Hi!

As the title suggests, I've been playing with the idea of taking a working holiday in New Zealand in 2010-2011. Right now this whole idea is sort of a backup plan to get me traveling again, depending on whether or not I get offered a job here in the States after the holidays. If I do leave, I was shooting for a March or April departure.

Does anyone have any insight into how good (or bad) the local job market is? If you've gone recently, what kind of work were you able to find? I'm not sure what jobs I could get - I have seen a surprising number of jobs on seek.co.nz in my field (engineering), but know that a WHV would probably limit my options a bit.

I'll probably have $3000 US or so to cover things until I can find work. Although I very much want to check out the scenery (and maybe get in some skiing), I'm mostly concerned with being able to find work within the first month or two. In case you can't tell, I'm a bit jittery since the job market here in the States is not so great

Still doing research, but any advice would be welcome!

Most working holiday visa programs will offer work placement assistance to help you find a job. Are you looking for a job that will sustain your trip (seasonal, part time work) or are you looking for work more in your field that will pay more?

There are loads of jobs for WHV holders! Buy it all depends on what youy want to do.

Remember the WHV is designed to allow people to travel for an extended time in NZ, by supplementing their spending money with seasonal/casual work.

So toursit operators (dolphin watching, ski lift operators etc), horticultural contractors (orchards and vineyards) are activily employing people at certain times of the year. Otherwise resurants and bar work are good all year round work oppertunites.

WHV holders I have met have had many diverse jobs, from mussel barge operators, waiters, fruit pickers to one guy who worked as a video editor earning mega bucks!

http://www.backpackerboard.co.nz/index.php is a good place to start!

I've found that most employers are pretty open to hiring travelers on WHV. From my personal experience, it was much easier to find a "regular" job in Wellington, Christchurch, and Auckland. The smaller towns I thought was more difficult.

It sounds like you've got a good skill set though. I wouldn't worry about finding a job there. And if an employer really likes you, they might be willing to sponsor you for longer if you're interested.

Hi I would recommend http://seek.co.nz/ engineering jobs in NZ are no prolblem. using the link you can search casual / temporary jobs engineering jobs. Use the selections