Plumber needs your advice!

[delilah]

We are currently in the queue to be allocated a case worker to deal with our ITA which was submitted in January 09. I am a plumber/gasfitter by trade and did have a job offer in Paraparuma, but unfortunately, the company had to downsize due to the recession and I was made redundant even before I started! Does anyone know of any company, anywhere in New Zealand that is currently looking for plumbers or gasfitters as a job offer will help speed up our application.

I have over 23 years experience and excellent references and would appreciate any help or suggestions other than contacting the on-line job agencies, as I am already registered with them all, but they are not prepared to offer anything permanent until I get into the country. Thanks in anticipation!

The Delilah bit is for my wife - not me!!

[luluoceanlane]

Originally Posted by delilah

We are currently in the queue to be allocated a case worker to deal with our ITA which was submitted in January 09. I am a plumber/gasfitter by trade and did have a job offer in Paraparuma, but unfortunately, the company had to downsize due to the recession and I was made redundant even before I started! Does anyone know of any company, anywhere in New Zealand that is currently looking for plumbers or gasfitters as a job offer will help speed up our application.

I have over 23 years experience and excellent references and would appreciate any help or suggestions other than contacting the on-line job agencies, as I am already registered with them all, but they are not prepared to offer anything permanent until I get into the country. Thanks in anticipation!

The Delilah bit is for my wife - not me!!

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Hi from an ex-Kiwi. You didn't say whether you needed to live in Paraparaumu or were just going there because there was a job there. I think gas fitters are more in demand than plumbers, so you might like to think about that as you're selling yourself - from my experience you get one or the other in NZ, not both at once!

If you're not restricted to Paraparaumu, why don't you try the Bay of Islands - one of the most beautiful spots in the country (I used to live there), and lots of new houses going up that all want gas instead of electrical elements etc. Contact Kerikeri Construction +64 9 4077327 (quite a big company) and tell them you're a gasfitter - they were so desparate to find one a year ago that they were paying a cousin of mine double price to do the work. I would always ask whether they need a plumber or gasfitter with 25 years experience before you mention that you're not quite in the country yet but I'm sure I don't need to tell you that!

It's also extremely easy to start your own business in NZ - you just need one director (yourself - or perhaps plus Delilah), foreign directors are apparently no problem, and a company structure costs NZ$160 (including literally everything with no required capital input) so if you're a plumber/gasfitter I would also suggest you start your own business, if you can manage this with your visa requirements (I wouldn't know). We have the highest rate of entrepreneurship in the world and you'll find it ridiculously straightforward compared to Europe.

The Yellow Pages (yellowpages.co.nz) has phone numbers of lots of construction companies segmented into city areas, maybe you should just ring around, it's a tight builder/subcontracter network and I'm sure they'll be able to refer you on. The big construction companies hire electricians, plumbers, gasfitters, painters etc on a long term basis and also occasionally contract out externally - on the other hand the 'specialist' subcontractor firms are usually not more than five people so they might be harder for you to get into. Suppose it all depends on demand right now. I'd also ring Jennian Homes, GJ Gardner or Lockwood or any of the 'chain' construction companies with teams all over New Zealand as they have a good nationwide network. You can google these. Good luck!

[delilah]

Hi Lulu, Thanks for that. I'll certainly give these companies a try. I'm not really bothered where in NZ I work, as long as I can work! I'll let you know how I get on.