Building a Successful Career- Job Opportunities in New Zealand

Nestled in the Pacific Ocean, New Zealand boasts its excellent living standards, scenic landscapes, alluring beauty, and endless job opportunities for Indian students after graduation. Not only is a New Zealand university globally recognized for helping aspirants get jobs around the globe, but they also offer excellent job opportunities to young minds. 

This article will explore and uncover the variety of job opportunities that New Zealand offers, their requirements, eligibility criteria, career scope, etc. Keep reading ahead to know more.  

Requirements to obtain a job in New Zealand 

Like every other country, New Zealand also has some legal requirements that every foreign immigrant must fulfill to apply for jobs. Below are some of the eligibility requirements one must meet as an Indian student seeking job opportunities after graduation.  

Valid Work Visa: After finishing their studies, candidates can apply for a Post-Study Work Visa. If students do not complete their higher education in New Zealand itself, they will be required to own a work visa under the skilled migrant category (SMC), which has a validity of 30 months (about 2 and a half years).  

Job Offer Statement: While having an offer letter to get a work visa cleared is not compulsory, having an offer letter can significantly increase the chances for Indian immigrants to get their visa approved much faster.  

English Language Proficiency: Applicants need to be proficient in English to get their visa approved since New Zealand has English as its official language. They must clear an English language assessment test with a decent score. Some test scores accepted by visa authorities include those of the IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE. 

Quality Assessment: The New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) also thoroughly assesses a candidate’s education qualifications to ensure they meet the country’s standards.  

Ways to find a job in New Zealand 

While it is true that working in a foreign land can be daunting and intimidating, it also opens doors to a fulfilling experience with outdoor adventures and a peaceful and harmonious life. Additionally, applicants need to secure a job in the country beforehand to be able to work under their work visa period. Below are some steps aspirants must follow to find a job in the country.  

Search for In-Demand Jobs: The foremost thing Indian students need to do is identify the jobs in high demand in the country. Applicants must look for jobs that align with their field of study and areas of interest.  

Popular search engines and websites wherein an applicant can find job openings in New Zealand are TradeMe, Seek, Indeed, and LinkedIn. Most in-demand jobs in New Zealand include nurses, software engineers, architects, accountants, MBA jobs abroad, etc. 

Design a Resume and Apply for Jobs: After looking for job openings online, applicants are advised to design a New Zealand-style resume and submit their CVs and resumes to companies. The resume should clearly state the applicant’s personal and professional statement, skills, work experience, education, and professional certifications. 

Apply For Work Visa: The final step would be to apply for a New Zealand work visa. Applicants must make sure to follow all the necessary steps chronologically and methodologically to make sure that there is no room for errors. Additionally, candidates must ensure they have all the documents needed to apply for a work visa in New Zealand. 

Types of working visas required to work in New Zealand 

Before applying for a work visa, candidates should know what type fits their needs the best. Below is a brief description of the various kinds of visas to help ease the process for Indian students.  

Working Holiday Visa: This visa is valid for up to 12 months. As the name suggests, this work visa is a good idea for people with jobs that require travel. However, only a few eligible countries can take advantage of this visa; as of now, India is separate from them.  

Post-Study Work Visa: For Indian students who have recently completed their educational qualifications from New Zealand, this work visa option is the most appropriate.  

Other types of work visas for Indians are stated below:  

• Specific Purpose Work Visa 
• Entrepreneur Work Visa 
• Talent Work Visa 
• Partnership Work Visa 
• Work to Residence Visa 

The most in-demand fields in New Zealand 

New Zealand has a diverse work environment, with most job openings in high-paying fields and sectors. Below is a brief description of all the fields wherein applicants are most likely to find a job.  

Engineering: No one doubts that STEM careers are highly demanded all around the globe. Same way, engineering is one of the highest-paying professions in New Zealand. 

Business Administration: New Zealand has a thriving economy that witnessed substantial growth in the last few years. Due to this, Indian students consider it a sought-after destination when considering “MBA jobs abroad”. 

Accounting: Professionals in finance, accounting, and business analysis roles are in high demand in the country. Since the last couple of years, New Zealand has experiences shortages in the number of skilled Chartered Accountants (CAs) in various industries like healthcare, business, construction, retail, etc.  

Top Recruiters in New Zealand 

The latest data suggests that the following are the top recruiting companies in New Zealand. 

• Mercury NZ 
• Kiwibank 
• Ebos Group 
• Delegat
• Fonterra 
• Spark New Zealand 
• Xero 
• Genesis Energy Limited 
• SkyCity Entertainment Group 
• Fisher & Paykel Healthcare 
• Fletcher Building 
• Pushpay Holdings 
• Summerset Holdings 
• Auckland District Health Board 
• ANZ Bank New Zealand 
• Port of Tauranga 
• The Warehouse Group 
• Synlait Milk  

Highest-paying job options in New Zealand for Indians 

Below is a list of the highest-paying jobs in New Zealand, along with their average salaries.

•  Information Technology Managers (Annual salary ranging from NZD 120,000 to NZD 150,000) 
• Surgeons and Other Medical Specialists (Annual salary ranging from NZD 120,000 to NZD 200,000) 
• Pilots and Commercial Aviation (Annual salary ranging from NZD 100,000 to NZD 200,000) 
• Data Scientists (Annual salary ranging from NZD 80,000 to NZD 120,000) 
• Dentists (Annual salary ranging from NZD 90,000 to NZD 120,000) 
• Engineering Managers (Annual salary ranging from NZD 110,000 to NZD 140,000)