Aerial view of Rotorua CBD. Photograph by Ben Fraser
Jobs are gradually on the up in Rotorua, but job seekers are still unsure of where opportunities lie - with some unwilling to take low-paid positions.
Rotorua recruitment agents and training providers say there are more opportunities around, but often people need to think creatively about what type of role they are prepared to take.
Seek jobs website recorded a 9 per cent increase in Bay of Plenty job listings last month to 603, up from 554 in February 2013.
However some readers on the Rotorua Daily Post Facebook page said Rotorua employers were "picky" and some discriminated against job seekers with children. They were frustrated at not getting responses to job applications and the lack of unskilled general positions available.
Workbridge area manager Kerry de Vries said there was work out there but people had to think differently about what opportunities existed and what type of roles they were prepared to do.
Workbridge is a non-Government organisation that helps place those with a disability, injury or illness into work.
"We do know there is work out there and people may have to start out a little lower than what they would like in order to get back on the work ladder," Mr de Vries said.
He said there was a noticeable rise in part-time positions but he was seeing demand right across the board.
"There are a number of entry level roles and there's vacancies for forestry roles. Positions such as diesel technicians and engineers have been around for quite a while so it's been difficult finding the right job seeker for those roles."
Local employers told the Rotorua Daily Post that while the majority of job seekers had a good attitude, some applicants did not appear serious about looking for work, or were not willing to start at the bottom.
Shanton Fenton St manager Annette Tupou said there was "not much to choose from" in the way of applicants.
"A lot of them haven't got a clue."
Some had poor presentation, wearing unsuitable clothing to interviews, while others were receiving welfare and were not serious about job seeking.
Robert Harris owner Dana Symons said she had come across workers who were not prepared to put in the hard yards and work their way up from the bottom.
One job seeker had turned up on a skateboard which he propped by the front door and called out "got a job?".
"I can teach skills, I can't teach attitude," she said.
McDonald's franchisee Rob Parry agreed, saying he was prepared to hire people with no experience as long as they were clearly enthusiastic about wanting a job.
On the flipside, Waiariki Institute of Technology manager of careers and employability centre Nadene McClay said qualified graduates were struggling to find jobs in their chosen professions and more links were needed between industries and training institutes.
Many graduates across the country were "left hanging" after they finished study, with some taking low paid jobs or becoming unemployed because they could not find skilled jobs.
"It can be scary for young people who can't see opportunities."
She encouraged unemployed skilled job seekers to "be engaged in any way" by taking cafe, service station or hospitality jobs, because doing so increased their overall employability.
- Additional reporting Dana Kinita
10 HOT TIPS FROM ROTORUA EMPLOYERS
- Smile, smile, smile
- Make your CV stand out from the crowd
- Sell your skills
- Be prepared to do tasks the role requires
- Be on time for an interview
- Be flexible with your availability
- Dress appropriately
- Be bubbly and polite
- Show enthusiasm
- Research the company before an interview