Your Roadmap to Employment in New Zealand
to work your way around New Zealand? You’re in the right place.
Below, we cover everything you need to hit the ground running—from sorting your tax number and bank account to mastering the Kiwi-style CV.
Whether you’re looking for seasonal farm work, hospitality shifts, or a role in tourism, read on for the essential steps to finding work and getting paid.
Tax Registration Number to pay taxes
This needs to be a bank that has a new Zealand account, so itworks with the employers pay roll system – Main New Zealand bank accountssuch as ANZ are ideal, but also modern app-based banks like Wise offer thisservice
Check out our detailed Banking Guide for more info
Use Seek to find Jobs in Hospitality or Backpackerboard to find farm-work
New Zealand has a huge industry for fruit picking – although seasonal, bigmisconception that it's just summer – Despite demand for work peaking in summer,there is still work during autumn and spring.
Key points for farming:
- Work as much or little as suits you
– great for short bursts of well-paid outdoorwork
- Minimal to none experience or skills required + vast demand
– easy to find work
- Great networking opportunity, long days spent in the sun with other workingholiday makers
New Zealand thrives on Tourists and travellers, creating a huge market forhotels, cafes, restaurants and wineries. These companies LOVE working holidaymakers looking for short term work, as it suits their capacity fluctuations.
Key points for Hospitality:
- Great for building connections, especially with CHAINS
– Some may offer youwork at different branches across the country that saves you job searching againand allows you to travel and work simultaneously
- Vast opportunity for skills to be learned and developed in another country
- Easily employable with even minimal prior customer service experience
New Zealand has a reputation for extreme sports, including skiing, Wateractivities, skydiving and much more. These companies offer exciting job roles that ofteninclude discounted rates for staff. A great way for Working Holiday Makers to makethese experiences affordable
Key points for Tourism:
- Truly unique working environment and experience
- Vast employability options from guiding to customer service
This is the New Zealand equivalent of Indeed – The most efficient way to apply tomultiple jobs remotely. Creating your CV within the app allows you to send applicationsquickly
Another option to SEEK – More of an informal method of locatingwork – Both parties in this situation are after quick employment with minimal admin –Ideal for Working Holiday Makers
If you are confident, printing off your CV and visiting businesses canwork in New Zealand, They like your enthusiasm and social skills especially if the jobrole is in customer service
Key points to consider on your CV before applying:
- New Zealand employers do not understand the grading systems of europe
–There is no point in displaying your GCSE or A level results, it just clogs up yourCV.
- Instead, a quick mention of your highest level of education explained simply issufficient
- Kiwi’s appreciate concise CVs with Work Experience and skills gained as the keysections
– 3 or 4 bullet points of your main responsibilities during pastemployment is good, with further bullet points of skills. No more.
- Keep unrelated personal information limited
- Clearly state at the top that you are on a Working Holiday Visa, highlighting yourstart and end date
