Cheng Soon Goh from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
“My first reason for coming to New Zealand was to escape the hustling and bustling lifestyle in Kuala Lumpur," says Cheng Soon Goh.
“Coming from the capital city of Malaysia, the lifestyle there is obviously busy. Roads are congested. Often when travelling to the office you spend an hour in traffic jams. Also jobs there are very demanding. You have little personal time for yourself or for family.
“My second reason for coming here was to find my dream job. I had a senior position in Malaysia and although the money was good, I wasn’t really happy because that wasn't the job I wanted to do. In Malaysia to progress in your career, you have to climb up the corporate ladder.
“I don’t like doing management jobs because you have to do other things like attend long-winded meetings and manage staff. I enjoy doing specialised, technical jobs more than generalised management tasks.
“I pre-arranged three or four interviews with recruitment companies before I left Malaysia. I considered myself lucky as I got my job in IT within the first week of arrival in Wellington.
“I found that I liked it here as you can leave the office at five, reach home at half past five – you could hardly do that in Malaysia. Also the work environment here is more laid back and not so demanding. You can have work-life balance.
“In general people from New Zealand are more open. They are more democratic and they are more talkative as well. In Malaysia a boss can be very authoritative, but you hardly see that in New Zealand.”
For Cheng, there have been many benefits to his shift. “I have the dream job that I always wanted, I can walk to the office every day and I have a lot more time for myself and family. Overall I am happier than I was in Malaysia.”
How Cheng got his job in New Zealand
- Decided that having a quieter lifestyle was important to him, and that he wanted to leave Kuala Lumpur.
- Researched the job opportunities available to him in New Zealand.
- Identified what area of New Zealand he would like to live in.
- Pre-arranged interviews with recruitment companies before he left.
- Got a job in IT in Wellington.
