Where did you grow up, and why did you decide to come to New Zealand?
I grew up in India, and I didn’t want to stay there. All my friends were going to different countries, and I wanted to go too. I thought about moving to Canada as an option, and Australia as an option – New Zealand was not even on the list.
In the end, Canada and Australia didn’t work out for me, which is when a friend suggested New Zealand. It was close to Australia, and I could travel over there easily if I wanted to, so I decided to apply. I knew nothing else about New Zealand at the time!
After arriving, I realised that it was the best decision I could have made. New Zealand is a great place for lazy people who want to take good photos – anywhere you go, there’ll be a beautiful photography spot! You don’t have to drive very far to get to the beach, or go surfing, or almost anything you want to do.
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How did you hear about the IELTS test?
I knew I had to take an English language proficiency test to work in another country, and IELTS was the best option.
Throughout my education, I’ve been taught in English , but the test still wasn’t easy. The English we speak in India is different to the English spoken in New Zealand – the words are the same, but the pronunciation , accent , and the way words are used are different.
I thought I’d be able to pass easily but still decided to study for the test. I did a 30-day crash course with a group of friends, and it turned out that I was really bad at the listening part. I got the worst scores ever during our practice tests !
But because I practiced beforehand, I was able to pass the actual test. Practising meant that there were no surprises.
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What was your first experience of New Zealand like?
It was completely new. I hadn’t travelled outside of India before, and I was really excited. I didn’t know anyone here.
It took me two days to adjust to the time difference. I came a month before my course started, so I had a month to get used to New Zealand . I used the month to travel a lot and then kept travelling during my first six months.
The hardest thing was not having my friends. I used to spend a lot of time with friends back in India, and I only knew about four or five people in New Zealand for my first few months. But after that, I met more friends, and we have a lot of fun together.
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How did the test help you prepare for life and work in New Zealand?
When I came to New Zealand, I managed to find a job in about a week with the help of a flatmate, who gave me a good reference. Everything was sorted within a week, including getting an IRD number, so I could start straight away.
If I hadn’t taken the IELTS test, I would have struggled more with communication. The English I spoke back home was not up to the mark, and I would have had trouble having conversations. Taking the test meant that I had to listen to different accents, and that helped me understand English beyond the Indian-accent English I was used to.
The IELTS test was a huge help in preparing to speak English with other people in other countries.
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What do you do now?
I work as a project manager in a construction company. That’s my day job. I also work as a DJ, a photographer, and an actor – I’ve even won awards for my photos and acting.
Coming to New Zealand helped me in my career beyond study, because it gave me a chance to pursue my interests. It would be tough for me to get into acting or photography to a good level in India. If I didn’t come to New Zealand, I don’t think I’d be where I am today with my work.
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Do you have any advice for people who want to take the IELTS?
Yes, actually! I did a course with friends, but at the time I didn’t take it seriously. I thought I just needed the test results to work in a different country. But when I started practising for the test, I realised I needed to make it my main focus.
If you want to take the IELTS, I suggest you make it your main focus as well. It’ll definitely have a huge impact once you move to a new country.