Why Can’t Asians Find Work In NZ?
Continuing in our series of Migrant Tales – first hand immigrant stories about life in New Zealand, taken from locations around the net.
Today’s tale is taken from a pro-NZ, for profit, emigration forum, in it the Indian poster tells of the enormous difficulties he has had trying to find skilled employment in IT in New Zealand.
Unfortunately he is not alone in experiencing this problem and there are many Asian engineers, accountants and doctors who have no option other than to drive cabs or run corner shops in New Zealand as there is little other work available to them.
The situation has got so bad that some countries have warned their nationals about the risks they face by migrating to New Zealand believing there to be work available to them: “Philippines consul-general Emilie Shi says Immigration New Zealand is not doing enough to warn would-be applicants about the difficulties of finding a job or telling them that Kiwis will be given preference by employers.”
For background read our blogs “Philippines Warns Citizens About Work to Residence Scheme“, “Migrants Changing Names to Get Jobs” and Skilled Migrants Drive Taxis to Survive
Here is the Tale:
“Hi,
I am a New Zealand Permanent Resident and would like to have your feedback regarding my situation.
I am a IT Professional with 9 years work experience.
I had migrated to New Zealand from India in June 2001 and stayed in New Zealand for 3 years and 9 months. I left New Zealand in late February 2005.
I have worked in 2 IT Companies in Wellington.
During the period from January 2003 – February 2005, i applied for lot of IT jobs through SEEK.co.nz & other online job sites and went for lot of interviews, but i was rejected.
As a result, i suffered huge financial loss & my time was wasted.
I returned to India in late February 2005 and i recieved job offers.
I have applied for job positions in New Zealand from India but i have been rejected.
My skill set is in huge demand, but since January 2003 – Present, i have not recieved a single job offer from a New Zealand Company.
I would like to know the reason why i have not recieved a single job offer from a New Zealand Company since the last 8 years.
Is it because New Zealand is a racist country ?
I think their attitude towards Asians is lethargic & not good.
They just don’t care.
I had to save money and then come to New Zealand.
But now everything has gone down the drain.
I would like to know who will compensate me for the financial loss that i have suffered.
So much time was wasted…
I would like to have your feedback on this.
…I think that i am not getting hired in New Zealand because i am from an Asian Country…. In India, i recieve job offers. New Zealand is a very expensive place. I had wasted 2 years and 2 months looking for a job there.
When i came to New Zealand, i had very high hopes, but now everything is finished….
If they are not willing to hire people from Asia, then why do they say that Asians are welcome to work in New Zealand…
I suffered huge financial loss as a result…. So who will compensate me for this ?….
Thought you might want to see this http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10657527
NZ visa officer in New Delhi sacked after corruption claim
It’s a rough world out there, and made even rougher by those who accept under-table money…!
Thank you for the link: “.
that’s a shocking amount of money.
Perhaps we should give some thought to establishing a ‘corruption and fraud’ sub-page, there seems to be more and more stories like this coming out of the wood work.
Oh, it’s not “corruption and fraud”, it’s “making sure incentives are passed around to those that require them”… afterall, in a situation where “friends” and “inside knowledge” are the few things that get you a job, and covert racism abounds… well… let’s just say, one hand washes the other…
I love how you instantly assume because you don’t get a job, we’re “Racist” there’s ALOT of skilled people looking for work in New Zealand, and a piece of paper doesn’t neccesarily guarantee you a job. Plenty of Asian people get hired, so might be a good time drop the “racist” rubbish, and realise there’s more people in New Zealand than just yourself mate. My partner has a Bachelor in Electrial Engineering and Computer Engineering, is a citizen and can’t find work either, so it’s not just the Asians that are getting a raw deal.
The fact that you address my post here, rather than in the “New Zealand Is Turning Into A Really Racist Country” article means that you don’t want people to see the full picture of what I speak about. Do you have a reason for doing that, mate?
Drop the false kiwi bonhomie, I don’t buy it (not from you at least).
“I love how you instantly assume because you don’t get a job, we’re “Racist””
I love how you think you can think for me, mate! Instantly assume? The fact that you think it is a reason “worth instantly assuming” means migrants are on the right track with that assumption. It seems a lot of immigrants, have correctly “instantly assumed” racism was behind their economic hardship in a place marketed as a land of plenty, free speech and merit. Remember Occam’s Razor… And the only people who get offended in that way seem to be the covert racists, who want to write-off immigrants based on their race, without allowing anyone to speak up about it. Again, everyone (but especially victimisers) love a silent victim.
If migrants were already talking about racism even in the good times, when Kiwis could afford to be choosy about the jobs they took, now in the bad times (and thank you for proving my point to me about your partner not being able to get a job despite their qualification)… how do you think the migrants will cope?
And, by the way, these are the people paying for YOUR benefits so you can spend time arguing spuriously with me on the Internet…
“is a citizen and can’t find work either.” Immigrants are future citizens, and they’ve paid a heckuva lot more for their education than the domestic students. They pay full freight for all services, unless granted discounts by virtue of membership to institutions or societies. (And even in universities, for instance, they’re paying 5 times the rate of domestic students, for every paper) They don’t “game the system” with the relish of the natives.
An important (and sobering) question to remember is: If the only industry New Zealand had to rely on was its agriculture (and the education and tourism draw did not exist), would the country be able to sustain itself? Would the country be able to develop? Would the DPB get paid to the people who scream for it? International students asking questions about whether they can find employment in New Zealand before, during, and after they attain their qualification never get their questions answered satisfactorily. It’s the elephant in the room.
this question appeared today in a news article:
http://nz.finance.yahoo.com/news/Give-Asians-shot-NZ-employers-yahoofinancenzwp-66016740.html?x=0
many comments show the rabid racism present in the minds of many kiwis, this together with their deadbeat economy explains why asians (and other foreigners) can’t get jobs… now, the good thing would be that asians stopped wasting time, money and health by coming this place and went to Australia/Canada or other countries instead, leaving NZ without one of their main sources of cash, kiwis are begging for it!
I hope this won’t turn into a cynical exercise, with employers then choosing to employ only “Asian New Zealanders” vs. “Asian international students/graduates”.
Some people have a tendency to pull the ladder up behind them and completely shut out opportunities for others after they have had their chance. That is what contributes towards a service stagnation and entitlement mentality, which also makes it difficult for those arriving later to establish themselves.
[...racist rant deleted...]
Nathan, your use of English is embarrassing. Is that why you used an anonynmizer? (80.84.1.24)
Understandable.
Sounds like you need to harden up…And stop the crying. You could have done your homework and planned ahead via internet before you came here to nz. Maybe next time..Heheh
Alot of kiwi’s find the chinese very arrogant and rude!..they always complain that this a racist country!..if they feel that way they should go back home!.
Heheh, I’d hold my laughter if I were you.
If people can’t find work commensurate with their qualifications with a good wage in NZ …
they’ll move on.
Meaning that you have fewer people to tax, and hence the government may have to print more money or remove welfare for some people.
Then you’ll really see some funny things happen.
lots of good hard labour and contribution made by chinese were hidden from public and sweap under the carpet. the chinese were abused or bullied by rude kiwis and went back home. it is not that they did not try to befriend or integrate or contribute to the NZ place. as a matter they have done more than what they should on many occasions, and it is not right to assume chinese is supposed to be a fat pig pending to be slaughtered until death when they may not even ask for more than just an ordinary warm work/home life. having not received fair go, many did return to asia because they see that their prescence was met with unfriendly hostility and contributions invalidated or unappreciated. would kiwis speak chinese when they are in china terroritiory? fuk no! would kiwis allow chinese to speak chinese when they’re in nz, fuk no! countless bad and rude stories of encounter with kiwis starting from boarding the air nz plane. its not worth to give a shit to these thankless folks. the only thing i admire is their fresh milk. other than that, their petrol smell shit and cars are more polluting than crowded cities in asia. aggressive and ruthless white kiwis walking on auckland’s queen street just bounce you away when they’re in your way, treating you like an invisible object! media is also corrupt. when we went to school, locals kept yelling at us claiming we are thieves of their education and we went there only because it is cheap and high quality. guess what? your education is not cheap or high quality, and we really didnt try to take it because it is better. we played by the rules, and weren’t there to rob or fight anyone. but your loud english mouth is hurtful and belligerent. whats the point if all your place has is mountains, trees, sheep, milk and crap buildings? the people being indifferent and overly financially aggressive, who likes to enjoy any true relationships or friendships only based on how much perks and money you can handout forever? we’re supposed to have our human rights trepeded over again and again and kept hidden away from your stupid media? we really enjoyed having our homes and cars broken into by your local thieves? we know how much we suffered and lost by forming association with your side, your loud english mouth does not change that. be it any of you argue us into submission, or play tricks with information manipulation, eventually large amounts of us see through your deceit.
Yep, some of New Zealand’s fighter pilots for World War II were Chinese. There’s plenty more non-Maori – non-White people from/resident in New Zealand that may not have been heard about.
http://chineseanzacs.blogspot.com/
Peoples’ investment towards and appreciation of the countries they choose to reside in increase when their contributions are recognised, and they aren’t treated badly.
It takes time, be patience, and keep reviewing your CV + your cover letter! If you will secure any interview, keep watching Youtube about the job interview technique until you fall asleep in front of your computer or your iPhone. It took me 3 months to find a job in Auckland at the beginning of 2011. So it’s also about where you are looking for work too.
whether they say its their preference for choosing the people they choose and not being racist, it is the same net result. there was a lot of dirty underhanded bullying going on when i was educated in auckland as an asian and eventually working in the largest telescum there. it was originally a life set out in good faith, but all privacy laws were breached, and your white coworker may come in and start a campaign of falsifying documentation to rob away your work credit and defame you inside out until you are overworked, stressed and burnt out, and financially manslaughtered. of course, who gives you justice or who follows any written law or policies? it is all BS. NZ is only interested to paint a pretty countryside picture to tourists and people that have potential to waste money there. the locals dont have a fair respect for your prescence and are mostly only interested to hear how much they can slaughter your wealth. i’d say, it is not a perfect world, and one way or another someone is poorer or richer, and people help or depends on each other. however, just dont have a fantasy that new zealand is some heaven with clean people and earth. when i first landed there, i faced all sorts of social injustice from bigotory to rudeness from people. bank staff at nati0nal bank dared to abuse their power and denied you opening savings bank account. and of course you are denied to lots of opportunities that are supposed to be ordinary and available to everyone. you may not even trust the police or justice system do give fair protection or justice. the only thing that i admired is their sporting culture, and a successful enterprised fitness industry like les mi11s. however, les mi11s is dumping their ‘inventions’ to foreign markets to sell ‘fitness’ which is just in a way promoting a small group of english whites and sucking blood money from neighbouring places. are you kidding the kiwi folks are interested in genuine love and friendship with you?!?! try approach some white girls, they dont give a damn about you, and many a probably brainwashed by some distorted media information!
It’s not just international students and immigrants facing the problems of unemployment, it’s local Asians too.
So it seems my experiences in the time after I graduated … were not as unusual as others often dismissed it as.
If people don’t speak out against racism and racial microaggression …
it’ll come along to bite them later.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/6633785/Year-of-the-Dragon-white-or-wong
“A desperate job seeker is leaving New Zealand after coming up against racial bias in his job hunt, including the suggestion he needed to change his name to an English-sounding one just to land an interview.
Anti-discrimination organisations are warning this type of racial prejudice is wasting some of New Zealand’s top talent.
Yik Kun Heng applied for 175 jobs after graduating from the University of Auckland with a first-class masters in political science.
He received just three interview requests, while his classmates with English-sounding names secured jobs.
The frustrated graduate sought advice from a career adviser and colleague.
Their advice? Change his name to an Anglo-Saxon one.
“It’s almost like you have to give up your identity, everything you are as a person – your history – just to secure a job and pay cheque. That’s too much of an ask for anyone.”
Heng is part of a wave of New Zealand- Asians hitting the workforce this decade.”
…
“Although Heng was eventually hired at a telecommunications company after a seven-month job hunt, he has decided to leave for Hong Kong.
“No one should have to fight that hard to get a pay cheque, and that’s just to get a job. To get a career, what am I going to have to do?”
Heng said he looked forward to being judged on his skills, rather than his name and ethnicity.
Research shows Asian migrants are far more likely to have negative employment experiences compared to South Africans and British migrants.”
“Strangers have abused and shouted “go home” at Fabian Low.
His home is Auckland. He is from Christchurch. He was born in Singapore.
He is one of the growing number of New Zealanders referred to as the 1.5 generation, with their identity wedged between Aotearoa and Asia.
Many of the 1.5 generation came to New Zealand during the wave of migration from Asia during the 1990s.
Low arrived at a Christchurch boarding school 18 years ago, aged 14. His parents followed a year later.
Racial slurs aside, Low says it is difficult to gauge how deep racial bias and prejudice runs in this nation.
“A minority of people openly expressed their [racist] views at me in Christchurch, but what I don’t know is what is going on deep in people’s minds.
“In Auckland it’s more subtle. That’s not to say it doesn’t exist.”
Last year Low faced an identity crisis when his Singapore passport expired. He had to either renew the passport of his birth country or adopt New Zealand as his nation.
He chose New Zealand – the place he has now lived the majority of his life. Yet the struggles continue.
Low said it’s not easy for the 1.5 generation to live up to the expectations of two cultures.
Gently spoken and with a self- deprecating sense of humour, Low confesses to trying to fit in with other New Zealand men the only way he knew how – by drinking.”