New Zealand is flying in tech talent for free—but is it worth moving there?
Ah, New Zealand, the country of… Lord of the Rings. And maybe rugby? Anyway, its government wants you to see Wellington as the tech capital of the world — and they’re spending a lot of money to make it happen.
Last week the city announced LookSee Wellington, which sounds like the best deal ever. If you’re one of 100 selected tech professionals interested in working for a Wellington-based company, the city will set you up with a couple of job interviews. But because New Zealand is far from pretty much anywhere, they’ll also pay for your flight and hotel.
There’s no obligation to accept any of the offers, just like the companies aren’t forced to hire anyone. At best, you might be looking at a new life in New Zealand — at worst, you got a free trip!
It’s a smart, if expensive, move to get tech talent to test drive New Zealand as their potential new homebase. The country is struggling with a severe shortage of IT workers, and it’s going to great lengths to convince them to move.
But is Wellington actually a fun place to live? I decided to ask Owen Williams, Digital Director at VANMOOF and ex-Wellingtonian that left the Kiwi nation for Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
“I love Wellington, it’s a very nice place to live. Unfortunately, New Zealand salaries aren’t very good and it’s hard to progress your career salary-wise.”
This might pose a problem for people looking for decent pay — especially because New Zealand is a pretty expensive place to live.
But disregarding income, there are a lot of reasons to make the move. The country does great in OECD’s Better Life Index, scoring high marks for its tight-knit community and all-around life satisfaction.
And I mean, I get it—most of the country looks like a dream, the weather is generally nice and they have the best chocolate in the world.
But there are a lot of downsides too. Living on the other side of the world sucks if you want to go anywhere else but Australia, with flights to the US often costing upwards of $1000.
Then there’s the current state of the tech industry. Sure, there are quite some companies in the sector, but it’s no London or New York. If you end up hating your job, you don’t have a lot of options — even though some might disagree.
New Zealand might not be the perfect place for anyone, but LookSee Wellington is ready to do anything its power to convince people. When you get picked to visit the city, prepare for a promotional tour spanning your entire stay.
Still interested in applying? You can sign up here, but prepare to fill in a couple of questionnaires and cover letters before being considered.
