Hi Everyone.
We have an interesting story for backpackers in New Zealand, looking for a job. We started traveling a few months before we went to New Zealand. Weve had contact wtih the ambassy about a working permit. Its the easiest to apply for a working visum when you are in New Zealand! You can do two things. The first is applying online @ http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/workingholiday/. Very easy, but what we found easier and is quicker is the second option. We went to the nearest immigration office, search for your nearest office at http://www.immigration.govt.nz/Administration/SupportPages/contact.htm. You will need three things: your pasport, a id-photo of yourself and some money (about 100-150 NZD) and you will like to make a photocopy of your pasport because the immigration office will keep it for 2 working days. Youll have to fill in an application form, one for the country of your residence and thats it! Two days later you can pick up your pasport and visa, or they will send it to you if you have an address.
Then we started looking for a job. But nowadays it is very hard to find a job! Students from uni have holidays so they will have all the unskilled jobs. Because of the recession (Asia is going bad and they have a great influence on NZs export) everybody wants a job, even if its a really simple one. We visited every recruitment agency we found, we called every hostel and hotel we could find and we called all the orchards and vineyards for fruit picking or so, but they all have enough employees for this year. We also met a lot of other travelers in Christchurch who are looking and cant find a job. We know two guys who went to Nelson, a great place for fruit picking normaly, but they also didnt found anything. An idae for if youre looking for a job for 3 months or more: go to SavvyDirect in Christchurch. Its a company about selling cards and stuff for charities. You will have a training for 2 weeks and get payed after how much you sell. One of the fewest options for temporary fulltime job, but with a minimum of 12 weeks. See http://myjobspace.co.nz/search?EJS_EMPL=5884 for vacancies.
We came especially to NZ because its easy to find a job. We even read that a lot of countries get rid of the limits of visas to NZ because NZ need more people for temporary seasonal jobs back in 2005. But the world changed since January 2009 when the resession started. We are still looking for a job and cant find anything yet, and we tried a lot!
If youre looking for a job, its really easy to get a working holiday scheme (visa), but its a little bit harder to find a job then you might think. The best thing: try to work for a few hours in your hostel for free accomodation, so your money wont go out that fast while searching. Good luck and greetz Jolke Bomhof