Jobs & Money Detail
In with the IT crowd
You probably already know that Lord of the Rings was filmed in New Zealand, but did you also know that all post-production was completed in New Zealand?
The film trilogy's computer generated special effects were in fact carried out by Wellington-based firm Weta Digital, a cutting-edge digital effects production company. New Zealanders are world leaders in the information technology (IT) sector. For a small country they have a surprising array of innovative IT companies. They're one of the fastest countries in the world at adopting new technology, with one of the highest rates in the world of Internet, mobile phone and electronic transfer technologies usage. The information and communications technology industry accounts for 4.3 per cent of New Zealand's GDP.
IT is, in fact, one of New Zealand's fastest-growing export sectors, totalling an estimated NZ$1.5 billion last year. New Zealand has a reputation as an innovative and flexible telecommunications and electronics supplier, with companies leading the world in a number of market sectors, including Global Positioning Systems and radio communications.
However, the IT sector has been issued with a challenge – to raise its contribution to New Zealand's GDP from 4.3 per cent to 10 per cent. The recently developed HiGrowth Project aims to help achieve this by taking 100 Kiwi IT companies to sales of NZ$100 million by 2012. This is part of the reason that IT workers are so in demand in New Zealand. Jobs are relatively easy to find as there's a major shortage of skilled professionals. Jim O'Neill, Executive Director of the Information Technology Association of New Zealand (ITANZ), explains: "There are jobs in most IT disciplines at this time. Unemployment in New Zealand is very low (3–4 per cent) and there are skills shortages in many sectors, including ICT."
O'Neill says that the most in-demand skills in IT are in systems development, Internet applications, project implementation and database development. He adds, "Knowledge of Java, dot.net, Oracle and Microsoft are good skills to have, as are project management, testing, and general programming skills".
IT is a crucial component in the day-to-day operations of most organisations. As a result, the computer and technical industry is significant to New Zealand's economy and is expected to play an important role in future economic growth.
What qualifications do I need?
So how easy is it for Brits to get a job in IT in New Zealand? Are the necessary skills easily transferable? "Skilled Britons would have little problems finding positions in New Zealand", explains O'Neill. "IT is a fully international profession with the same skills virtually in demand the world over. Native English speakers obviously have no problems fitting into business and social environments here."
If you want to work in the IT industry in New Zealand, you'll probably need a degree level qualification and certainly some work experience in these areas. Technical skills are obviously crucial for a career in IT, however, more emphasis is being placed on IT employees having greater interaction with clients and users throughout an organisation. As a result communication skills are an important requirement. O'Neill also explains that New Zealand employers tend to favour generalists rather than specialists, as organisations are smaller in New Zealand and employees often handle a range of tasks. O'Neill confirms, "The best qualifications to have are tertiary ones. Almost any degree is acceptable for IT careers, although general science-based ones or computer science are better for research or manufacturing parts of the industry. "There are many valuable industry qualifications such as those from Microsoft, Oracle and Cisco, and these are good in demonstrating a level of experience gained and a commitment to the profession."
Generally, these industry qualifications do not attract immigration points but are great for backing up a persons' work experience. "There are many institutions in NZ that provide IT courses, even up to degree level," O'Neill continues "but the employer demand is for people with some reasonable level of experience and immigrants from the UK will have a better chance of getting a good job with a good employment history." Check the Long Term Skills Shortage List – if you have the right qualifications and work experience, you may be eligible for extra points under the Skilled Migrant Category. And because IT is identified as a future growth area under the Skilled Migrant Category, you may get bonus points if you have employment or an offer of employment in the sector.
Finding an IT job
So where in New Zealand are these IT job shortages? "The ICT sector in New Zealand can be broken down into the industry itself (firms that provide IT hardware, software or services) and users of IT (Banks, government, commerce, etcetera)," explains O'Neill. "Users of IT will be in all areas of New Zealand, but most IT roles will be found in the major centres of Auckland and Wellington." IT producers are more often based in Auckland, although any firm that does much of its business with the government will be in Wellington.
On the South Island continued growth in the computer and technical industry in the Southland and Canterbury regions is expected. Most IT jobs are found through ICT recruitment agencies in all the major centres, but the major newspapers like the NZ Herald in Auckland, The Dominion in Wellington and The Press in Christchurch also carry vacancies as well as printing job advertisements from the various agencies. The Internet is of course a popular place to look for jobs in IT with sites like Seek and Jobstuff.
Working conditions are also good in New Zealand and are generally equivalent to the UK. So is the IT industry a sector with good long-term prospects? "IT is one of the most highly paid occupations in New Zealand, but having said that salaries are a good deal less here than in the UK or the USA. But, so is the cost of living. Skilled programmers with a degree or say five to ten years experience would expect to earn between NZ$50,000 to NZ$80,000." O' Neill adds "Prospects are generally good for people with ambition who are keen to take on responsible roles. People will tend to move from firm to firm to increase their prospects more."
New Zealand needs to attract experienced and qualified people to grow internationally competitive businesses. Forecast levels of ICT employment in 2012 are 125,000, compared to the current level of about 41,000, a target that New Zealand won't be able to meet without skilled immigrants.
For more information:
Information Technology Association of New Zealand
For IT vacancies visit:
Seek.co.nz
Jobstuff.co.nz
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