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New Zealand Will Give You a Free Trip If You Agree To a Job Interview (esquire.com)
An anonymous reader shares an Esquire article: If New Zealand is on your bucket list, it's time to fill out a job application. You see, the tech industry in Wellington, New Zealand is trying to recruit experts from around the world to their community, so they're offering a free trip if you can prove you want the job and deserve an interview. They're calling it a "global talent attraction program" and 100 potential recruits will be invited on the free (yes, free) week-long trip. But, of course, the catch is you have to prove why you could serve as a software developer, creative director, product manager, analyst or digital strategist to get a free ticket. Once you do, your itinerary will be filled with interviews and meetings with others in the New Zealand tech community members, as well as excursions around Wellington.
I lived there for 2 years - it was a waste of time.
You'll be a paid in NZ Dollars, (currently US$0.71) and a lower amount than if you were working in the USA, Australia or Canada.
Wellington weather is windy as f*ck and always raining.
If you're lucky you'll get a few sunny weeks during Summer, if the wind and the freezing water doesn't get to you, the sunburn will.
Any major city in the world will have more business opportunities than Wellington, the population is so small.
There's much better opportunities available elsewhere.
The tubes are all new, and they're fibre.
Most people get 100mbit. It's between $60 and $100 depending if you can live with a data cap or not. You can get up to 1g. My ISP offers a plan where "you should see 700 - 900Mbps" down and 400 - 450 up for $140
Of course fibre isn't available everywhere in NZ, but it is pretty much everywhere in Wellington.
Or a girlfriend. Sheep outnumbers people by 10 to 1.
I'm Australian but have worked and lived in Wellington a bit, and in the USA. New Zealand internet on the whole is pretty good. Within Wellington you should be able to get a fibre connection at 100 Mbps no problems, at a cost similar to in the US.
Ping times to sites in Europe and America are obviously high, but not much you can do about that (pesky speed of light!) Most big sites have CDNs in NZ or Australia though, so it's not really a problem unless you enjoy playing online games that don't have local servers...
I live in NZ, just in Auckland - but I did live just outside of Wellington for part of my childhood. It's rare to see these kinds of comments about living in NZ, but I have seen them, and like the others I've read I have to say I think you may have come with the wrong expectations.
If you come here expecting that you'll have beautiful weather every day and otherwise it'll be just like back home - payscales and all, you'll be disappointed. It's a place like many others on earth rather than some ethereal wonderland, with advantages and disadvantages. It's not the kind of place where you go and work for big bucks for a short time and then return home with your riches. If you're realistic, recognise that it's somewhat isolated with a small population and therefore the economy is different and some things aren't as easy to find or are more expensive (though nowhere near like it was in the '80s when my family moved here) you can have a very comfortable life. That's completely ignoring the beautiful and varied landscape, outdoor opportunities, etc. - all of that you have heard about is true. Given the choice I wouldn't live anywhere else - and I recently returned here from London, by choice.
Besides, Wellington is famous for its windy weather, so you could definitely have known about that in advance ;)
I've lived in wellington for 20 years.
Wellington has an excess of I.T. people, but are unable to get jobs due to a screwed up government system or an unwillingness to pay a decent amount.
It already imports a significant number of indians for government jobs pushing out New Zealanders, as they are cheaper (at least through some creative accounting. They don't get paid heaps but thier contracting agencys do).
Also, we don't have enough houses to put everyone in. House and rent prices are going through the roof with no relief in sight.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/property/89933065/rental-crisis-deepens-as-mt-cook-flat-viewing-attracts-more-than-40-people
http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2017/02/hot-property-wellington-house-values-up-21-percent-in-2016.html
What idiot came up with this plan?
Lol, another bitter Kiwi, probably butt hurt from all the losing at cricket.
You know why Kiwis dont take their girlfriends to the cricket?
They are afraid they will jump the fence, and start eating the grass.
Why do Kiwi horses go so fast?
Theyve seen what happens to the sheep.