Breakthrough for migrant programmer

There is a happy ending to the tale of a computer programmer denied work in New Zealand by "lack of New Zealand experience".

He described his experiences in trying to get jobs in the Herald series The Migrant Experience. Preetham Derangula did not want to identify himself then because he was worried that would make the job hunt harder.

When he spoke to the Herald, Mr Derangula, an Indian who has lived and worked in Singapore, had a job interview booked in Wellington the next day. He was feeling confident of a fair hearing because the interviewer was a fellow migrant.

His confidence proved well-founded and Mr Derangula has been working for three weeks as a programmer with Datacom and is enjoying the job: "I have begun to like New Zealand."

Mr Derangula said the problem he had faced was less racism than employer inability to look past cultural differences.

Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Dr Judy McGregor agreed. Employers needed to "think of ways through prejudices and stereotypes".

Migrants whose potted CVs and photographs ran with the features were also feeling hopeful, the Auckland Chamber of Commerce reported.

Chamber special projects manager Leah Gates said six employers had asked for full resumes of six of the candidates of the chamber's New Kiwis CV-listing service.