Seek NZ is arguably the most popular job board in NZ (Trademe Jobs probably has a different opinion). Regardless, Seek NZ is a site many New Zealanders visit each year to begin their job search. There can be over 20,000 jobs listed on the site on any given day, and these jobs come from all sorts of different industries. However, "white collar" jobs seem to be Seek NZ's sweet spot. What are white-collar jobs? Typically these are financial, accountants, lawyers, company management and consultant jobs. Pretty much anything that requires you to wear a suit and a tie. That being said, the "smart casual" dress code is being adopted by more and more New Zealand businesses these days, so the suit and tie stereotype is starting to fade a little bit.
With the large number of jobs added to Seek NZ every day, it can be quite a daunting prospect for a job seeker to find relevant jobs. If you come from an accounting background, you probably aren't interested in seeing construction jobs and vice versa. Seek NZ have some cool tools you can use to help you in your job search.
Job Filter
A common feature amongst most job sites is the job filter. This is where you can filter jobs by industry, job title and job type, i.e., full-time or part-time jobs. Seek NZ's job filter allows you to select multiple job categories at once. For example, click the middle drop-down filter and select these classifications if you want to view sales, customer service, and marketing jobs. Very handy if you are looking to keep your job search quite broad. If you are only searching for jobs in a particular region, i.e. Auckland, click on the right search bar labelled "where" and enter the region you want to see jobs.
Saved Searches
As I mentioned in the job filter section, you can define your job search by selecting various job categories, titles, job types and locations. Going a step further, Seek NZ allows you to save these searches, so you don't have to go through each time you start your job search and select those search filters again. You will see to the right of the job listings a blue button labelled "save". All you have to do is click this button, and Seek will save your search filters. You will also receive email notifications when new jobs matching your search filters are posted on Seek NZ. Just make sure you are logged in to your profile so you can save your searches.
Recommended Jobs
You have probably heard the term "algorithms' chucked around a lot in recent years. In most cases, algorithms are used by websites and applications to provide the user with a more customised and personal experience. Google and Facebook use algorithms to understand your preferences when it comes to shopping and finding different services. They then use these algorithms to show you ads and recommend services from businesses you are likely interested in based on what you have searched for previously.
Well, Seek NZ have developed their own algorithm to help you find your next job. They basically show you a list of 50 jobs you might be interested in based on your previous job searches and jobs you have applied for in the past. Again, very handy if you don't want to spend the whole afternoon manually searching through job listings. You don't have to do anything to access this feature apart from being logged in to your profile.
Without a doubt, Seek NZ is an essential tool for many New Zealand job seekers, but it is important to remember that not every job in New Zealand is listed on Seek NZ. To maximise your chances of finding the job you love, you should have a job search strategy that includes several different job sources. Your strategy might involve registering with different recruitment agencies, sending your CV to businesses you would be interested in working for or creating a job seeker profile on multiple job boards. The wider you can cast your net, the more likely you will find that dream job you're looking for.
Job hunting often isn't the most fun thing to do, but if you take a planned approach and keep up to date with all the available resources, you will give yourself the best chance to find that new job!
If you are interested in using JobNow to find your next job, read our guide on how to maximise your JobNow profile.