“My first impressions of New Zealand were a beautiful, lush, hilly country, where each person living here is so fiercely proud of their land and willing to tell you about it!”
From start to finish, it took Sharon Commandant less than 6 months to find a job, arrange for all her New Zealand nursing accreditation and visa approvals and arrive in Wellington.
“The easiest part of the process was securing a job,” says Sharon. “Thanks to Accent Health Recruitment they walked me through my options, explained what New Zealand employers are looking for and of course they did all the hunting for me!”
“It meant I landed a job over the phone.”
The most challenging part of the process was the paperwork in registering as a nurse here. “It wasn’t made clear that I needed a stamp from a JP, and this delayed my registration by 2 weeks or so.”
Originally from Ottawa in Canada, Sharon and her husband had travelled through New Zealand in 2009 on a Working Holiday visa, falling in love with the country. The pull of New Zealand, Sharon says, started with hearing how beautiful the country was. Seeing Lord of the Rings had them searching online for more information. Sharon’s husband is an actor who has now secured a role in The Hobbitt.
“We registered with NewZealandNow, a government website sponsored by Immigration New Zealand, and that’s how we found out about Working Holiday Visas. Those we applied for online and received within just a few weeks. They’re a great option.”
“After living for 6 months in New Zealand, travelling a bit, we explored our options in Australia. But we truly wanted to live in New Zealand, so I contacted Accent Health Recruitment to see if they could help.”
Today, Sharon is working at Wellington Hospital and finds the laidback lifestyle a real pleasure. “Each of my co-workers loves to laugh and joke with each other.
“I have always wanted to work somewhere where you can really feel your colleagues are there for you, and I have found that here in Wellington. It’s nice to see a whole ward going to dinner together, lots of baby showers, and so on.”
When asked to give advice to potential migrants, Sharon suggests researching the regional opportunities. “You should really look into where in the country you’d like to stay as there are very different ways of life around each city or region.
“I am really happy in Wellington. It’s a big city that feels small and funky.”
