Here at Assemble our Engineering recruitment specialists are hearing regular feedback from Engineering candidates that they feel now is not a great time to move roles. This narrative is often centered around the economic outlook and uncertainty in the market, and that age old tale of ‘last in first out’. Using our specialist recruitment knowledge and unique perspective spanning engineering employers we are here to put the story straight.
As Engineers you are highly analytical and trained to assess risk daily, which can lead to a cautious approach to decision making. Right now, is the ideal time to be open minded and opportunistic with your career path.If your current role isn’t delivering, there are a lot of promising opportunities in the market for you to consider.
Unemployment in New Zealand remains low at 3.6%, net migration is positive with a net inflow of nearly 65,000pa in early 2023. There is significant investment into infrastructure and Government project investment across the CRL, Light Rail and Kainga Ora. Land development and the residential housing market is showing signs of having plateaued and starting an upward trajectory.
Combined, these factors result in a varied and vibrant future project scope for Engineers. Employers have projects in the pipelines, but not the resources to deliver. The 2023 BDO Construction Sector Report stated that construction businesses have had a lot of work but not enough labour to do it, with 67% actively looking for additional staff.
Just because the economy has slowed down doesn’t change the fact that the employment market for engineers is strong. And it’s going to remain strong, engineering is such a specialised and highly skilled area the demand for these skills is set to remain.
We are here to help at Assemble and hugely encourage our candidates to do their own due diligence on a role before you sign up. Lean on your recruiter to give you insight into the employer, what projects they have in the pipeline and what their retention is like. If your recruiter doesn’t have the answers, it’s time to walk away. Engage with connections from your network who have worked for, or with, the employer to get further intel.
There are some great opportunities out there right now for Engineers, business critical positions with credible employers who have strong pipelines. Get in touch with Hugh to have a confidential discussion.