Andrew Hughes and Olivia Wix are touring the country taking the pulse of the job market. Today they report from their penultimate destination Tauranga.
The major industries in Tauranga are the port, orchards and engineering firms, but with the town being one of the fastest growing areas in New Zealand, real estate is a burgeoning sector.
The city is also widely known as the retirement capital of the country, with the over-65 population soon to hit four times the national average. We, however, set out to find young successful people making their mark on the city.
We went down to the Port of Tauranga early in the afternoon where we met Joelene Ranby, a 24-year-old financial accountant.
After doing a diploma in business and then a degree at the University of Waikato, she got the job - which she didn't think she'd get. She says in most careers for young people it's a matter of confidence and it's important to apply even if you think the position is beyond you.
She also manages five staff, and with the port being an NZX50 listed company, she admits time management is key. She also says it is difficult to find a job at the Port.
"The problem with the Port is that no one ever leaves. The only way you can slip in is if somebody retires, which means it's hard to work your way up."
David Gerry also works at the port as an engineer. He recently finished his apprenticeship and was offered a position with the company. He says the port offers a good variety of work, rather than just working on the same machine every day.
He agrees with Joelene in that opportunities at the port are few and far between and that they offer only one apprenticeship every three to four years.
Neither Joelene or David are originally from Tauranga. Both moved to the city for their jobs and say it is a difficult place to be a young person. They say while it's lively during summer, throughout the rest of the year it is pretty quiet.
Joelene says one of the best things is a group called Young Professionals where people in Tauranga meet for drinks every month. It is a good place to meet other like-minded people, especially if you're new to the city.
While we were in Mount Maunganui we also went to the beach to meet some surfing instructors. Nico and Pierre are both from overseas but came here to New Zealand to travel and slipped into the job just for summer.
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They say unlike most people, they have the ability to turn their hobby into a career. They have both travelled throughout the world as surfing instructors and say it's an easy career to break into.
They say that New Zealand is quite an easy country to get started in as there aren't as many certificates and qualifications needed to do the job. Nico says if you can surf, then you can probably get away with being an instructor for beginners.
And one of the advantages to their job is they can work in any weather conditions, as long as it's not a heavy storm.
Meanwhile, the real estate sector in Tauranga presents many opportunities for agents. We met Rodney Fung, a successful young agent in Tauranga.
He got into the industry when he realised he could make a lot of money through owning houses, so becoming a real estate agent was a natural progression for him.
He says there are a lot of opportunities for young agents as there are a number of companies looking to employ eager and enthusiastic young people. But he says if they want to be successful then they need to listen and watch other agents who are more experienced first because it's not age-specific, but instead attitude-specific.
He says while he was initially nervous dealing with clients older than him, he soon gained a level of competency. When people can see you understand what you're talking about, they will respect you and follow your advice, he says. But he also says selling real estate is a commission-based job, so there's no real guarantee that you're going to get paid.
"That's why a lot of people don't get into the industry, because you are a direct result of the effort you put in."
