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New Zealand Will Give You a Free Trip If You Agree To a Job Interview (esquire.com) 195

Posted by msmash from the how-about-that dept.
An anonymous reader shares an Esquire article: If New Zealand is on your bucket list, it's time to fill out a job application. You see, the tech industry in Wellington, New Zealand is trying to recruit experts from around the world to their community, so they're offering a free trip if you can prove you want the job and deserve an interview. They're calling it a "global talent attraction program" and 100 potential recruits will be invited on the free (yes, free) week-long trip. But, of course, the catch is you have to prove why you could serve as a software developer, creative director, product manager, analyst or digital strategist to get a free ticket. Once you do, your itinerary will be filled with interviews and meetings with others in the New Zealand tech community members, as well as excursions around Wellington.
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New Zealand Will Give You a Free Trip If You Agree To a Job Interview More

New Zealand Will Give You a Free Trip If You Agree To a Job Interview

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  • Great, hire all the programmers, but what about the folks who build the series of tubes that these hobbit loving keyboard warriors mash their face on with their LOLCats code? You need those folks too.

    Let's talk brass tacks here: What's the fastest internet speed I can get for my house there in NZ and how much does it cost per month? This is what matters.

    • Re:Do they need Infrastructure People? (Score:5, Informative)

      by viperidaenz ( 2515578 ) on Wednesday March 01, 2017 @02:42PM (#53956229)

      The tubes are all new, and they're fibre.

      Most people get 100mbit. It's between $60 and $100 depending if you can live with a data cap or not. You can get up to 1g. My ISP offers a plan where "you should see 700 - 900Mbps" down and 400 - 450 up for $140

      Of course fibre isn't available everywhere in NZ, but it is pretty much everywhere in Wellington.

      • So yet another country with better Internet than North America.

      • Do you get those speeds to the rest of the world, or just within NZ?

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by javaguy ( 67183 )

          Do you get those speeds to the rest of the world, or just within NZ?

          TCP latency limits the bandwidth of a single international connection, but in parallel you'll get that throughput. Since Netflix has nodes in NZ you could run multiple 4K streams across it no problem, all while downloading files and doing anything else you needed to do.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by AHuxley ( 892839 )
          That like any nation would depend on the telco costs, plans and peering. Find a good telco and its good.

        • torrent speeds get up to around 10MB/sec, so yes it's pretty close to the full 100mbit

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by DrVxD ( 184537 )

        The downside is that you *can* experience some pretty horrific latency when accessing stuff that isn't physically located in NZ.
        That's just the laws of physics

    • Well Weta Workshops seems to be going just fine.

    • Re:Do they need Infrastructure People? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Cimexus ( 1355033 ) on Wednesday March 01, 2017 @03:18PM (#53956629)

      I'm Australian but have worked and lived in Wellington a bit, and in the USA. New Zealand internet on the whole is pretty good. Within Wellington you should be able to get a fibre connection at 100 Mbps no problems, at a cost similar to in the US.

      Ping times to sites in Europe and America are obviously high, but not much you can do about that (pesky speed of light!) Most big sites have CDNs in NZ or Australia though, so it's not really a problem unless you enjoy playing online games that don't have local servers...

      • So, what's the climate like in Wellington - are they always wearing their Wellies? Looks less pleasant than Auckland, by a longshot.

        • I think I'd rather be further North. Hamilton or Auckland look like they more pleasant climates. I'd sign up if this were for Auckland.

          • You really don't want to live in Hamilton. It is a country town that got big, so none of the charm of a small town, and all the inconvience of a city.
            • Hi! How's the weather in Auckland today?!
              • Not bad, about 24C at the moment, (it's the afternoon right now), gentle nor'wester sea-breeze. Quite pleasant.

                Interestingly, it absolutely hosed with rain last night at my house, for about an hour and a half, but one of my colleagues was about 10 kms away at her cousin's house and saw no rain at all, so go figure.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by PRMan ( 959735 )
          I liked Wellington when I was there (in late August). It was my favorite city by far. Auckland is just another big city. Nothing too special although the suburbs were nice.

        • Re:Do they need Infrastructure People? (Score:4, Interesting)

          by ukoda ( 537183 ) on Wednesday March 01, 2017 @04:53PM (#53957441) Homepage
          I grew up in Wellington and now live in Auckland. The stats are more hours of sunshine in Wellington than Auckland and the reported temperatures are similar. The real catch with Wellington is the common icy cold winds coming up from down south often ruin what could be a lovely day. I ride a motorcycle often so I care about the weather and Auckland is much better. That said Wellington is still going to be a lot better than some places I have visited. Simply put what you think of Wellington weather is going to depend on where you come from, what you are used to.
        • Wellington has the worst climate in New Zealand. It gets both Northerly and Southerly gales, sometimes in the same day. The winters are not cold enough to snow, but they get "lazy winds" (they can't be bothered going around you, so they just cut right through).

          Having said that, Cuba St. is quite fun, bars and restaurants and some good bands playing most weekends.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by grcumb ( 781340 )

          So, what's the climate like in Wellington - are they always wearing their Wellies? Looks less pleasant than Auckland, by a longshot.

          I've done software development for brief periods in Wellington, and visited for conferences and work, too.

          Wellington is the best worst town in the world, where weather is concerned. It's basically open ocean from there to Antarctica, and that means bitter cold and beastly winds. But it's got lots of covered walkways, and the CBD is small enough that you can typically get from A to B without too much fuss. And there are enough cafes and bars around with actual decent coffee and beer that you can find shelter

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by TWX ( 665546 )
      The laborers needed to dig trenches, installc conduit, and install/terminate fiber can be found locally. The low-level IT support to get equipment physically patched, base-configured, and the cabling dressed cleanly can be found locally. The staff to configure the higher level functions of the L3 network don't have to be local if the first two did their jobs right, and there are also far fewer of this class of job needed to begin with so they too can probably be found locally.

      The same arguments against

      • If you have enough local talent then yes. But with a population of only 4 million NZ doesn't have enough local talent for the highly specialised skill sets. The small population means there simply isn't enough opportunities for the growth and development of those specialist skill sets, so you import them.

        There is absolutely nothing wrong with importing talent, in fact it is massively in your countries favour as you are off loading the cost of education and training to someone else and deriving the benefit

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by ukoda ( 537183 )
          Yep, the catch with this offer is you are going to need have exceptional skills before they fly you out here. We have shortages in the tech area but they are not with basic programmers and the like, I doubt something like a couple of years with C# are going to get you a look in.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AHuxley ( 892839 )
      Its more a jobs fair with free travel. The skills needed have to be better than anyone in NZ can be educated with or that NZ can fly in from Australia.
      Australia and NZ have a few of gov agreements making a few aspects of working in each others nations less hard.
      Given NZ can produce staff with the skill sets to work with the NSA over decades, the NZ education system has able to graduate above average students over generations.
      Australia also produces a lot of good graduates so they can be offered jobs NZ

  • Don't bother - the money is poor and weather shit (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 01, 2017 @02:42PM (#53956227)

    I lived there for 2 years - it was a waste of time.

    You'll be a paid in NZ Dollars, (currently US$0.71) and a lower amount than if you were working in the USA, Australia or Canada.

    Wellington weather is windy as f*ck and always raining.
    If you're lucky you'll get a few sunny weeks during Summer, if the wind and the freezing water doesn't get to you, the sunburn will.

    Any major city in the world will have more business opportunities than Wellington, the population is so small.

    There's much better opportunities available elsewhere.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Nutria ( 679911 )

      Not only that, but the economy is government heavy and doesn't pay their own people very well, which is why they have to beg young American doctors to work (that's how/why my newly-minted psychiatrist cousin lived there for 6 months).

    • I feel like if they are desperate enough to fly you out to NZ for a job interview and show you around for a week, that it would defeat the purpose to get to the salary negotiation part of it and skimp on the dollars there. Cost of living in NZ is quite reasonable. So yeah, if you're constantly thinking of your pay in terms of "what would this buy me if I converted it back to my home currency and spent it at home", then it may seem like a bad deal. But you wouldn't do this purely to bring money home - you'd

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by PRMan ( 959735 )

        Cost of living in NZ is quite reasonable.

        Said no one, ever. My distant cousin is the nearly the top surgeon in the country and didn't want to eat out because it's "too expensive". And while they had a nice house, it wasn't anywhere near what I would expect from the top surgeon in a US state.

        • Re: (Score:3)

          by roca ( 43122 )

          Your last sentence is probably true. Income inequality especially in healthcare isn't nearly as high is in the USA.

          Your second sentence doesn't make sense to me unless your distant cousin is just ridiculously frugal. Lots of middle-class NZers eat out very frequently.

        • Not to mention the shitty standards for insulation, etc in NZ housing.

          It's one of those countries where no matter how much heating you have, you'll feel cold indoors - and the locals will tell you "Suck it up and wear a jumper"

      • For us liberals who are terrified of Trump it sounds like paradise! I lived in Alaska and miss the nature and beauty but hated the long winters. New Zealand is a rival as that and Antarctica rival the top 3 most amazing places

    • Re: (Score:2, Funny)

      by Kotukunui ( 410332 )
      Yeah! ...and it is illegal to have a private garden. Kiss "Goodbye" to your geraniums if you move here.

    • Re:Don't bother - the money is poor and weather sh (Score:5, Insightful)

      by BlueLightning ( 442320 ) on Wednesday March 01, 2017 @03:38PM (#53956845) Homepage Journal

      I live in NZ, just in Auckland - but I did live just outside of Wellington for part of my childhood. It's rare to see these kinds of comments about living in NZ, but I have seen them, and like the others I've read I have to say I think you may have come with the wrong expectations.

      If you come here expecting that you'll have beautiful weather every day and otherwise it'll be just like back home - payscales and all, you'll be disappointed. It's a place like many others on earth rather than some ethereal wonderland, with advantages and disadvantages. It's not the kind of place where you go and work for big bucks for a short time and then return home with your riches. If you're realistic, recognise that it's somewhat isolated with a small population and therefore the economy is different and some things aren't as easy to find or are more expensive (though nowhere near like it was in the '80s when my family moved here) you can have a very comfortable life. That's completely ignoring the beautiful and varied landscape, outdoor opportunities, etc. - all of that you have heard about is true. Given the choice I wouldn't live anywhere else - and I recently returned here from London, by choice.

      Besides, Wellington is famous for its windy weather, so you could definitely have known about that in advance ;)

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Thanks for the insight. I know someone who moved to Auckland from the UK. He said that it's a slower pace of life, good standard of living with large houses (by UK standards) and quality healthcare.

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by Xest ( 935314 )

          "good standard of living with large houses (by UK standards)"

          You probably mean London standards, when I looked at moving to NZ I couldn't get anywhere near the same size house for equivalent money as I have in the UK. It was one of the things that put me off, knowing I'd have to downsize to move there.

          • when I looked at moving to NZ I couldn't get anywhere near the same size house for equivalent money as I have in the UK. It was one of the things that put me off, knowing I'd have to downsize to move there.

            Got any examples to compare? Google tells me the average house size in the UK is 76m2 compared to 205m2 in NZ.

        • I know someone who moved to Auckland from the UK. He said that it's a slower pace of life, good standard of living with large houses (by UK standards) and quality healthcare.

          That fits with my experience also. It's a massive generalisation but I also find people are a bit more relaxed here about everything - perhaps that has to do with the pace of life, but I think it's kind of a cultural thing as well.

          One comment - houses here are generally larger than your average home in the UK, but much more poorly insulated. A good percentage of houses in the UK have double glazing, but you rarely see that here. The result is you spend a bunch on heating during the winter or get used to hav

    • Dude

      You have a mild maritime or marine climate. Windy or not you do not know the definition of bad weather. In my lifetime I have lived in Las Vegas as well as Alaska and Florida.

      You know that feeling of sticking a hair dryer to your head at the salon? We call that walking outside in Las Vegas in the summer on a nice 112 degree or over 40 if you use Celsius. Now, it gets worse have you imaged what it's like to walk in -40? I do not even have to convert as -40 is the same at both scales (learn something new

      • "Windy or not you do not know the definition of bad weather"

        NZ is smack in the middle of the Roaring Forties and the only other land that far south is Patagonia. The type of weather - and the rapid changes in it - can easily kill someone who was expecting a nice sunny day in a matter of hours - and regularly does.

        The bigger problem is the parochiality of the inhabitants. That friendliness is skin deep and try as you might, as a foreigner (or an intellectual) you will never be accepted as a New Zealander. If

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by roca ( 43122 )

      It's true that you don't come to New Zealand to maximise earnings. People tend to come here for other reasons, mainly lifestyle.

      The weather in Wellington is terrible. Auckland's a lot better.

      I once met an American neurologist who moved to NZ. She was earning less than half of what she'd been earning in the USA, but was much happier because the healthcare system here is better organised.

      A small number of people have high-paying jobs in NZ that pay commensurately with what they'd get overseas. They tend to wo

    • You'll be a paid in NZ Dollars, (currently US$0.71)

      News flash: sovereign countries have their own currencies.

      and a lower amount than if you were working in the USA, Australia or Canada.

      This is completely meaningless without an idea of the general level of prices. There are places where you can live like a king on an average Western salary. I'm guessing your idea of an opportunity is amassing a pile of money in a short time and returning home, instead of actually living out there in the world.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by rtb61 ( 674572 )

      Here is a hint. It is very likely they are specifically not after greedy arseholes who will leave the very second another company offers more. They are offering employment to sound sensible people who want quality of life and a job ie work to live not the fucking bullshit of live to work. PS quality of life is not about being some dick, douche bag, poseur.

      Now they are not the most professional or the smartest, otherwise they would have offered a family trip because the 'head'(well, pretend) of that family

  • I'll do anything as long as it includes a trip to the site where Peter Jackson built the Hobbit town.

  • Like one of those "Come here and we'll offer you a high-stress job for well below the going rate because you don't know what cost-of-living is out here!

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Zocalo ( 252965 )

      ...as well as excursions around Wellington.

      So, where would you like to go?
      Let's start with the local shopping mall, some utility companies, and a real estate agent, please!

      A job interview *is* a two way street, you know?

  • Does this mean 100 tech experts will be extradited to the us as well.

    Whatever you think about kim dot com (stupid name) he did prove that New Zealand will do anything for the US.

    • Little known fact, most people don't get extradited unless they are believed to have committed a crime. They don't just take random people off the street and ship them to the US to be placed in Guantanamo Bay.

    • Actually, we are still Nuke free inspire of the pressure from the UK, Australia, USA, France. And Dotcom is still fighting his extradition years later and may succeed, our judiciary is far less a political appointment than the USA.

  • Is this a joke? (Score:5, Informative)

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday March 01, 2017 @03:43PM (#53956893)

    I've lived in wellington for 20 years.
    Wellington has an excess of I.T. people, but are unable to get jobs due to a screwed up government system or an unwillingness to pay a decent amount.
    It already imports a significant number of indians for government jobs pushing out New Zealanders, as they are cheaper (at least through some creative accounting. They don't get paid heaps but thier contracting agencys do).
    Also, we don't have enough houses to put everyone in. House and rent prices are going through the roof with no relief in sight.

    http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/property/89933065/rental-crisis-deepens-as-mt-cook-flat-viewing-attracts-more-than-40-people
    http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2017/02/hot-property-wellington-house-values-up-21-percent-in-2016.html

    What idiot came up with this plan?

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ukoda ( 537183 )
      I don't think they are after 'I.T' people, they are after tech experts that are in short supply. I would assume it is vertical market roles like embedded systems engineers etc they are after, most of whom have left Wellington for Auckland due the bigger market and higher pay there. If they do their screening right I think this could be a good thing for Wellington.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by ruir ( 2709173 )
      When the definition of IT people is any curious guy that can open a computer and change a graphics card, or install an AV software, or click a mouse, it is pretty natural there are many "IT people" that is not employed.
      It is pretty much the same saying many people in the restaurant business is not employed, and put in the same bag clerks, "cleaning technicians" and chefs.

    • Wellington has an excess of I.T. people... ...an unwillingness to pay a decent amount.

      If you ever do a course in economics you'll learn how these two things are connected...

  • Places I've interviewed with always pay the travel costs for the interview. At my current employer we regularly interview people from around the world and paying the costs is a given. If the NZ tech companies have not been paying it so far then no wonder they can't attract people from abroad.

    With that said, NZ is fairly high on my list of places I could accept living in. Not exciting, but comfortable and pleasant.

  • Go read e2nz.org, laudafinem.org and related sites.

    NZ - 100% pure bullshit.

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