Steven Mendoza
Teacher, Auckland.
Steven is a
Technology teacher from the UK who contacted Education
Personnel from overseas and is now a Teacher of Technology at
Manurewa High School
Working alongside
Education Personnel
"I
found Education Personnel through a search engine when I initially
started to think about finding work in NZ. I read the material on
the
page 'Information For Overseas Teachers' and the testimonials of others
and decided to contact them. I felt very remote from NZ and
its
systems but I was open minded and happy with their response to my
enquiry. I requested some further information and Education
Personnel
sent through a booklet. Throughout
the recruitment process
the communication between myself, Education Personnel and then the
school was very good. The school were excellent in making and
sustaining contact with me after Education Personnel's initiation.
My family are indebted to Education Personnel for the additional information and advice that was afforded to us with regards to the immigration process, the qualification and salary assessments and setting up life here in NZ. More importantly, the staff were excellent in being positive and assuring us that we would be successful in our pursuit of a new life in NZ. This was comforting especially as we were applying to somewhere physically so far away from our home in England.
I was also very fortunate to be able to have an interview in the UK as the school were recruiting in England. This meant there was an opportunity for my wife to join me during the recruitment process and I was able to request general and specific information about the community, the school and the role.
My New Role
I have been highly impressed with my experience to date at Manurewa High School. I was given a good induction by the school and attended a 'New Technology Teachers in NZ' course in Auckland. The presenter was excellent in introducing the NZ curriculum and future changes. I was also able to network with other teachers... several of which were from the UK.
The staff from the school have been most welcoming and ensured that I was quickly immersed into school life both work and socially - including the wonderful extra-curricular Polynesian Festival Events.
New Zealand
I only have experience of my local area Manukau in South Auckland. I have been reassured with how much there is available with regard to shopping for household and domestic goods. I have found that the people here are wonderful and genuinely go out of there way to help you whether these are people who I work with or are buying goods. This for me is one of the reasons why I left the UK. I was disappointed at how people tend to have less time or grace towards others and the shopping- holic mentality 24/7. People here value their material wealth too but it's in a healthy proportion to other important values of family and friends. Things are different but we expected that and life is lovely here.
My family and I decided on Auckland as we are city dwellers and we wanted a good social life for our daughter who is in her early twenties. We are used to lots of people and choices and easy access to everything. We decided to move out further at some time in the future but we are very happy in Manukau and there's plenty of country side and parks to enjoy. We have rented a beautiful house which overlooks Manukau Harbour and enjoy a more comfortable life than we had in Surrey where we lived to work and were forever chasing our tails and paying off debts. We have bought two cars very easily; the second hand market is more prestigious than the UK which brings about a different emphasis on what car one purchases. Kiwis don't believe in paying anymore that they need to for goods to do their job - a far cry from the materialism of the UK.
Advantages of Using Education Personnel
Education Personnel has the experience to recruit teachers and provide candidates with sound advice that is essential if only from a reassuring perspective. It may not be the cheapest way but the school will get a grant towards the recruitment process when the new staff member applies for the 'Relocation Grant'. I have recommended Education Personnel and they have been successful in recruiting one of my staff members in the UK for a post in Napier. It was ideal for him as he is very active and the boys school offers extensive outward bound events that he is currently enjoying.
I think that it is important to recognise that NZ is not the UK and that things are not the same. Life is slower here but not dramatically different just a different emphasis on what's important in life. Wages are about a third lower but the cost of living adjustments help to cushion the difference. It is important to ensure that you are organised with your documentation to make the immigration a little easier. I have just completed my first term in a school that is no harder than any school in the UK. My school is significantly multi-cultural in its diversity of pupils and for me this is wonderful and enriching.
Steve Mendoza, Manurewa High School, Auckland, 2010