I know all about job-hunting in Tauranga – a couple of months ago, I was doing it myself. One of my first tasks was to send my CV to Ryan + Alexander in case they had any HR or recruitment positions around town – within a week, they’d offered me a fulltime job.
I’m so grateful but I’m also well aware the stars don’t always so easily align.
I’m learning very quickly about the peculiarities of the local job market and it seems, depending on your industry and level of experience, professional jobs in the Bay of Plenty can be scarce. The pay on offer is generally 15 percent less than the equivalent role in Auckland. And yet, if you’ve got your heart set on living in the Mount (as many new arrivals do), accommodation here is not much cheaper. It’s a little harder to get an interview if you’re not resident in the Bay, but it’s risky to come here without a job and just trust you’ll get one. You could be looking for months.
However, there are some industries where the skills shortage is chronic and amazing opportunities abound. I have a background in matching candidates to roles in engineering and architecture, and Tauranga, like much of New Zealand, is desperate for people to fill exciting roles in these areas. Do you know any engineers or architects who want to live somewhere warm, gorgeous and laid-back but still work on large and invigorating projects? Please urge them to call me!
I’ve established relationships with engineering and building services companies across the Bay, and am currently working on a number of roles in this space and the architecture space. With the Christchurch rebuild and the sustained nationwide building boom, which is yet to ease off in Tauranga, residential and commercial engineers and architects have been in hot demand for several years now.
I have a background in law and journalism but recruitment is my passion. I love finding candidates who are an excellent match for an organisation. I’ve specialised in placing architects, engineers and lawyers, but I also spent two years in London recruiting Antipodean nannies for the children of celebrity and super-rich UK families.
Over my five years in recruitment, I’ve developed a solid sense of what makes a great employer. I’m so grateful to have found Ryan + Alexander, which embodies lots of the traits I look for when placing candidates. The company is small and nimble, commercial and focused – it’s an environment built on trust and I work flexible hours, sometimes leaving early sometimes working late. Flexibility and ‘give and take’ is highly valued in the modern workplace and I find that top candidates – especially those who are young and active, or have young families – often seek out bosses who are comfortable outside the rigid 8-5 work day.
Coming home to the Bay has been a journey for me, one that’s had its ups and downs but one that I wouldn’t change for anything. I understand that a move to the Bay can have its challenges but I’ve found my place and hope to be able to help you find yours too.