KEY POINTS:
Job hunters tired of dodging in and out of work to fit in interviews will have the world at their feet this weekend as more than 100 employers come together under one roof hoping to sign up new talent.
The first NZ Job Expo will give visitors a chance to meet company representatives from across the employment spectrum and have an informal chat to discuss career options. In addition, a range of seminar speakers will be offering advice on things such as how to be a sales star, become an employee of choice and how attitude can overcome aptitude.
The expo is being held at North Shore Events Centre on Saturday and Sunday. Organiser Helen Vincent sees the expo as a real time save when compared with posting off a CV and waiting to see if it interests the recruiter.
"If your potential future employer likes how your CV reads, you'll be invited to an interview. Repeat the process a few times and there's a good chance you'll land a job," says Vincent.
"Most initial interviews will take about half an hour - and unless you're applying for the CEO spot, there's a good chance you'll be cooling your heels in reception for another 30 minutes. There's also travelling time and incidentals like finding the place - better put aside two or three hours per interview. If you're looking for something out of town, there's a whole day gone."
Across the country, that scenario is played out up to 165,000 times a year, government statistics show. That's the number of people in work and who are looking for another job.
Vincent hopes her expo will knock some of that potential time wasting on the head and bring job hunters and employers together in a less formal environment.
In these heady days of skills shortages and high employment - companies are doing all they can to meet job hunters. Which is why, says Vincent, employers have flocked to take part in the event. She has been planning the expo for about a year and already has a second planned at the same venue for July next year.
"The end of the year is a good time for this expo and so is mid-year as we come out of winter and people think about leaving New Zealand to work in places such as Australia," says Vincent. "One of the biggest surprises to me in putting the expo together is that so many people want to get back to being face-to-face. The internet is not the magic wand that we like to think that it is.
"Companies and job hunters normally have to go through quite a long process to get to that face-to-face point - but at the expo you can get straight to it."
Vincent says that over this weekend companies looking for staff will be waiting for their future employees to walk in off the street.
"The venue will be wall-to-wall, with more than 100 companies offering hundreds of jobs. We expect people to turn up with their CVs so they can put it into the hands of those working in human resources within a matter of minutes."
She says some companies will even have employment contracts ready for people to sign.
"The suits won't be in suits and they don't expect job hunters to be either. They won't mind if you're pushing a stroller with the family in tow. They'd probably prefer it."
She says that from the recruiter's point of view, meeting people in a less formal way helps them get the right cultural fit for their organisations.
Exhibitors seeking staff include some of New Zealand's biggest companies, government departments, recruitment agencies, district councils, international corporates and retailers.
Alphabetically, the jobs available range from accountants to welders, with pretty much every other job in between. You will be able to take your pick from administrators, apprentices (all trades), auto electricians, hospitality and tourism, education, construction, science and technology.
"With New Zealand enjoying the world's fifth highest rate of employment, it's an employees' market," says Vincent.
And there will be plenty of opportunities for people who want to leave Auckland and work elsewhere in the country. Each year, New Zealand's internal migration sees more than 75,000 people leave Auckland for other parts of the country, says Vincent.
She says the event has to be seen as a great opportunity for other regions to gain the skills of Aucklanders looking for a change of scenery or a total change of lifestyle.
"Anyone with skills who is thinking of joining this exodus can be sure they'll find plenty of organisations to talk to at the expo," says Vincent. "The best time to change jobs is over the New Year. With that in mind the dates for this expo were selected to give the best possible chance of employees and employers getting a New Year start."
One firm ready to offer people jobs in other parts of the country is Goodman Fielder. Its HR adviser, Michael Peters, says the company has jobs ranging from plant operators, bakers, supervisors and team leaders right through to senior management positions in Wellington, Christchurch, Palmerston North, Dunedin, Rotorua, Napier, Nelson, Oamaru, Huntly, Nelson and Australia.
"We will provide financial assistance to those who are considering relocating to a new job," says Peters. "We are hoping to connect with those people who are either looking for a new and exciting job opportunity or those who are happy where they are [geographically] but will consider a change in order to challenge themselves or to locate to a new part of New Zealand or Australia.
Another exhibitor is Russell Phillips, managing director of recruitment specialist Automotive Employment NZ. He says people who turn up looking for a new job are likely to be serious candidates.
"It's these go-getters that we want to speak to," he says.
James Whitaker, recruitment marketing manager of NZ Police, is expecting the expo to attract people who have work experience under their belt and are exploring other options.
"There are a huge range of roles available within NZ Police," he says.
"Forensics, e-crime, youth education, international operations and many others.
"We'd also like to educate people about the range of benefits they could access if they worked with us, including a two-for-one savings scheme, tertiary study assistance and opportunities to advance within the organisation."
Entry to the expo for job hunters is $15.
*www.nzjobexpo.co.nz
*www.stevehart.co.nz
