Getting Job Offers after 8 Weeks

Since I arrived about 8 weeks ago, I spent at least 8 hours a day working on my applications. This includes customizing my CV and cover letters to fit the job, calling recruiters and HR, searching and registering at LinkedIn, Seek, the careers section of the company website, TradeMe, emailing new acquaintances and googling. I've attended migrants seminars and I did went out a bit to introduce myself to people. I stayed in touch with fellow new migrants via email. I could've slacked a bit especially during my first few weeks of arrival here. I got a very tempting offer for a free 3-day vacation trip just outside Auckland. I get regular invites to chill out time with my friends here which I welcomed whenever I finish my business at the city just so I maximize my long trip to the city. But of course I had to keep focused so oftentimes I had to decline those which seemed to me like distractions and unnecessary expense.

Determination and Focus is key

When you attend seminars for migrants, they'd often encourage you to volunteer so you can get that local experience that some employers are looking for. Recruiters on the other hand can present you with contractual roles which are definitely worth thinking about especially if you're running out of funds. I'm fortunate to have been presented with these opportunities even if I didn't pursue them. The volunteer work meant shelling out money for me because the location is too far and that the honorarium of $7 a day is not enough to cover my transport cost. The contractual role could've been great if it was presented to me a month ago wherein there weren't any progress with my applications. It was just a week's contract and the expected return is perhaps enough to sustain me for the next two months. The recruiters are a big help in terms of presenting you with opportunities that aren't advertised yet. They'd help you work with your CV and will give you all the support needed to help you prepare for that interview. I did see how they get to push employers to act fast to speed up the recruitment process. Internal HRs does work slow and it does help if you push your way forward so that they'd notice you or at least give you feedback on the status of your application. It did help that I copied the hiring manager when I asked for a follow up. I got the feedback that I needed almost instantly.


For the past week, I've been working on 4 job applications that progressed to interviews almost at the same time. I managed to squeeze three interviews in a day. These series of interviews actually helped me gain more confidence and also helped me practice in giving effective answers during the interview. I then progressed from the first to the second interview up to the verbal job offers in less than a week.

At this point, I have already withdrawn my applications from the other two and I will be giving my acceptance and decline to the remaining two employers this Monday. It's been quite a ride and I definitely look forward to starting out again in the employment scene.