Settling into NZ through Beyond AUT

It took just four months for Gouhar Pirzada to find part time work in his field after arriving in New Zealand from Pakistan. He attributes his success to undertaking the Beyond AUT Award.

AUT PhD student Gouhar Pirzada sits down in front of me beaming. He’s just given a lecture to a business, innovation and leadership master class at Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design where he is employed part time while working towards his PhD in Education at AUT.

Gouhar landed that job after only four months in New Zealand. This was no mean feat! When Gouhar arrived at AUT he knew very little about New Zealand or how to go about finding work. It was a harrowing time but joining the Beyond AUT Award made the difference, helping him adjust to the New Zealand employment market.

“It is very challenging to move to a new country to study and find a way to support yourself, and doing the award really set me up to achieve. It has been so helpful.”

Gauhar loves teaching and the transformation that education can bring. He first recognised the power of education when he started to teach reading and writing (basic literacy) to a young boy who was a domestic worker at his home back in Pakistan. Gouhar was about 11 at the time.

“I still remember his face, his excitement at learning to read. It was my first example of how any positive change you can make in life, even in one person’s life momentarily, can give you hope.”

Beyond AUT Award Support

Gouhar cannot speak highly enough of his Beyond AUT experiences. One of the biggest revelations was the importance of LinkedIn to job search in New Zealand.
“New Zealand employers take LinkedIn really seriously. I had an account but I hadn’t done much with it, yet once I became active on LinkedIn, it made a big difference.”

It sure did. Gouhar saw his current Whitecliffe job advertised on LinkedIn, approached Whitecliffe College  through LinkedIn and got a call the very next day.

Beyond AUT Award also helped Gouhar develop a strong CV, develop networks and learn how to prepare for interviews.

“Some friends used to say it was really hard to get a job in New Zealand because we didn’t have proper New Zealand references, but through Job search and networking workshops I learned that you can build up relationships and connections that will help overcome that.”

An optimistic character

As well as working, studying and doing the Beyond AUT Award Gouhar is also involved in a couple ofonline charities. One is an organisation in Pakistan that helps out-of-school children. The other helps young women who have suffered from gender violence to rebuild their confidence and their lives. Gouhar’s involvement is delivering sessions on their social and human rights.

“There are seriously heart wrenching stories but there are also a lot of good stories too, or stories of people overcoming these odds,” states Gouhar.

His PhD is related to opportunities for women teachers in Technical and Vocational Education & Training (TVET) in Pakistan, combining his passion for education and under presented groups.

Within New Zealand Gouhar volunteers for Upside Youth Mentoring, an online mentoring organisation for young people. and organising monthly activities as a co-leader of a postgraduate research student group at AUT. Both count towards Beyond AUT volunteering requirements.

Being an optimist makes a big difference to finding opportunities in Gouhar’s mind..

“If we think negatively all the time we won’t do anything. Finding positive things encourages me and motivates me to go further. I’m learning a lot about myself, including to be respectful but true to your own feelings and the truth.”

How to make the most of AUT

Here are 4 tips from Gouhar about making the most of your time at AUT

• Persistence: “Be consistent and persistent with whatever you want to do. Pour yourself into every single application.”
• Become as employable as possible: “Taking the Beyond AUT or AUT Edge Awards really helps. These awards give you a chance to develop your CV but also your personality.”
• Find your voice: “If you’re an overseas or undergraduate student with less NZ work experience or knowledge, do workshops to learn how to present yourself and network.”
• Show yourself: “Show your real self in your CV and cover letter, not an AI generated version. It should tell the employer what you bring to the table.  New Zealand employers want to see your actual self, not an adaption.”

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Beyond AUT Award, click here

If you’re interested in finding out more about the undergraduate AUT Edge Award, click here

AUT Edge Award - Student Life - AUT