatic.