Darshan Desai from Bombay, India

With help and support from Career Services, Darshan Desai landed his dream job as an equipment sales specialist in the dental industry.

Darshan visited Career Services after he decided he hadn’t come to New Zealand to be a bus driver all his life. It was suggested to him that how his CV looked was preventing him from finding work in line with his technical sales experience in India. “People suggested that my CV was not what New Zealand employers would look at. In India we prepare a CV in a different way. We give all our experience right from day one. Here, nobody likes to read a story!” 

A career consultant worked with Darshan on the presentation of his CV, which included highlighting his strongest skills. She also gave him a book on interviewing skills. “It was really helpful because it covered things like what questions you could expect from an employer and how to sell yourself to an employer.”

Darshan says the consultant was a positive influence. “She noticed I spoke good English and told me that I shouldn’t have any problems getting a good job.”

Her predictions were right. Equipped with his new CV and feeling confident, it wasn’t long before Darshan’s search for sales work was fruitful, and he secured a position as a sales specialist at the Auckland office of a dental company. “Though I had my options open in the sales industry, it was good finding work in my specialty field, selling dental equipment and products to the New Zealand market.”

Admittedly, Darshan says that having some New Zealand work experience from his bus driving job also helped. “It is important to demonstrate to employers that you understand the New Zealand work culture.”

But for Darshan, who has since recommended Career Services to colleagues at Stagecoach, his previous employer, there is no doubt as to the cause of his changing fortunes. “It was the CV that was the turning point!”