Information for secondary students and school leavers
Types of work
In today’s workplace, there are a variety of different working arrangements. More flexible working arrangements mean you can balance the demands of your career with your lifestyle.
Full time
- Radio announcers often work an early shift
In general, full-time hours mean a person would be working 40 hours a week. With more flexibility about working hours these days, you might still work a full 40-hour week, but at times that suit you and your employer.
For example, an employee might start at 7am on Wednesdays so he can leave early for rugby training that evening. Or a parent returning to the workforce may start earlier than other employees so they can leave early to pick up the kids after school.
Some full-time employees also work shifts, and may work outside of standard business hours. Shifts can be on a rotating or permanent basis.
Part time
- Part-time work can suit parents with small children
Part-time hours mean a person works a regular amount of hours, on a part-time basis. For example, a student might work every Saturday for 8 hours to help with study costs. Or an office administrator might just work in the mornings, 5 days a week.
Part-time hours are great for people who have other demands on their time and can’t manage a full 40-hour working week. The regular nature of the work also ensures a steady income.
Casual work
Casual workers are usually hired for one-off business needs or ongoing, irregular work. For example, a large construction site may need labouring help on an irregular basis, so they might have a pool of casual workers that they can contact whenever they need the help. Or a retail store may need extra help over the Christmas period and hire some casual staff for the month of December.
Casual work can lead to permanent work and is a good way to meet people in the industries you’re interested in working in.
Seasonal work
Seasonal work is important to some of New Zealand’s biggest industries: forestry, agriculture and horticulture. Seasonal workers perform jobs that can only be carried out at certain times of year. They may also move around the country following the seasonal work opportunities that as they arise throughout the year.
Contracting
- Contractors move between companies working on short-term projects
Contractors are similar to casual staff, although they are usually contracted to do a particular piece of work. They will often bring specialist skills that an organisation needs for specific projects. For example, an organisation may contract in a management consultant to help with restructuring, or a specialist IT trainer for the professional development of their staff.
Self employment
Self employment is very common in New Zealand, in a range of industries and occupations. You can find self employed people working as courier drivers, plumbers or accountants.
