# First job



## seansal (Feb 10, 2016)

Hi all,
I moved to Wellington from US about 2 months ago and am searching for opportunities in IT. Most companies require local experience - even US experience doesn't seems to matter. Anyone got advice on how to start in New Zealand. I have a Masters' in IT from RPI, NY.


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

seansal said:


> Hi all,
> I moved to Wellington from US about 2 months ago and am searching for opportunities in IT. Most companies require local experience - even US experience doesn't seems to matter. Anyone got advice on how to start in New Zealand. I have a Masters' in IT from RPI, NY.


Hi,
NZ experience means everything here. 
Employers would much rather take a chance on a candidate who may not be perfect for a job but has the all important NZ experience over someone who maybe better but doesn't have the all important NZ experience. 
A friend of ours recently wanted to carve a better career in the IT field and decided to go back to Uni and is studying for a Bachelors in IT at the moment and is likely to carry on to a Masters. It's amazing how many doors that has opened up for her and over the summer holidays here landed a temporary job with some big IT firm in the city. That has now ended as she's back in Uni but she's also landed an internship with ANZ bank for as many hours as she can spare during her full time study.
Unfortunately you're already at the Masters stage so that avenue isn't an option for you unless there's any other course you could take just while you are waiting for the break ?
Don't really know what the answer could be other than keep plugging away. You just have to do something to make yourself more of an asset even without the all important NZ experience. Not easy.


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## Kimbella (Jul 4, 2013)

seansal said:


> Hi all,
> I moved to Wellington from US about 2 months ago and am searching for opportunities in IT. Most companies require local experience - even US experience doesn't seems to matter. Anyone got advice on how to start in New Zealand. I have a Masters' in IT from RPI, NY.


My best advice is to find a local IT group of some sort and start making personal connections. Try to see if there are any on Meetup.com, or start a thread in the TradeMe forums, do a facebook group search and see if there are any to join, etc. You are far more likely to get a job based on a "my mate here" reference, than your actual credentials, qualifications, or american experience, no matter how stellar it is. Sad but true.


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## irfan.f.shaikh (Feb 25, 2016)

I’m Irfan an IT professional from Mumbai, India and new to this forum.

Recently I secured NZ residency VISA and planning to visit New Zealand soon. 

Any directions / advice on job search and accommodation will be really helpful !!!


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