Where to find IT jobs in Auckland
Welcome to our resource guide on finding work in Auckland. As a trusted recruiter in the tech sector, our team understands what it takes to find great roles for IT professionals. Whether you’ve moved to Auckland recently or are changing careers and need help on where to start, our team has you covered. Read more below for useful tips on securing that next great role in the city of sails.
SEEK
SEEK is a very popular job site, with roles across virtually all main industries. Employers and recruiters alike use SEEK to list jobs, and it’s a favourite of job hunters, too. The website allows you to refine down your search by location and job classification and usually has a good variety of opportunities. Just note that you won’t always be able to find all information related to the job until you apply which will require you to supply some details.
TradeMe
TradeMe’s jobs section has grown over the years to become a top website for vacant roles. There’s a good chance you’ve already got a TradeMe account (it’s not a major to sign up though), which allows you to add jobs to a watchlist, as you would with any other TradeMe listing – a great feature if you’re building up options to review and apply for later. TradeMe has quite user-friendly filters and a good search function. It’s also a great option for mobile with an app.
Indeed
If you’ve been searching online for IT jobs, you may have come across Indeed. A job site that’s touted as the ‘biggest job site in the world’, it’s a global site but with a good searching function and layout that makes it good for Auckland tech professionals looking for opportunities. Like SEEK, it has the ability to set up alerts for keywords/search terms in a given location, so that if a new role comes out ‘software developer’ in ‘auckland’, you’ll get an email into your inbox and can apply as soon as possible if it’s a good fit.
Auckland-based recruiters
Younity has an office in Auckland’s CBD where we help IT professionals find great jobs and employers find great people. Our team is made up of recruitment consultants who understand NZ’s tech sector deeply. Beyond that, we understand the nuances of the Auckland market, and can help IT professionals navigate the challenges and opportunities that Auckland brings.
For example, helping connect skilled migrants with companies that are well set up for helping with visas. We’re also closely connected with Auckland’s tech employers and know what they’re looking for at any given time. This can help you as an IT professional get the inside scoop on roles to go for, how to craft your CV and even what skills to add to become more desirable.
We’re one of many recruiters in Auckland. And while we’d love to chat with you and give you the benefit of our team’s expertise, you do have many options you can explore throughout Auckland.
The benefit of going through a good recruiter is that you’ve not only got access to great job opportunities but the support throughout your entire job-hunting journey. You don’t even need to apply for a specific job in Auckland to engage with a recruitment company. In fact, it’s often better to register with us, talk to our team about what you’re looking for and then we can help find opportunities that fit the bill. This is something you simply don’t get when ‘going it alone’.
Beyond that, a recruiter like Younity will also prepare you for job interviews and feedback after to help you hone your skills and presentation.
LinkedIn network
LinkedIn has become increasingly popular in New Zealand in the last decade. What started as a professional networking tool has certainly evolved into something more; social media for the workforce and brands. Jumping on LinkedIn today can mean a mixture of company news, personal opinions and professionals looking to market themselves.
How you use LinkedIn is a matter of personal preference. But we think that as an IT professional looking for work in Auckland, you’ll want to prioritise these things:
- Make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to date, with accurate work history dates, skills and experience gained in each role and a nice, professional but approachable image as your profile photo. You might also want to think creatively about the cover image (the landscape image at the top of your profile). Could there be an opportunity to accentuate your locality in Auckland?
- Connect with Auckland based IT professionals to expand your network. Don’t get too hung up on only connecting with managers or decision makers. Having a broad variety of professionals also helps keep your feed on LinkedIn’s main page interesting with ideas and tips from those in tech.
- Once you’re happy with your network, consider contributing to the general discourse on LinkedIn, including sharing interesting articles, tips and ideas you might have.
You might also want to consider adding the ‘open to work’ flair on your profile, although this isn’t absolutely necessary – your skills and experience entered into LinkedIn will help employers find you too.
Reaching out to organisations directly
Are there businesses within Auckland that you’re particularly interested in? Maybe you’ve got a skillset that would line up with their needs perfectly – or perhaps you’re simply a big believer in their product or service? Whatever your reason, don’t be afraid to reach out to organisations that you like. It’s not always going to be obvious if a business needs your skills right now. As recruiters we know the decisions around hiring start well before anyone sees a job ad.
You might want to combine your LinkedIn efforts with direct contact – such as connecting with people in this business and confirming the best contact to discuss work with. If you can meet with people in these businesses to find out more about what they do and relay your capabilities, you’ll have put yourself in their orbit – even if a job opportunity isn’t immediately available.
Going contracting
Contacting is a popular option for experienced IT professionals in Auckland. It’s a city with continually evolving needs and frequent new projects that need specific skill sets to complete. Across private and public sectors, IT contractors often have little to no gaps between different gigs. The benefits of contracting for a tech professional who’s been in the game for a long time includes:
- Flexibility over hours (in many projects).
- Making use of their unique skill set.
- Fewer distractions (there to do the job and go).
- Builds more diverse work experience and track record.
- New experiences that can be applied to the next project.
- Good hourly rates.
- Not committed for the long haul to any one job – simply to the end of the project.
- Build a bigger network of IT professionals.
Contracting does require a bit more personal admin (talk to your accountant about this), and you don’t have the same level of protection that a permanent employee has. But seasoned contractors aren’t particularly concerned about these factors and enjoy the earning potential and flexibility.
Meet regularly with people in your industry
Maintaining a healthy professional network isn’t managed entirely online! Don’t underestimate the power of a coffee catch up. Or tea! Whatever your beverage of choice is, a meeting with no set agenda but simply to share experiences is really beneficial. Without having to really try, chats about professional life can help more people know what work you do.
Think outside the box about where to work and in what industry
Tech touches every industry now. You don’t have to be working in Auckland’s CBD to work in the IT space. Throughout the region, we have tourism, transport, agriculture, food, retail – every conceivable industry has tech needs. You might wish to apply your craft in a sector that you’re passionate about. Auckland’s size means that there are still sophisticated IT functions in non-corporate businesses.
As an IT professional, we’d always encourage you to embrace different industries and experiences. Not just for the varied work history, but for the challenges and learnings you make along the way.
Have plenty of meetings and interviews
A mistake that some make is putting all their eggs in one basket. Even if you’ve found what you’d consider the ‘perfect role’ you can slow your job-hunting progress right down by not having multiple roles that you’re enquiring about. That way, if something does fall through, you’re not starting from scratch.
Meetings and interviews also sharpen your communication skills and ability to articulate what you do better. As they say, practice makes perfect!
Finding your niche within Auckland’s tech skills shortages
Across New Zealand there are job types in the tech space that are in especially high demand (with the industry being short on resources most of the time). As you look for work in Auckland, do some research online about jobs in demand – you may find that your work experience and/or skillset meets some of these needs, which can help inform your job hunting. Those skills in short supply often mean better pay, so if that’s important this can be a sound strategy.
While the shortages in Auckland’s tech scene can change, there are some roles that are almost always in demand. These include:
- Business Analyst (BA)
- Business Intelligence (BI)
- Testing
- Full stack Developers
- Project Managers
Chat to us about your IT career in Auckland
So, ready to get started? Why not give yourself the advantage of a skilled recruitment team, working alongside you to find the next step in your career? We know Auckland’s tech sector as well as anyone and would love to hear from you.
