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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.
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Date: 2006-02-01 03:22 pm (UTC)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
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Date: 2006-02-01 03:49 pm (UTC)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
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Date: 2006-02-01 04:06 pm (UTC)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.
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Date: 2006-02-01 05:24 pm (UTC)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!
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Date: 2006-02-01 05:48 pm (UTC)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.
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Date: 2006-02-01 05:58 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2006-02-01 05:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-01 06:17 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-01 06:30 pm (UTC)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
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Date: 2006-02-01 06:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-01 08:03 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2006-02-01 08:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-01 08:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-01 08:14 pm (UTC):D
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Date: 2006-02-01 08:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-01 08:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-01 10:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-01 11:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-02 01:21 am (UTC)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...
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Date: 2006-02-02 02:49 am (UTC)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.
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Date: 2006-02-02 06:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-02 07:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-02 07:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-02 03:42 pm (UTC)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