If you’re a tech-savvy American who dreams of living abroad, Wellington, New Zealand wants to make your expat fantasies come true. As Forbes reports, the island nation’s capital city is looking to recruit 100 employees from around the world—U.S. residents, in particular—to work for its start-up scene.
Wellington is famous for its scenic shoreline and its arts and culture scene, but the city is also an emerging tech hub (it has even been nicknamed “Silicon Welly”). To promote growth in the technology sector, the Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA) joined forces with Workhere New Zealand—a business that connects skilled foreign workers with New Zealand employers—to launch a talent recruitment program called LookSee Wellington.
LookSee Wellington hopes to attract top-notch applicants by offering what they’ve dubbed “the ultimate career trip.” The LookSee team will pre-screen applicants, and prospective employers will choose the 100 most promising candidates. In May 2017, LookSee Wellington will fly the lucky finalists to Wellington—all expenses paid, including travel and accommodations—for four days of prearranged interviews, meet-ups, and sightseeing tours. (You’ll have to cover your own food, beverage, and entertainment expenses.)
“At the end of the week there’ll be offers to jobs you never knew existed in a place with a lifestyle you never thought possible,” LookSee’s website promises.
Already dreaming about life as a Kiwi? Candidates can register for consideration online; applications are due by March 20. This isn’t the first time New Zealand has actively recruited foreign workers: In July 2016, the tiny, 800-person town of Kaitangata offered housing packages worth around $165,000 to applicants willing to live in the area and work at its dairy processing and freezing works plants.
[h/t Forbes]
March 1, 2017 – 3:30pm