So I’ve been in New Zealand now for going on four months, and in month three I began the task of job hunting. An easy task I hear you say, but myself and several other residents of the hostel would tend to disagree. I have dropped more CVs off in shops and bars than I care to think about, I feel that between us we could have destroyed the forests of the South Island with our constant printing of resumes.
Even locals are finding it hard as every business is looking for long term, and long term is more than 2 years. Who picks bars or retail work as a career? No one stays in these positions long term unless you want to climb the ladder or have to as it’s a second job, uni work or fits around your life choices. The biggest beef is when I’m asked for my experience. Sure I have experience but it was ten years ago but it’s still experience and with my other employment industry I should be a valuable asset to any team (in my humble opinion). I have managed 45,000 performers dancing in front of a stadium of 70,000 people and a live television audience of a billion people where my job was to make sure they entered in cue, I have pressed the buttons to detonate pyrotechnics that could injure performers… After that I feel I am able to cope with pouring a few pints on Saturday night or selling some jeans.
The job hunt is proving hard, and for someone with my work experience it’s starting to get frustrating. But in order to get a job, you need to have had experience in the role what seems like yesterday and are willing to work longer than your work visa allows.
What pisses me off is the fact that it’s retail and bar work, and not to rock boat but these professions are the easiest and rarely need experience… Off course you can be good or bad at it but at the end of the day it’s pouring a pint or putting a jumper in a bag. This is why for many it’s the first job. What adds insult to injury is that the signs for work remains up in the windows for many weeks after I’ve dropped my application off… And all within this period I’ve received no knowledge of the receipt of my CV.
What is starting to get to me is the fact that I’m unemployable… And that is not good for the soul.
Running Behind the Scenes of Moaning 