Hey guys, my name is Freddy, i am 19 years old and from Germany. I am in New Zealand now for half a year and started in Auckland to travel down south. But i came here to see something new in life, so just travelling one year would be quite boring. Because of that, and of course because the financial circumstances, i worked as well.
I started in Napier with fruitpicking - the typical backpackers job :p
I got it from the owner of the backpackers i stayed at (Wallys Backpackers, 7 Cathedral Lane, Napier 4110, (06) 833 7930 ) who had contacts to Crasborne, an agency which employes worker for their contacts (basicly fruit picking stuff). If you are around there searching for a job - go there!!! EVERYBODY in that hostel was working, and having a car, we arrived wednesday evening and got a job thursday morning!!! awesome ! ;)

After that I went to Christchurch to work for Savvy Direct - a Company which makes advertisement for IHC, Red Cross and some other Charitys. I worked there as a salesman doing door to door sales or lets say tring to make people sign a monthly donation to the IHC (Interlectually Handicapped Children). I saw the position advertised in TradeMe and I have just applied for it, passed the interview and the working test (pretty easy ^^) and started. I have worked there for about a month which was an awesomly interesting experience, but after that i stopped because the payment was on contract and I was not bad in it, but i havent really had the motivation to increase my sale skills to much cause of having a problem with the moral behind it and so on. I mean it was for a good course - my motivation to give it a try - but i didnt feel comfortable to jump all the time to the salesman again when you started to have a good conversation after an eyesbreaker at the beginning. Just a personal thing, but im quite happy with my decission. But any way - awesome experience!!! And very good for your english. As soon as you are able to say a pitch of 1-3 minuts completly by hard you can really concentrate on HOW you say things. Good for the accent and quite funny, as far as testing people is concerned. In that case the job is extremly interesting and funny by the way. After a little while you start to do things, you would never do in your everyday-life, where you are a person, seen as such from everybody else. But beeing just the guy on the door from the IHC , even if that is exactly what you should not be to be succesful by the way ;), gives you the chance to try a lot of things you wouldnt like to try with people, you might meet again .

After that i worked in a Callcenter for the HIA Group, also in Christchurch. A friend of me told me about it, i just gave the boss a ring, had an interview and started to work the next week doing surveys on the phone. Good practise for my english. I also liked the job somehow, but the earthquake made it impossible to work there any more, cause the building i worked in was located in the centre. During that (because it was just from monday to thursday, 6h/day) i worked for accomodation in my hostel (Frienz Backpackers, 169 worcester Street 8011 CHCH) and on the weekend for Micky Finns, 85A Hereford Street CHCH, a quite big bar with heaps of bands playing in there - so quite buisy, always looking for somebody ;)
I also started to work specially on Friday and Saturday for a Relocation Company (The Office Relocation, Torc http://torc.co.nz/ ), but yes - as i wrote before, the earthquake set an end to all that :( BUT they are allways looking for poeple and that might be all over the country. They are located in Wellington, but have a lot of stuff to do in christchurch, and if poeple need them anywhere else they go there aswell! Just give them a ring whereever you search something - funny group, good work and fast payment ;)

At the moment i work in Ashburton, helping with the potatoeharvest. I was visiting friends over here and just had a look in the newspaper on saturday, saw stuff searched, gave them a ring, drove over there and started the next day! The Agencys name is Tom Gundry -

37 Robinson Street
Ashburton 7700
(03) 308 3003
Ill stay there for about 2 weeks, cause im a little bit fed up with farmwork. But its very good money, cause you have the possibility to work up to 12h/day, 7 days a week.

At the moment im looking for jobs in auckland.

What i am doing in generel when i want to get a job somewhere;

-have a look on trademe, seasonal jobs & backpackerboard.co.nz

-newspaper on saturday

-asking and talk to people around me (very very effectiv!!!). If i come noew to a city, i try to start somehwere where i have the chance to talk to a lot of people. Couchsurfing/big backpackers - Things like that give you the chance to meet people who could helo you ;)

You also shouldnt be afraid to just talk to people in the street. I mean im not taling about going to random people and ask them for a job, but lets say you are openig a new bank account and during the process theres a bit of time to chat with the guy/girl caring for you. Often they ask you about you, your plans etc and if that happens just tell them you are searching a job. Poeple here are awesomly willing to help you ! ;)

I was once standing in front of a cashmashine, waiting for my turn (3 people before me) and just explaining my friend behind me my plans, which were basicly to get a job quite soon. The womain before us, who obviously heard our conversation, just rurned around and told us to go to ..., cause she have just come from there and saw a sign stuff wanted. 

One other thing i do is google more specified things. Once i did for example a little, one hour software test in christchurch. Very interesting for me, cause i like this kind of stuff and 25 bucks cash, which is not too bad for on hour of work. Since that, i allways google software testing which gives me the chance to see options, which wouldt be shown at the pages im usuallyu searching for. I would give you that advice in generel if you want to to something different than the typicaly backpacker jobs. If you hear from people that they are doing something interesting or you just see your self doing something which you cant find there - google it and try to find somehthing around you. Write a nice email with a gooc CV, try to make sure that you are motivated and people will maybe give you a chance to proove yourself ;)

I wish you all good luck and hope i could help you with that 

Cheers

Freddy