Adjusting To New Zealand Work Culture
If you’re reading this you’ve probably recently moved to New Zealand — welcome! We’re so excited to have you in the land of Hobbits, gumboots and most importantly, exciting new job opportunities.
We have a pretty diverse team here at Joy Business Academy — which means we can offer a great range of advice to our users. We started by asking a few members of our team for the biggest difference they’ve noticed between working overseas and in New Zealand.
Mandy, UX Researcher
Mandy’s love for learning has taken her all across the world including Australia, Canada and the USA. Part of that journey included 10 years of corporate work in Sydney — she’s worked in advertising, as an editors assistant in publishing and in the United Airlines marketing department.
What’s the main difference you’ve noticed working in New Zealand?
“I think there is a more authentic vibe in New Zealand. The overall quality of life and work-life balance is so much easier to achieve here. A lot of people I’ve worked with and socialised with [in New Zealand] have that same philosophy. There is this great small town hospitality and friendliness feel even in the big cities”.
Top tip? Make sure you embrace our kiwi lifestyle too, not just work. New Zealand is a beautiful country full of places to explore and things to see so get exploring!
Aleks, YouthFull Community Builder
From working construction in California to building the online community at YouthFull, Aleks noticed a clear difference in career progression once he moved over to New Zealand.
What’s the main difference you’ve noticed working in New Zealand? “In the States career progression is very linear. You need to start at point x, work heaps of hours, get x promotion, work heaps, and so forth. Here in New Zealand there is a ton of horizontal opportunity to progress in your career and a lot of opportunity to make a career leap given the right circumstances”.
Top tip? Make the most of your opportunities. If you have a certain career goal you want to achieve kiwi employers are generally receptive to helping you make it happen. Ask your employer what they can offer you in terms of career progression.
Krissy, JBA Web Developer
Meet Krissy! She’s one of the amazing brains behind building our JBA courses. After completing a 5 month internship in Houston, Texas she knows all about adjusting to a different work culture.
What’s the main difference you’ve noticed working in New Zealand? “In New Zealand people are a lot more social, [in America] you wouldn’t talk to anyone about their social life. Here you get friendly with everyone, it’s a water cooler kind of thing and in that aspect it’s a better social environment”.
Top tip? Get chatting! New Zealanders are known for being friendly so join in the fun and make some friends on work. Just note that this can vary depending on your specific industry/work environment.
Ash, Instructional Designer
While travelling, Ash found a retail job to maximise his OE experience. He started working at a BT (British Telecom) retail store in the London Financial District. When he came home he used his retail experience to embark on an impressive career at Vodafone New Zealand before joining JBA.
What’s the main difference you’ve noticed in New Zealand?
“The most obvious difference is the population size. A lot of cities in the world are quite busy in relation to New Zealand. We can take it for granted that it’s quiet everywhere. Also, if you come from a city with great infrastructure New Zealand — particularly Auckland — is notorious for bad transport. People who are used to catching a 10 minute train might have to take 2 hours out of their day for travel.”
Top tip? Get savvy with your travel time! If you’re not used to long commutes you can use this as a time to your advantage. Whether it’s reading a great business book, brainstorming ideas or listening to a podcast.
Do you have experiencing working overseas? We’d love to hear your story!
