I've been contracting for 15 years
and in that time I've developed websites and intranet sites for some of the biggest companies in New Zealand. I started off pretty rough but over the years I've picked up programming experience, photoshop skills, database administration and put a few pennies away for rainy days. As these skills are picked up on the job (companies generally don't pay for courses for contractors) I ended up with heaps of experience but no paper qualifications.

18 months ago jobs started to dry up as the NZ Government (thank fuck they've been voted out) instigated an "open door" policy to immigration and suddenly there were heaps of Sri Lankans and Indians applying for IT and web jobs and only asking for a quarter of the going rate. They were all single and typically lived together, 6 to a two roomed apartment so could live relatively cheaply.

However I could see then writing on the wall and sure enough the day came when the development team was called into the Manager's office and told that we were either being made redundant or our contracts would be cancelled. On that friday we went to the pub and drowned our sorrows cursing the immigration laws and the farking Government.

I sat at home for the next two months doing seemingly what everybody else here did, wanking, spending countless hours on the tubes or watching day time TV, smoking way too much herb and drinking to excess. Applying for the most menial or mind destroying jobs just to get out of the house and mix with other adults. Getting more and more depressed and more frustrated. How come firms don't acknowledge your application? Not even to say "you're useless, fark off?"

Then I had a brain wave. Why not upskill and get that piece of paper that says you've attended all the courses and you're now officially skilled?

So I spent the next 10 months attending all sorts of courses - Microsoft, Oracle, Adobe Flash and Photoshop,and a few others and got the pieces of paper.

First job I applied for they offered it to me on the spot and the only difference was that I had pretty little certificates, I really didn't know that much more than a year previously, but the certificates got me the job.

I'm now working for the Government and rebuilding my cash reserves again.

So getting those bits of paper has been a godsend, something I should have done years ago and which will be my salvation in the future if the shit hits the fan again

Length - 10 months
(Jimmyinnz was sprung at work on b3ta on, Mon 6 Apr 2009, 3:57, 1 reply)

Work in NZ
Howdy,

As another dirty foreigner who is planning on coming over and working in NZ (I'm a UK subject, got a 1 year working visa, fancy seeing another country before I get old and die), can I ask about the contracting market in NZ? Is it as knackered as the UK one?

Hell, I'm coming over whatever, would appreciate a heads up before I land, so I know to hope for a nice IT role or instead have to resort to wanking off sailors for buttons.
Ta!
( gadjie, Mon 6 Apr 2009, 15:56, closed)