Career ready

Student wearing a suit and carrying a shoulder bag.

A New Zealand education can give you the qualifications and skills to excel anywhere in the world in your chosen career.

Employers around the world welcome graduates of New Zealand's education system because of their strong academic qualifications, practical skills and ability to think critically and creatively.

From the moment they graduate, our graduates are ready to take their place in the global workplace.

Jenna Hannon, Marketing Manager at Uber

I feel more confident now, like I can fly out to any part of the world once I've finished, walk into any interview and nail the interview session.

Ragavan Rajan from India, studying a Master of Information Technology at the University of Waikato

Employability skills

New Zealand’s teaching style and practical, hands-on way of learning gives graduates strong employability skills — attributes valued by employers across a wide range of jobs and careers.

These highly transferable skills include flexibility, creativity, teamwork, problem-solving, decision-making, leadership, organisational skills and a self-motivated ‘can-do’ attitude.

Graduates also gain workplace-relevant English language abilities and learn to be effective in multicultural and Western work environments.

Globally-recognised qualifications

A New Zealand qualification is a valuable asset that can give you a head start in the international job market.

New Zealand is a member of the Lisbon Recognition Convention and Tokyo Recognition Convention, which means our certificates, diplomas and degrees are recognised in over 50 participating countries. These include the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, China, Japan and Australia.

We also have specific arrangements with Malaysia, Hong Kong, the EU and UAE to name a few. New Zealand bachelor’s degrees are widely recognised on the job market by employers, and for enrolment in postgraduate programmes.

Once you’ve completed your qualification, you may be able to apply for a post-study work visa(external link that opens in a new tab), depending on your level of study.

What jobs are in demand in New Zealand?

If you complete a qualification in an area that is skilled and in demand in new Zealand, you may be able to continue working in New Zealand after your post-study work visa by applying for a different type of work visa or a skilled migrant visa.

My time in New Zealand was very important for the development of my professional career. Without the two years of advanced training and extensive experience in this beautiful country, I could not have been where I am today.

Wu Hongbo, from China, studied English language at Victoria University in Wellington