"On the same day I got PR (permanent residency), I started my first job in New Zealand. The day before, we moved into our new house. Everything was working out suddenly".
Shaimaa April 3 2008
Shaimaa came to New Zealand from Egypt in February 2007. She had a post-graduate qualification in Spanish and work experience as an Executive Assistant in Saudi Arabia. During her first months here, Shaimaa worked hard on settling and learning to do many different things the New Zealand way – like "using a map to find my way around." She immediately started looking for jobs but was disadvantaged by not having access to the internet or an email address. She made many job applications and was disappointed about the complete lack of response from prospective employers. Re-training or English language classes were expensive without PR and it was difficult to organize free time while being primary caregiver for her 2½ year old son.
When six months later Shaimaa heard about the Job Mentoring Service, she registered as a Job Seeker and was soon matched with her first job mentor, Sally. Sally's role was crucial to Shaimaa's job search – and ultimate success. "When I first met Sally, I was very frustrated and thought I will never get a job. Sally reassured me, offered me (practical) and psychological support and shared her own experience."
Sally stressed the importance of the CV and helped Shaimaa adjust it for detail – "NZ employers are very fussy", added Shaimaa. She had previously applied only for Executive Assistant positions but learned that job names and roles are different here and she needed to look more widely.
Together, they did lots of interview practice and Shaimaa got called for more interviews but still with no success. She went to classes to improve her English language skills, especially reading & writing and to learn more about NZ systems and the local environment. She also got a volunteer position at a CAB which gave her local work experience and a NZ reference. "Wellington employers don't trust overseas references and experience", suggests Shaimaa.
Shaimaa believes it was a combination of all these things and Sally's mentoring support that brought her to the point of success. "I used to be very nervous in an interview. From Sally, I learned confidence and a sense of humour and to be friendly. I was very comfortable in my (successful) interview". One week after that interview, Shaimaa began her permanent position as Office Administrator for Interpreting Wellington. "The first person I called after I got the job offer was Sally because she had a made a big effort and deserved to know first. (As she wasn't there) I left a screaming message on her answer phone!"
Shaimaa remembers the first two days of her new job were overwhelming. "After day one, I forgot all the things I was told. Then I started to use a notebook." The first things she noticed were "that people are very friendly, they don't use titles and there is no formality." After two months in the role, Shaimaa has some advice for other migrant job seekers:
"Employers like people who know their organization well and why you want to work for them. Know everything about this company that you can.
"Go to an interview with a cheerful mind. A confident smile and handshake really help. Tension will lead you to fail."
"Here in New Zealand, interviews are very behavioural – we never got such questions in interviews at home.
Shaimaa's last piece of advice is to the Job Mentoring Service: "More people need to know about your Service. If I had known you before, I would have an advantage earlier." We believe we can make a difference and will do our best to spread the word about our role in helping new migrants like Shaimaa into employment in Wellington.