NZ Recruiter

Discover Your Dream Job - Senior Business Analyst, Auckland

Have you outgrown your current job?
What excuses have you been making to yourself about staying there?

How would you like:

1. a stable company that is growing steadily internationally.
2. lots of opportunities to grow personally.
3. close interaction with customers.
4. products that have social value and benefit everyday people, not just businesses.
5. international travel.
6. the opportunity to part of an amazing team changing the world from New Zealand

Our client is only growing bigger and better - join them on the way up and get your chance to dig deep in a broad range of technology with an incredible amount of space for career development and growth. If you have at least 6 years commercial data analysis experience with the following

• Excel
• VBA
• possibly MySQL, R, SAS. 

as well as the following characteristics

• attention to detail
• ability and comfort in communicating and working with others towards common goals
• the ability to do some international travel 

then email me NOW!

Don't miss out on this opportunity. It won't last. Give us a call on 09 306 8950 or send in your CV to steven@searchniche.com, or get in touch on twitter @stevenkempton

Also, if you think I'm some faceless Recruiter who will ignore your application check out some of the quotes from candidates about me:

“I used Steven as my agent to help me find new employment. From the very beginning to the very end I really appreciated Steven's integrity as a recruiter. He really wanted the very best for me. When I am next looking for work I will definitely be speaking with Steven again.”

“Highly recommend Steven as a recruitment agent. Has a much more hands on approached compared to the standard recruitment agent. Can count on him to be there with you each step of the way as a friend and advisor. Very personable, approachable, very honest and forth coming.”

"Steven is a pleasure to deal with and is always ready to listen. If he is unable to help, he will tell you straight up and will endeavour to provide some direction.”

Job hunting doesn't have to be sly - positioning is key

Link: Job hunting on the sly

Interesting opinion on how to sneak in job hunting while you're working. The key though, I think, is that if you really are focused on growing your career, then you can't just "hunt" for a job. It can be time consuming and incredibly difficult  when you're trying to do your real job. Most importantly - it's all about timing - what you want may not necessarily be what the job market has in the timeframe you're looking. So here's what I suggest: Keep an open mind and really position yourself for opportunities. . . continuously. Not just when you get that sinking feeling that you don't want to be at your current job or company anymore.

This isn't traditional active job hunting, but it'll bring you to what's really important - and that's being exposed to opportunities that may or may not be the right ones for you. It's best to have that option to decide and accept or decline, right? So what can you do?

• Be aware and open minded. Listen to what colleagues or business contacts are talking about and who or what they may know. 
• Be accessible. Make yourself easy to be found by people who have opportunities. Be accessible online in some social media or community groups or professional associations
• Let people know that you're open minded to opportunities perhaps not in your company, but outside of your professional circle - in your community, sports clubs, children's school, etc. Contacts are everywhere.
• Help others. If you hear of opportunities that could be useful to someone you know, get them connected. You never know when the favor is returned.
• Keep your CV current... just in case something comes up quickly. It's also a good way to track your achievements and newly developed skills with good detail - often something that's hard to do if you've been somewhere for several years and haven't reflected on what you've accomplished.

Test Lead Opportunity - Contract or Perm - Auckland

Are you an experienced test analyst ready to move to the next challenge? Here's a fantastic opportunity for a TEST LEAD role with an international consultancy that is globally recognized and highly ranked in its industry. Employer is flexible - this can be either a contract or permanent role.

Some requirements:

• Minimum 5 years commercial experience testing covering all areas of the testing lifecycle
• Ability to lead and collaborate with team members
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills 

To find out more about this opportunity, email me along with your CV.

If you're interested in other opportunities, you can also sign up for our newsletter.

 

Going forward in your career in the IT Market - Podcast with Illegal Argument

I had a good chat with the guys at Illegal Argument , a discussion group on anything Java/JVM with an Auckland/NZ focus.

Are you truly going forward in your career? Thinking of contracting versus perm? Product dev versus services? For some candid insight into the New Zealand IT market and career development from experienced senior IT perspectives along with a recruitment perspective - listen here at Illegal Argument Podcast 59. 

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Are you a software developer in Auckland open to opportunities? Click here

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Contracting vs Permanent Roles - What to do?

There's never an easy answer when it comes to deciding which path to pursue. But at least many highly skilled and experienced professionals have this option - especially in this year. Here's a basic rundown of what to consider. It's all up to your comfort levels in terms of what you define as "security" and how you feel about taking risks.

Permanent Jobs:

Most people, when asked to describe the benefits of a permanent job, would say "secure" or "stable". They see it as a guaranteed paycheck every fortnight or at the end of the month. I'm surprised if people still think this way in this day and age of recessions and live and let die. No job or company is completely 100% secure. Performance is still a condition, and of course the profitability of the company and market climate. But aside from that, sure it's relatively stable compared to contracting.

PROS of Perm Roles:

1. Relatively secure and stable - you can expect a certain amount of pay on a regular basis. Can budget your personal finances much easier. Ease of mind.

2. Depending on the company, certain employee perks and benefits - perhaps in-house training and other employee seminars or programs to take advantage of, health and fitness perks, etc.

3. Paid sick days and paid holidays

4. Kiwi saver or employer pension plan

5. You don't have to deal with tax administration, you receive your wages and your employer reports and deducts taxes for you

6. A sense of belonging to a collective group - camraderie 

 CONS of Perm Roles:

1. Lower pay. You receive significantly less than contracting in terms of hourly wage. As a salaried employee, most often you do overtime which is unpaid and often expected.

2. There is not much room for negotiation in salary once you've taken the job. All you have is your annual appraisal and that is regulated by a certain small percentage.

3. No flexibility in time. You need to also be present during the set work hours, regardless of the situation/workload. No opportunity to take an extended period of time off if needed.

4. You are not completely in control of your own time and efforts.

 

Contracting

The overall advantage of contracting is your independence and higher pay. You are your own boss and can decide where you want to work and command how much. The downside of it is that you are taking on more risks by constantly having to find a role to keep you going, and to be more financially responsible in your own taxation.

PROS of Contracting

1. Independence and flexibility - you can choose projects/contract jobs/companies you want to work for and when (that is, if there is a contract role available). You can make yourself available to all kinds of opportunities since you're not tied down.

2. Higher pay - contractors command a higher per hour wage, and with long projects, this can translate to a high "annual salary".

3. As a contractor, you are your own business. You have tax-deductible advantages and thus, have the ability to use pre-tax dollars to invest in your career/business.

4. Because you're more aware of your financial situation, you can be more savvy in your own financial planning.

5. Because you are more likely very experienced in your area (since you're hired strictly for that expertise), you are more marketable in that industry, anywhere.

 

CONS of Contracting

1. You need to sell yourself in gaining continuous contract roles. You have to be comfortable in networking and applying for new roles more frequently.

2. You have to feel comfortable in not having consistent income in between contracts, and IF that stretches out actually earning LESS MONEY not more.

3. To maintain/upgrade your marketability, you need to invest in your own training in different technologies (rather than having an employer pay for it or provide it)

4. As a business (either as a Sole Trader or Limited Company), you now have tax responsibilities in filing GST returns, provisional taxes and your own end-of-year taxes. 

5. May not get that "sense of belonging " if doing a lot of short-term contracts.

I'm sure there a several more reasons to place on either side of the equation, pro or con, but it boils down to what you value most (security vs. more money/independence), your personal situation (singleton? providing for a family of 5? rent? mortgage? ) and how you feel about your own skills and abilities. If you're thinking about contracting, see here how 2011 will be a bumper year for contractors. And if you're open to opportunities, link with me at LinkedIn.

Will You Be Changing Jobs in 2010?

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Are you a software developer in Auckland who wants to be happier at work? Click here!

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It seems 2010 is going to be a massive year of career shift for many people. Surveys in most developed markets point to massive numbers of skilled candidates intending to change jobs this year. Some of the results include:

• 60% of US Workers intend to leave their jobs in 2010 (link).
• 25% of employees believe organization morale is low (link).
• 20% of workers plan to switch careers and/or industries within two years (link).
• Only 45% of US employers are satisfied with their jobs in 2009 down from 61% in 1987 (link).
• Only 53% of Singapore financial workers are satisfied with their jobs (link).

It makes you wonder what really happened with all these people, what is it that causes them to have so much suffering at work? I talk with a lot of people in regards to their situation at work, most will admit to wanting more of something. Sometimes when we flesh it out their needs are quite realistic. Other times they are looking for an easier path to a better reward, which unfortunately, rarely exists. Meshing reality with what the person wants is often the biggest part of understanding whether someone really needs to make a job change in order to improve their satisfaction.

This can be really difficult to do alone, even for the most experienced candidates. After all, if you're good at your job you are busy doing that, not analyzing the marketplace and/or your skills and abilities to see whether you are ready for a big move. In order to make the decision on whether the time is right I recommend answering a few of the following questions. Be honest with yourself, anything else is pointless.

• What are my biggest achievements in my current position?
• How have I grown in the last 2 years?
• Am I giving 100% of my effort to the work I'm doing?
• If not, why am I holding back?
• If yes, then is the work satisfying me?
• If it's not satisfying me despite my effort, what are the areas that are holding me back?
• Can I improve on those areas in my current position?
• If I made a job change what are all the areas I need fulfilled to make me happy in a new position. 
• Being that nowhere is perfect. What would I be willing to give up/take on to make that move anyway?

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Are you a software developer in Auckland, want to be happier at work? Click here!

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Job outlook for 2008

First off, I'd just like to wish you all an exciting and adventurous 2008! I think this year will be a challenging one for everyone but there are great opportunities out there and I think it's probably a really good time for those of you considering what you want out of your career to take stock and make some decisions. You might want to try asking yourself the following five questions to start the year:

1. What did I achieve in my career last year? (give yourself a pat on the back).
2. What would I really like to achieve in the next year? (push yourself).
3. How can I achieve that where I am now? (planning for it).
4. What is the long term goal that achieving this will support? (big dreams).
5. How can I achieve my long term goal where I am now? (more planning)

The best thing about planning like this is it will help you keep a weather report on whether or not your current employer is helping you achieve your dreams. If it becomes increasingly difficult to plan to achieve what you want where you are, then you need to start considering new places to work. Don't be overly keen to move though, the ability to creatively develop your job in any workplace can give you some very valuable skills as well. You also need to factor in some other important points that may be just as valuable as you getting the chance to achieve your goals. Good examples of that would be, the quality of mentors you have around you, and also the growth prospects of the company you are with. Both these factors can sometimes out weigh your goals because of the huge opportunities they can provide.

With all this in mind, rest assured you've got plenty of opportunities out there as companies look to increase staff, according to the latest Hudson survey of over 1700 employers. So reflect, take stock, and plan.

How To Create Job Ads Just For Geeks

Here is an example of the perfect job ad for a Geek. GPS Tracking software company Telogis are advertising for Software Developers and use Google Adwords so their ads appear in places where Software Developers can see them (I found it in my Gmail, I'm not a software developer but I work with enough to think their targeting is pretty good). But when you click through you get the following page (pictured below) and you have to work out what the URL is to their jobs page. Too hard for me! Can anyone tell me what it means? If you can then I guess you can apply for their jobs too.

By the way, if you are looking for a Senior Java Developer or Architect role in Auckland or Wellington, we have ongoing opportunities there and throughout New Zealand. Feel free to get in touch in the comments or to email us to inquiry@searchniche.com.

Tech Salary Negotiations - IT jobs | Negotiation Experts

Link: Tech Salary Negotiations - IT jobs | Negotiation Experts.

Here's a great article to read and to reread when the time comes for you to negotiate  in your job. Negotiation is such an important skill to have - not just for sales or if your job function is to close deals. It's for everyone who collaborates and works with other people. It's essential for you in managing your own career. It's a skill that definitely takes time and experience to master, and even then, it's something that you just need to prepare for well.

Calum Coburn gives an in-depth look at different negotiation rules and tactics for IT professionals when it comes to job offers and annual reviews. Why IT professionals? Because they mostly don't have that skillset or experience as say, sales or marketing people do. Nevertheless, I think these rules apply to everyone. So if you're about to go into a job offer salary negotiation or annual review, have a read of his 32 points. He also gives 4 exercises to complete to prepare for the big event.

Some things I'd like to comment on :

Point 4. His advice: Get all offers in writing. I say: Well, not necessarily. If this is about a job offer through a recruiter or headhunter, most often the negotiations are before the offer is written out. Most employers like to give a formal job offer in writing when the deal is done - that is, the job is accepted at a specific salary. Most involved parties in a job offer (the client, the recruiter, the candidate) want it to happen, so the going back and forth is done verbally before the final job offer is written. If the recruiter has done his or her job right, there should be a pretty close meeting of the minds when it gets close to that salary negotiation stage anyway. Of course, you always have the right to negotiate after the offer has been written, but you most likely would have played all your cards to get to that point. But with this in mind, it's Point number 14 is important - read the contract well.

Points 6 & 7 His advice: Set your sights high & Ask for more. It's true. You never know unless you ask. Have confidence but also be realistic and realize the circumstances of your situation. It's important to you know yourself well - to what levels you can perform and deliver.

Definitely a good checklist to keep and to refer back to when the time comes.

Intermediate - Senior Java Developers and Consultants - Auckland and Wellington

I'm currently working on searches for Intermediate to Senior Java Developers and Consultants in Auckland and Wellington. A couple of these positions are with really neat up and coming New Zealand software companies. They are doing big things and are looking for people who would like to be a part of that. If you are open-minded about new opportunities and would like to discuss what your looking for then please feel free to get in touch: Steven - +64 9 306 8950 or email me at steven@(NOSPAM)searchniche.com. Remove the (NOSPAM)

By the way we will consider overseas applicants but please realize that you must have a real interest in moving to New Zealand. Having already begun that process through your own activity would be good proof of that.