Resn - Newcomers give Wellington digital interactive edge
Wellington-based Resn, creative digital partner of leading brands and advertising agencies worldwide, needed to recruit flash developers and designers who are on the long term skills shortages list.
Resn has been proactively recruiting from overseas, successfully bringing in three migrants thus far.
Iain Shaw - Market Research Analyst from Scotland
Iain Shaw hails from Scotland and is employed by 4RF as a Market Research Analyst. He decided to settle in New Zealand because of the high quality of life, the outdoor activities available, and being from Scotland he finds the weather here a huge improvement!
Vincenzo Paparelle - Chef from Italy
It’s a case of second time lucky for Italian, Vincenzo Paparelle who works as chef at Soprano Ristorante restaurant on the Kapiti coast.
Annie Rastello - Project Manager from France
Annie Rastello is a Project Manager at 4RF. Originally from France, Annie moved to New Zealand from six years in the US because she was attracted by the fact that there are fewer people here than in many other English speaking countries.
Paul D’souza - Chef from India
Monsoon Poon is a restaurant located right in the heart of Wellington’s Courtenay Place cuisine precinct. One fifth of its workforce is migrants.
Mark Hussey - Emergency Doctor from The United Kingdom
Wellington's lifestyle and its people are unbeatable, according to UK-born emergency doctor Mark Hussey.
Cecile Diamante - IT Analyst from the Philippines
Wellington’s walkability and friendliness wowed Filipino IT analyst Cecile Diamante from her first moments in the city.
Professor Jeroen Douwes – Co-Director from the Netherlands
“This may come as a surprise to many Wellingtonians,” he says,“but I prefer the climate here with its mild winters.”
Petr Tobias – Anaesthetist from the Czech Republic
Its a long journey from the Czech Republic to Masterton, and for Petr Tobias, it was one that was a long time coming.
Carlos Zevallos –Beekeeper from Peru
It was the loud buzz of thousands of honey bees, music to a commercial apiarist ears which enticed Carlos Zevallos from his native Peru to the temperate shores of New Zealand.
Luca Fascione – Software engineer from Italy
It is not often that the Wellington wind gets good press so when Luca Fascione mentioned he loves the wind a further explanation was needed.
Ray and Diane Cherrell – diesel truck mechanic from UK
Ray and Diane Cherrell immigrated to New Zealand from Lincolnshire, England, in 2006. ‘We’d visited Auckland on holiday in 2002 –it rained every day but it didn’t put us off..”
Angela Ballantyne & Ryan Orange – academic & policy strategist, Kiwis returned.
After 10 years away, expatriates Ryan Orange and Angela Ballantyne were nervous that Wellington would not live up to their expectations on their return.
Cynthia Patterson – CIO from United States
“We wanted to live in a more progressive-minded society. Australia was too much like a mini-US, Canada was too cold, but luckily New Zealand was perfect.”
Desi Ramoo – Scientist from United Kingdom
“I’ve been lucky but when you are moving your family from one side of the world to the other it is important to make sure you know what you are getting yourself into, make sure everything is in writing.... "
Thomas Kuhne – University lecturer from Germany
“Wellington is a fantastic city with very friendly, relaxed people. We love the natural scenery and the fact it isn’t crowded at all.”
Gilbert Sanseau – Software engineer from France
It takes a certain kind of person to find the south of France boring but luckily for Wellington that is exactly what Gilbert Sanseau and his partner found.
Earthquakes bring Nepal and New Zealand closer
Jitendra Bothara – Seismic engineer from Nepal
Back in 1993 Jitendra Bothara was in Nepal working on an earthquake engineering project when he met two men who would change his life. Beca directors Dr Richard Sharpe and Rob Jury.
“I was very lucky, Dr Sharpe became my mentor which led me to go into Post Graduate Study at Canterbury University on NZAid scholarship. I arrived in 2001 on a New Zealand Government Scholarship.”
Fast forward 8 years and Jitendra is a Senior Seismic Engineer at Beca in Wellington.
“After I had finished my Masters we returned to Nepal, but my wife, who suffers from asthma, became ill. The New Zealand air seems to help her breathe more easily, so we decided to come back.”
Jitendra was able to call upon the friendships he had made and his 17 years working on the development of appropriate technology, capacity building, policy and social intervention for achieving earthquake-resilient construction in developing countries, to obtain a permanent job at Beca.
“They have been very supportive, they arrived at the airport to pick us up, helped us find a home in Newlands, acted as referees for my wife when she was applying for jobs.”
The fact that Jitendra speaks five languages also added points to their immigration application.
“Wellington is a great place to live, my children love living here, it is a metropolitan city and we have made very good friends here.”
This is our home now but of course we will always be Nepalese. A few years ago some Nepalese friends and I started the Nepalese Society. We want to ensure that our children can speak the language and we can offer support and advice for other Nepalese people when they first arrive here.
So what advice does Jitendra have for those people thinking of moving to Wellington?
‘You need to be broad in your views and establish a network of friends that includes both your countrymen and kiwis.’
Kation Cai – Banking consultant from China
Seven years ago Kation Cai set out on an epic journey. His goal, to learn English. Spurred on by the competitive cost of living and study, the friendliness of New Zealanders and the breathtaking environment, Kation made the 11,000km journey from Guangdong to Wellington.
Heli Matileinen – Research scientist from Finland
Heli and her husband, Mika spent two years in California while Heli was doing post doctoral research in breast cancer targeting but despite the sunny climes, America wasn’t where they wanted to settle and they applied for residency in New Zealand.