Our emigration: how does a Ukrainian woman live in New Zealand - ForumDaily
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Our emigration: how Ukrainian lives in New Zealand

Photo: Facebook / Marianna Natarova

Trade Marketing Specialist Marianna Natarova left a prestigious job in an international company in Kiev for the sake of a distant country, which she had a vague idea about, and being in New Zealand, she decided to stay there forever. Now with her family she has been living in Auckland for over 7 for years.

Her story was told by an online magazine. The Point.

About office hopelessness as a reason for departure

Before I left for New Zealand in 2009, I worked for 8 years in a large international FMCG company in Kyiv. I was a trade marketing specialist, and overall I liked what I did. But I didn’t have an understanding of where to grow next, either career-wise or personally. There were opportunities to grow in the company or move to another similar company, but this prospect was not encouraging - I would still continue to do the same thing, without any career breakthroughs or big changes. There was a feeling as if life had entered some kind of rut from which it was impossible to get out, and there was no way to escape from this routine.

“Groundhog Day” is not how I would like to live, and I began to look for ways to break it. The monotonous scheme "work-home-sleep at the weekend-go with friends in a cafe" began to scare me. Going through different options, I stopped at perhaps the most radical - moving to study in another country with the opportunity to find work there after graduation. Although I was not sure that everything would work out, I knew that the opportunities for immigrants were limited, including in employment. I drove at my own risk.

About choosing a country to study

I planned to go initially to an English-speaking country, because I know English well. The choice fell on New Zealand. I came up with a number of factors, including nature and climate, which is important for me. For example, Australia for me is a too hot country, albeit a more developed and promising one.

Before New Zealand, I knew about New Zealand mainly from the Lord of the Rings films. My ideas about her were very bright, especially with regard to nature. And by the way, they almost all came true. But during the first year I still really wanted to go home, simply because I didn’t have enough loved ones, especially my mother, without whom I couldn’t imagine my life well.

The tourist industry is very developed here. I always liked this direction very much, so for college The International Travel College of New Zealand I chose the specialty "tourism management".

I was not sure that I would want to stay in New Zealand forever - I still did not move at a young age, when you can easily adapt to a completely new country. Therefore, I did not set myself the goal of remaining at any cost — it was a huge stress that I was not ready to face. Moreover, as it turned out, it is not so easy to stay here. So I decided: I would take it off, try to find a job, find out about all the possibilities to extend my stay in the country, and then I will act according to circumstances.

Photo: Facebook / Marianna Natarova

About the features of employment and first job

My first job in New Zealand was at the bakery. I started at 6: 00, finished at 11: 00, and went to college to 12: 00. So I worked and studied for about a year. Since my new activity was fundamentally different from my office work in Kiev, at first everything was very unusual for me: physical work, all the time on my feet, heat from the stove, and even summer. We had to lift heavy baskets of bread. But I even liked it, especially to communicate with people. Everything was new, and I did not think that it somehow discredits me. In general, I do not think that work can somehow humiliate - any work is good, "all professions are needed - all professions are important."

In New Zealand it is difficult to find and get a job without a certain status and local experience. So my first job was for me a good experience and helped in further employment in the specialty. The fact is that here they do not recognize the experience from other countries, and a “rich” resume from Ukraine does not guarantee even a call with an invitation for an interview for the most simple work. If you come independently, without connections and try to get a job without local experience, there are very few chances to get at least some work right away, not to mention some decent offer. My Ukrainian diploma (Bachelor of business administration) was not recognized here, so it was not easy to get a job until I had a local diploma and residency.

In New Zealand there are two ways of obtaining residency - labor and family categories. If you are a qualified specialist in the field where there are not enough professionals, you can get a residency if you have an offer from your employer.

According to immigration laws, local companies are primarily obliged to employ their citizens. If they do not find a suitable candidate among their own, then immigrants with temporary visas will already go. Of course, English proficiency also plays a big role in employment. If a person is transferred within his company to another country, and he is a qualified specialist, that is another matter, then employment is much easier.

Photo: Facebook / Marianna Natarova

About employment in the museum

Now I work as a guest service administrator at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Auckland War Memorial Museum - The oldest museum in New Zealand, which has the most valuable collection of objects from the history of the country. It is located in a magnificent building in a huge park in the city center - this is one of the most recognizable objects in New Zealand, built on donations from the inhabitants of Auckland after the First World War as a memorial to those killed in this war.

In Ukraine, museum work seems rather like work for old people who just sit in a gallery all day and keep order. Here, this work is very active, for young people who want to learn more about the culture and history of the country, to communicate and move a lot.

I found a job in the Museum thanks to a friend who sent me an advertisement about recruiting employees. I myself went through all the selections: I sent a resume and a cover letter to the Museum, and in response I received an invitation for the first interview. It turned out to be a group - about 120 people claimed the 7-8 positions. This is very atypical, compared to our country.

During the first stage of selection, applicants took turns in individual interviews with managers of core departments and personnel department. Then there was a group assignment, and then a written one — you had to describe your actions on the presented scenarios typical of museum work. For example, how would you prioritize if you work in the information center and you have a queue of visitors, at the same time the telephone rings and the courier arrives with correspondence? If you have a difficult visitor, what will you do? What if a tourist doesn't speak English?

It took about a month before I was invited to the second interview - I was on the short list of candidates. About a month passed after the second interview, after which I was finally informed that I had successfully passed all the stages of the interviews, and they were inviting me to discuss the work contract.

About work and downshifting without regrets

The museum is a completely different organization, absolutely not similar to those in which I worked before. My duties consist mainly of direct communication with the guests of the museum - a lot and many need to be explained every day what kind of museum it is, what are its features, etc. Also, we constantly hold events and concerts, special exhibitions and days of different cultures in whose organization I participate at the level of administration. In addition, my colleagues and I should be able to answer any question regarding the Museum, especially about the culture of the indigenous people of Maori, and this is a huge store of knowledge that needs to be constantly improved.

To be honest, I can hardly imagine working at the office at the computer all day. Downshifting - of course, if you take dry facts, but there are no such sensations, and I don’t regret about office career. I do not claim that I will work like this until the end of my life, but so far I like it very much.

The staff of the Museum is very multinational: Asians, Polynesians, Europeans, Indians ... The museum is proud of the fact that its staff speak many languages ​​and represent different cultures.

The locals are very open, straight ... and a little bit lazy. Excessive slackness of some sometimes annoying, although I am already more or less used to it. Here, everyone has clearly arranged life priorities, where the family will always be in the first place, and only then work. Almost no one ever lingers at work, unlike in our country, where it is customary to “sit up to the stop” to show how good you are.

Photo: Facebook / Marianna Natarova

About attitude to foreigners

It is very difficult to start foreigners, as they always give preference to local ones, even if they have less experience and are less presentable. But opportunities for local and foreigners become equal when you reach a certain level.

Attitudes towards foreigners here are completely different than in Ukraine. In Ukraine, for some reason - and it has always been a mystery to me - a priori they consider a priori better and more interesting than Ukrainians. Maybe this has changed in recent years, but I have such memories. Here, foreigners are treated favorably, but without a hint of subservience or making them better than the local ones. This is a public policy supported by society.

About chiefs and interpersonal relationships

In New Zealand, there is no reverence for superiors. Friendliness and willingness to help is characteristic of both managers and subordinates.

Respect for personal space is a characteristic of New Zealanders. I would explain this respect to the fact that people relate to each other without prejudice. For example, if during the lunch break you prefer to sit apart from everyone, you know all diners well, and they eat and communicate with a large company - no one will think that you are strange or something is wrong with you. You just do not want to participate in the conversation at the moment. This will be treated with respect and understanding.

It is categorically unacceptable - to look straight into the face of another person. Here it is considered a manifestation of disrespect. This is more true for Maori, who have traditional Moco tattoos on their faces. Working in a museum, I happened to learn a lot from the history of the indigenous people of New Zealand, including their religion, and how it relates to their lives. It is very interesting. The fact is that before the arrival of white people in the country, Maori believed that all people were descended from gods: there are gods of sky, plants, ocean, volcanoes, etc. According to their beliefs, all things have a soul - and Maori being " the people of the earth ", they very closely associate themselves with nature. With the arrival of Europeans in the XIX century, many Maori became Christians. Nevertheless, the attitude towards their original religion is very respectful for everyone.

Holidays here are celebrated very brightly. Always costume parties with a huge amount of alcohol, and no one thinks about their behavior.

Photo: Facebook / Marianna Natarova

About incomes and prices

In Ukraine, before leaving, I received about $ 1000 per month. Now my salary is not indicative: I work part-time, because after the birth of my daughter, I am still on maternity leave. The average salary of an employee of the Museum in my field of activity is $ 3000 per month.

In order to feel comfortable financially in Auckland, a family of two must earn about $ 120 000 per year. Real estate prices in the city have greatly increased in recent years, and now it is very difficult for middle-income young families to enter the real estate market. Rents in recent years also increased. For example, when my husband and I just started living together, we rented a small apartment for $ 250 per week. Now the same housing plan costs about $ 350. Utilities are expensive: electricity - $ 100-120 per month, water - $ 50-80. Very expensive internet - about $ 100 per month.

In Ukraine, it is often nostalgic for the lack of variety of products to which we are accustomed. There is no such choice. In Auckland, the choice is relatively narrow, although it has become somewhat wider in recent years. Products have it all, of course. There is no diversity, as in the Ukrainian supermarkets, plus advertising is still everywhere everywhere - here everything is much more modest.

Prices for basic products are about the following: milk - $ 2,5 per 2 liter, bread - $ 2-3, fruit per season - $ 1-2-3 per kg, potatoes - $ 2 per kg, meat - $ 10 / kg chicken, $ 15-18 / kg beef.

On the rest and climate

We almost always rest in nature, often travel - natural diversity and beauty contribute to this. The nature in New Zealand is so amazing and diverse that it never bothers you. You can go to the mountains to ski or go to the ocean to go fishing and surfing. The whole family camping is very popular here. Many families have large comfortable trailers for living in campsites, so you can spend the whole summer right on the ocean. The campsites are clean and well maintained, have all the amenities. In summer, all with children on the beaches. In the winter they fly to the islands - Rarotonga, Fiji, Cook Islands or to Australia.

Since the country is “stretched out” vertically, the climate here varies from region to region. In Auckland, for example, there are never frosts and snow, and there is a lot of snow on the South Island. In summer, even if it is very hot, then the ocean breeze is blowing and there is always something to breathe, you can cool in the shade.

About to stay forever

Definitely yes - I want to live in New Zealand always. I like her lifestyle very much, where I don’t feel the rhythm of life the way it was in my homeland. Although, here, as elsewhere - if you want to reach the heights, you need to make great efforts. I also like the stability and security, and the abundance of free space - there is a huge territory compared to the population.

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