My Name is Johanna I am a Radiographer/MRT. I came to NZ from the UK in December.
The process to come to NZ, once I was in a real position to job hunt, took less than 6 months. The plan for this move had begun a few years earlier. We had property to sell and I had already got my registration to practice in NZ. I am a NZ passport holder through descent so we just had to worry about residence visas for my family.
The easiest part of the process was making the decision to make the move!
The most challenging part of the process was that once I had a job offer we had about four weeks to pack up everything to ship whilst looking after 3 kids under 5 and wanting to say goodbye to everyone in style!
My first impressions of NZ were - It is beautiful and so relaxed compared to the UK.
The best parts of NZ are - The relaxed lifestyle.
What I miss the most is - Nothing yet!
My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is before you are eligible for job hunting you need to have your professional registration in place, it helps to be in a position to move quickly when the job offer arrives. Accent support you all along even when you have started work. Merryl always found an answer to my questions.
Questions about your new workplace:
Are there any major differences between your current role in NZ and your previous role in the UK?
Advanced practice is not established here yet, I used to plain film report. I am working in a relatively small private practice so you have to get stuck in with a bit of everything which is great.
Anything else you would like to say?
BE OPEN-MINDED ABOUT WHERE YOU WANT TO WORK AS IT’S ALL A FANTASTIC ADVENTURE.
Is there anything specifically done differently in NZ that has interested you and the way you practice your profession?
I feel that people here are more open when come to emotions. I think in Singapore, as an Asian country, sometimes we don't talk about or express much about how we feel about things. We are generally more conservative.
