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Home / Business / Economy / Employment

Talented, hardworking and blonde and now swamped with London job offers

NZ Herald
24 Aug, 2015 05:00 PM4 mins to read

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Alex Hazlehurst took five months to land a decent job.

Alex Hazlehurst took five months to land a decent job.

A young New Zealander who shared her tale of breaking into the London job market has been overwhelmed by the response - and with offers of work.

Alex Hazlehurst, 25, wrote how it took five months and several stints out of her field of broadcasting to land a good position, a fate shared by dozens of others who got in touch with her yesterday.

READ MORE:
I'm talented. I'm hard-working. I'm blonde. So why can't I find a job in London?

"I have had so many people reach out to me who have either lived in London recently, are living here now, or are coming over in the coming months, wanting to share their stories or ask for advice," Ms Hazlehurst said. "The reaction has been overwhelming."

She said there had been job offers, families offering a place to stay in the southwest of England if she needed a break, and Kiwis living in London who just wanted to meet for a coffee to chat.

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"And not just from Kiwis. Aussies and Canadians have also reached out with similar experiences, and thanked me for voicing the struggles. I even had one British man send me an email apologising for the way his country has treated me, and hopes his children wouldn't be treated like that if they went to New Zealand.

"Kiwis come over here with rose-tinted glasses, which is what I did, and I just wanted to say - 'hey this is the reality'."

Tales of struggle and success flooded into the Herald yesterday.

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One expat told how they, too, arrived in London full of hope, but spent a month job-hunting before they got some great advice from a recruitment agent: "Get some London work experience. Doesn't matter what it is, just get it.

"I took his advice, got a hellish job only vaguely related to my field, stayed two years, then landed the absolute dream job."

Craig Harlick left for the UK with his wife and young son four years ago, hoping to get a job in rock climbing and abseiling, but was asked to undergo more training.

"It is four years and four months since I landed. I have a load of UK awards which I feel aren't worth the paper they are printed on and have to work two jobs through the day and three nights a week just to make up a 35-hour week."

Discover more

New Zealand

Meet the AB's loyal super fans

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'I'm talented, hard-working and blonde. Why can't I find a job in London?'

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It doesn't matter how hellish the job is, just get it

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Statistics New Zealand figures show 9475 people left for Britain for the long term in the past year. Photo / Getty Images
Statistics New Zealand figures show 9475 people left for Britain for the long term in the past year. Photo / Getty Images

Chris Boswell said he went to more than 20 job interviews and all rejected him based on his two-year working visa.

Despite having 19 years' experience in sales and management in New Zealand, he was told it was not relevant.

"It is truly not what, but who you know in London."

However others said they enjoyed an easy transition into the workforce, with several saying they picked up their dream job almost immediately.

"Every job interview I went for ended with the interviewer excited that I was a Kiwi as we are known to be some of the hardest workers," said Natalie Cole.

Statistics New Zealand figures show 9475 people left for Britain permanently or for the long-term in the past year.

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What readers say

Get some London work experience. Doesn't matter what it is, just get it.
Unnamed reader

Probably more so than anywhere else I have lived, it is truly not what, but who you know in London.
Chris Boswell

Every job interview I went for ended with the interviewer excited that I was a Kiwi as we are known to be some of the hardest workers.
Natalie Cole

It all comes down to attitude - I started looking and had interviews before I left New Zealand. I hope the article doesn't scare anyone off.
Jono Joseph

For readers' advice on getting a job in London go here.

Join the conversation on the Herald Life Facebook page

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