A better lifestyle and a more rewarding work life are some of the reasons why this British migrant calls New Zealand home:
“Working in New Zealand is very different to the UK. In the UK you can work on large projects, which can take up to three or four years to complete. Early in your career, you can feel like a tiny cog in a very big wheel.
“Here in New Zealand, you may work on small projects by UK standards, but there are lots of benefits: you get significant experience very quickly, you work with a wide range of technical functions and disciplines, and you can be a generalist rather than just a specialist. To me, the work is dynamic and exciting and, thus, a lot much more rewarding.
“Harrison Grierson is also a fun place to work – if I have a project on the Coromandel (a peninsula with great beaches), I get on a plane for half an hour and I’m there. Or, if I have a job in Fiji, after work the client might take me fishing or diving in the evening. You get to know the client; you are dealing with a person, not an organisation.
“Harrison Grierson also has a very active social club. There is always a sports team to join, or people who want to go mountain biking or skiing. The office parties are a bit of a laugh (but you'll have to join to find out why!).
“The lifestyle is also a world apart. The urban spread in Auckland is very low, with only a few high rises in the city centre. Each suburb has a very different feel and culture – it’s a bit like lots of towns rolled into one.
“There are very few traffic problems here compared to the UK, so getting around is easy. Our kids settled in straight away. They walk or bike to school and have joined the local sports clubs.
“And after work... well, the beach is five minutes by bike. I can be sailing in the Hauraki Gulf within 30 minutes. Mountain biking is less than an hour away and skiing four hours. What more do you want in life?”
-Story provided by Harrison Grierson
