Tag Archives: jobs

Social Media – The Dark Side

December 16th, 2010

Who can forget Yoda’s immortal words in Star Wars Episode II : Attack of the Clones;

“Hmmm. The Dark Side clouds everything. Impossible to see, the future is”

If you haven’t been hibernating for the last few years, then you’d be aware that after each round of interviews, many employers seek out a PC, and go “googling” or “facebooking” your name, or combinations. Increasing in frequency alongside this is the old detective trick of “looking up“ any writings on/from work associates at previous (or even current) employment locations.

IMAGE CREDIT - Razvan Caliman

Places like Trademe, Linked In, Plaxo, etc actively encourage interviewers to “develop an appetite” for such workmate / schoolmate linkings. Oftentimes its as simple as checking out whom a potential job candidate follows on Twitter or Facebook.

I’ve read comments on some sites like “a workmate is saying so and so” or “he/shes a real wally, a looser” or such.

If either the writer or the intended whom the writer is scribing about, are applying for a job through an interview process, then these comments plus any type of “associated” photo’s are quite illuminating indeed.

In fact from an interviewers point of view, I think the phrase is “time saving.” I’ve heard of one interviewer even glancing over which Facebook Groups a person publicly belongs too.

So along with all the fun of sharing exciting overseas trips, your best friends wedding, and last years family Xmas gathering……..you really should think twice about those “other” photos.

Don’t forget comments either.

Comments?

Check out the box on the right hand side of this page if you are unsure what I’m talking about. (not my page and content varies considerably – some R18)

Maybe the poster thought it was amusing at the time……but dauntingly, thanks to the wonders of the internet, (eg: “mirror sites” in the news this week) those comments will be there to haunt you for a while longer now.

If you need a prime example then you need do no more than google “Candidate’s racy Facebook photos showed ‘lack of judgment’: B.C. NDP leader “ (NSFW)

The Real Estate Angle

I guess by now you are wondering what the heck this has to do with real estate.

Turns out…….lots.

If, after visiting 3 – 4 property managers to find a place to rent / let, then patiently waiting some days for an answer…..and finding out you missed out, yet again……perhaps those photos and that “colourful” language you used on what you thought was a private page just, may not have been such a good idea after all.

Landlords and Property Managers looking to find out a “little bit more” about any potential person who they are going to entrust with their 2 year old 3 bedroom $450,000 brick home…..well you too could do yourself a big favour by employing exactly the same methodology. All landlords would like to have a long term tenant who keeps the grounds tidy, looks after the inside of the home, treats the floor coverings like they would their own, etc.

From the look of some of the photos posted on sites like Facebook…..then it’s not surprising that upon seeing these, a potential future landlord may just have “second thoughts.”

Ringing in my ears is something I was told many years ago which still rings true to this day…..could almost be an interviewers mantra…..

watch what a person does not what they say

Sort of a counter intuitive (“reverse”) meaning of the following phrase “actions speak louder than words” really?

In the end….you don’t want to be disheartened with the whole rental thing…….its your retirement next egg after all…….and the last thing you want to be doing is running an advertisement like this;

….because it got too much and you just want to sell up, and investigate another type of investment.

Could definitely save some “heartache” in the long run.

Wood is Good ~ Want to know who the STIC is ?

September 13th, 2010

Sustainable construction materials is now a well known factor that many new build owners are considering or even requesting.

Now in light of recent events in Canterbury, seismic qualities are also going to be uppermost in the minds of many people considering a new build in New Zealand.

STIC stands for the Structural Timber Innovation Company.

Ok, so WHO then is the STIC?

STIC is a New Zealand registered company with seven shareholders:

Carter Holt Harvey Ltd
Nelson Pine Industries Ltd
Wesbeam Pty Ltd
Building Research Association New Zealand Inc
NZ Pine Manufacturers Association
Auckland Uniservices Ltd (University of Auckland)
University of Canterbury

In addition to these shareholders STIC has two other substantial financial Stakeholders, who are investing in the research and development, alongside the shareholders. They are;

Forest and Wood Products Australia (FWPA) and Foundation for Research Science and Technology (FRST).

The Foundation is matching all industry investments in the programme dollar for dollar.

Ok, then WHAT then is STIC?

Here’s what they say on their website;

Structural Timber Innovation Company (STIC) is a research consortium developing and commercialising new technologies that will enable structural timber to compete more effectively in the building and construction market.

Interestingly enough, when I was looking at this site a few months back, I did note the 2~3 short videos that illustrate the different seismic tests.

above menu at bottom left of STIC home page

If you look over the list of consortium partners you might have noticed local major business Nelson Pine Industries Ltd.

As I have mentioned numerous times before our Nelson region has three major industries underpinning our local economy, the so called three “f”s. That’s Forestry, Fruit and Fishing, so it makes plain sense that they are there.

When STIC published their last news letter back in May 2010, it included this;

Test Building Survives Earthquakes!

A 2/3 scale pre-stressed LVL timber building has been designed, specified and constructed at the University of Canterbury. The building has been subjected to rigorous earthquake testing for 9 months and after more than 30 simulated earthquakes it remains structurally undamaged. This building has demonstrated the many advantages offered by this newly developed rapid-construction type of timber building. To see video clips and more information go to www.stic.co.nz or www.stic.com.au

Listed under a summary of the overall benefits offered through use of the STIC building and construction systems, in the Structural integrity section is this comment:

Building structure able to sustain a major earthquake (Richter scale 7.0 – 7.9) without structural damage and able to return to original position without permanent offset or tilt

The good news is that our very own Nelson Pine Industries, one of the largest single site producers of Medium Density Fibreboard in the world, already make some of this, specifically the LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber) variety.

”]This additional NZ$80 million plant was commissioned back in March 2002 with the official production start of the LVL line, where veneers are laminated by hot pressing into a beam form. And to place the factories raw material needs into some perspective, I’ll let them tell you….

The Nelson-Marlborough region is one of New Zealand’s major forestry areas, with about 16% of the productive land area planted in production forests. Harvest predictions are for 2.5 million cubic metres per year by 2005, of which Nelson Pine will use about 1 million cubic metres.

Worth a look I’d suggest just to keep yourself up to play.

SOURCE www.stic.co.nz

Extra Nelson Jobs bonus for Nelson Real Estate – UPDATED

August 17, 2010

Local employment prospects received a shot in the arm with the recent opening of Air Nelson’s (Air New Zealand link partner) $14m new hangar. The fact that it is now there (in a pretty unmistakeably way) and that there existed plenty of technical expertise already here, aided Air Nelson in landing the contract to maintain Mt Cook Airlines 11 strong fleet of ATR72 aircraft.

Championing for the ATR72 work last year, Grant Kerr, General Manager Air Nelson was reported back in Dec 2009 (Flightpath Issue #25 December 2009) as saying;

That work would include maintenance on a total of 52 (Ed – combined numbers of different airframes) aircraft, and would expand options for Nelson travellers by incorporating the ATR into scheduled passenger services…… expansion into the maintenance of the ATR fleet could add about another $10 million annually to the local economy.

That’s good news for local Nelson Real Estate, because the addition of 30 high paying technology jobs will more than likely mean new candidates, many fresh to town, who will want to buy a house in Nelson.

Don’t get me wrong on the real estate front here, it just might not quite dawn on them to begin with.

“It was just work in Nelson, after all.”

However after living here for 6 months or a year, even more so if there are school age children involved, then, like many before them, they will definitely want to get out of renting and look to purchasing a Nelson property.

And why wouldn’t they?

Nelson Bays capital appreciation is right up there with the best in the country, that’s why.

Even if they did move on in 5 or 10 years it would make sense to have a property that could be rented out, while still having a healthy asset growing….a nest egg for the future.

Major Work comes to Port Nelson

Visitors to Port Nelson over the last 6 months would have seen a couple of large unusual arrivals, the first being the InterIslander ferry, “Arahua” and just lately (still here in fact) the large purse-seiner “Cape Ferrat.” The main reason they are here?

Don’t forget we are the largest fishing port in Australasia, and that usually means lots of boats that require maintenance.

What should be called the Nelson Marine / Maritime Engineering Hub that has developed at the Port is why. The co-operation / project management / synergy of so many different maritime/marine services/suppliers and tradesmen located in the same geographical area aids tremendously in accomplishing any major marine work swiftly and efficiently.

Its these type of reasons that made it logical & practical to award the tender for the Arahua’s major works to Port Nelson, and same again, with a main engine replacement planned, along with associated work including a slipway session to the 82m long tuna fisher Cape Ferrat, which arrived at Port Nelson over a month ago, after a 15 day sea tow.

Same formula applies here too – more work – more specialist jobs for Nelson – more workers needing housing.

NAC – no not that NAC

On a similar vein, the Nelson Aviation Cluster (NAC) is there to serve all matter of things aviation / aircraft wise.

Nelson Aviation Cluster

Commenting on its creation in 2009, Nelson Airport Chief Executive Kaye McNabb said

The potential client base is vast. Aircraft owners will hop from Australia to get the service they want. Nelson Airport already has restricted Point of First Arrival certification allowing border clearance for overseas aircraft to fly direct to Nelson for servicing.

Safe to say big jets aren’t something that I think we can do, the runways not long enough to start with, but most everything else, in the words of a certain builder called Bob, “we can do it.”

Nelsons Airport (which was granted that restricted International Airport status in 2006) is the nations 4^th busiest, with an aircraft movement on average, of every 4 ½ minutes during scheduled operational hours. Approximately 1.2 million people use the Nelson Airport terminal every year, and surprisingly out of that, nearly 50 percent of travellers through the airport are business people.

Many business folk commute to Wellington or Auckland for the work week, and then for rest, relaxation and family life. returning to NZ’s sunshine capital for the weekend.

Rob Burdekin talking with Nelson Mayor Kerry Marshall and other dignitaries

Rob Burdekin, far right, talking with Nelson Mayor Kerry Marshall and other dignitaries

Rob Burdekin, Air Nelson Technical Manager just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to let Wellington know;

“….. Government’s focus for aviation was too centred on places such as the Waikato. To be honest, if you look at the money that’s involved, you’d find this region’s bigger. We’d like to see some of that focus and support.”

You tell ’em Rob.

UPDATE 18th AUGUST 2010

The Nelson Mail report on Monday (Page 4) that PM John Key told them;

“……. the new hangar was important to the region as it would develop a lot of jobs and would help tourism.”

‘‘It certainly makes the airport stronger,’’ Mr Key said.

‘‘Having invested so much in engineering means that you’re going to see support for local air services, but primarily this is all about engineering jobs. The plan is to be able to service all of the turboprop planes here and free up Christchurch totally for jets. That’s good”

Maybe those words from the Air Nelson Technical Manager didn’t fall on deaf ears?

Nelson today, NZ Prime Minister John Key officially opens new $12m Air New Zealand Hangar

August 14^th, 2010

Remember this…

Proposed New Hangar

It was April earlier this year. The 80m x 60m building has only taken 9 months to complete.

Hangar now ready for business (click on photo to enlarge to monster size)

Well she’s all finished now and today was the official Opening, Official blessing and Public day all rolled into one.

Open Day was today

Just to complete the picture, a Mt Cook ATR72 showed up too.

Mt Cook Airlines ATR72-212A arriving

These are the planes from Air New Zealand’s Mt Cook Airline division that Air Nelson will now be performing maintenance on, and can only perform work because of the existence of this new hangar.

John Key and party arrives

The official ceremonies got underway when the official party arrived.

Nelson MP Nick Smith arrives late...

Local MP Nick Smith arrives.

the ceremony continues..

The blessing and official welcome continues….

Inside Hangar (click to enlarge / monster size)

And this is what its all about…

ATR was popular

The “not usually sighted in these parts” ATR72-212A was a popular choice for many of the hundreds of sightseers on the day.

ATR72-212A Information

On account of the new maintenance contract though, these planes will now become a more common sight around Nelson airspace.

Air NZ's Q300s lined up on a Sunday morning earlier this year

Alongside Air Nelsons existing 23 x Q300’s, Mt Cooks ATR72’s have now meant Air Nelson could employ up to another 30 aircraft engineers, a great boost for the local economy.

There were many extra exhibitors there too and quite a selection of interested sightseers meant a busy time for all.

Nelson rate lowest in New Zealand

August 9th 2010

One subject no one really likes to talk about, or rather hear about today – is the subject of unemployment.

Usually when the topic comes up, its in a non-positive way.

6-08-2010 9-45-20 p.m.

Figures just out Friday from Statistics NZ tell the story that we still haven’t turned the corner yet, and in fact as a country, unemployment is rising.

It would suggest that there isn’t a bright light shining on the horizon just yet…..and in their own words…

…… indicates a period of volatility in the labour market.

Statistics NZ manager of Labour Market Statistics, Peter Gardiner, cautions;

“These movements indicate that the labour market is still adjusting to the changing economic climate.”

Undoubtedly there would have been a high component of seasonal labour out of work, however the facts are that in the June 2010 quarter, the number of people unemployed jumped up by 19,000 to 159,000. 79% of this increase was made up of unemployed males, while the number of unemployed females rose by 4,000 (6.4 percent) to 74,000.