If you are hunting for a new job at the moment, you’ll notice many job sites now have advanced features beyond what has been typical in the past. Job listing websites now go beyond plain job listings and an e-mail address of whom you can contact. New innovations in the online job world include:

• Video Resumes - why rely on your written CV alone to promote yourself? You can now upload a short video resume detailing your skills, and giving you a great avenue to sell yourself in a personable way.

• CV Publishing - post your CV online to let potential employers come to you. While this can mean a fast way to get picked up by a great company, be careful if you’re current employer doesn’t know you are looking to move - being online means anyone can access it!

• Video Conferencing - great if you are applying for jobs in other cities, allowing you to be interviewed virtually with ease.

• Online Testing - not sure which career path you want to go down? Take one of the many career, personality or IQ tests available to get a personalised recommendation for your next step - then follow through to jobs that may suit your needs.

If you’re a new member to the online job hunting game, read up on applying for jobs online.

You can also view New Zealand Jobs online through the newly launched NZS.com Jobs section launched in partnership with JobX.

Image from Flickr.

You’ll know of course that NZS.com is a New Zealand resource for online content.

So, what does it mean when, completely out of the blue on a Friday afternoon, NZS.com receives hundreds of people from all around the United States suddenly coming to NZS.com in search for the “New Zealand National Symbol“?

Perhaps Oprah talked about New Zealand and asked her audience what the national symbol was? Or a nationwide radio competition asked listeners who were keen for a major prize? I’m sure if those happened they would probably make the national news here in NZ.

This raises an interesting question, what is our national symbol? Is it the kiwi or the silver fern?

Image from Flickr.

Mother’s Day is this Sunday (yes, May the 11th!), so you’ve still got time to organise something special for Mum this weekend. If you are looking for the perfect mother’s day gift, try one of our top three ideas:

• A beauty treatment - even the busiest Mum won’t be able to turn down a soothing facial or relaxing massage voucher from a beauty therapy clinic.
• Chocolates and a Mother’s Day DVD - sit down for a little quiet time with Mum over some sweet decadence and a heartwarming chick flick, she’ll enjoy it even more if she knows the film isn’t really your thing.
• Make a handmade Mother’s Day card - you can keep it simple, just a nostalgic picture of you and a cheery Mother’s Day poem will show her that it’s not just your credit card that loves her.

Celebrating Mother’s Day is something you should enjoy too. Instead of just giving a gift, why not do something with her she won’t expect, something out of the ordinary? You might frequent fancy restaurants but Mum probably never treats herself to a fine dining experience, so find a silver service restaurant that will make her feel like royalty.

If you are far away from Mum and haven’t organised a gift to send her yet, you’re probably a little late unless you can afford to airmail your present. Letting Mum know you appreciate her from afar is important, so don’t leave her empty handed - contact a flower delivery service in New Zealand (just call or e-mail from anywhere in the world) and ask them to choose something in your price range, and pay by credit card. An unexpected bouquet will have Mum smiling for days.

Image from Flickr.

When you hear statistics like ‘one-third of your total home energy bills are from heating’, the media-hyped energy saving techniques can suddenly seem relevant to you and your home. It is easy to block out the advertisements for heat pumps and fireplaces during summer, but when the weather cools you can suddenly find yourself stuck with so many home heating options you do not know where to start.

A warm home is vital for comfort and health. Before you go out and spend hundreds or even thousands on a new heater of some type, use these tips to make your home heating more efficient:

• Insulate your home

Make sure the heat you are paying for can’t get out. Thermal curtains and double glazed windows are two of the most efficient and cost-effective ways to ensure your home is heated smartly.

• Place your heater wisely

There is a reason many fireplaces are surrounded by brick walls. Place your heater near a source of thermal mass such as an internal concrete wall - the heat will be absorbed and re-radiated.

• Use the winter sun

The low morning and evening sun in New Zealand is great for heating your home naturally and for free, so don’t close curtains during the day.

• Use the thermostat

Many heaters have thermostats to keep a room at a consistent temperature. Instead of using the maximum settings to keep your room toasty, use the thermostat to intermittently keep you comfortable by turning on and off while in use.

Image from Flickr.

Everyday we’re swamped by savvy new advertisements from banks to help us save our money wisely, in fact television advertisements for New Zealand’s banks are some of the most artistic and memorable on our small screens. There is a lot of financial jargon out there, but what does it all mean?

Here’s an easy guide on the benefits of opening a savings account:

Many New Zealand banks are now offering online saver accounts which earn you over 8% interest per year, just by keeping your money in your account. As a great savings incentive, some banks will keep this high interest rate for you only if you don’t make withdrawals from your savings - and if you do, you will decrease your interest percentage for that month. This means it is in your best interest not to splurge, and a great way to restrain yourself from spending the savings you have put away for something special.

If you had just $1000 in your savings account, you could earn over $80 every year to keep your money there - talk about making your cash work for you! Most savings accounts cannot be linked to EFTPOS cards, so you won’t be tempted to hastily buy those shoes, or those few extra drinks that you cannot afford with your normal budget.

Because you can manage your savings entirely online, without paper statements or tellers, a lot of New Zealand banks offer online savings accounts don’t have any fees.

If you want to earn even more interest than with a standard online saver account, you can opt for a term deposit account. This means your money is invested with a bank for a pre-determined amount of time, and will earn you a fixed interest rate for that period. This is great for anyone who won’t need to call on their savings unexpectedly.

Even if the bank you belong to doesn’t offer the best interest rate available, you can still earn the highest interest rates with another bank like RaboPlus, without a messy break-up with your existing bank.

If in doubt, make sure you always talk to the professionals and make an informed decision. If you are trying to figure out which bank will work best for you, find one to suit your needs.

Image from Flickr.

Many Kiwis have Irish heritage, so there’s no excuse for lacklustre St Patrick’s Day celebrations in New Zealand. In fact, 20% of us claim to have Irish blood flowing in our veins, so New Zealand should be awash with green on the 17th March for this annual celebration of all things Irish.

St Patrick’s Day History
A popular Christian saint, St Patrick is famous for driving snakes from Ireland. While it’s true there are no snakes in Ireland today, it’s doubtful that there ever were! The snake myth may have been a metaphor for the driving of paganism from the land, as St Patrick was credited with bringing Christianity to the green isle. The day is largely non-religious today, but was originally saint’s feast day and was also thought to mark the day of St Patrick’s death.

St Patrick’s Day events and activities
As Ireland’s national day, St Patrick’s Day is a cause for celebrations and festivities not only in Ireland, but around the world too. This day is quite possibly the most internationally celebrated national day in the world. Join in the festivities:

• Grab a pint at an Irish Bar
• Visit your local Irish Society
• Enjoy a bite of Irish fare
• Attend a St Patrick’s day parade or festival

Get more St Patricks Day events online.

A final word from the team here at NZS.com before we head away for the summer holiday break…

The long, hot days of the summer holidays should be a time of relaxation for mind and body, spent with family and friends - and giving you time out from the schedule of regular life! Take a look at our seasonal summer articles to get inspired about:

• Summer beach holidays - relaxing on golden sands or pitching the tent at the beach is all part of the Kiwi summer experience.
• Summer fashion - make sure you’re looking good in the season’s latest summer fashions!
• Summer jobs - it’s not all fun in the sun; there are many seasonal summer jobs on offer nationwide.
• Summer music - the sounds of summer songs, festivals and music events will get your feet moving.
• Summer recipes - cook up a summertime feast on the BBQ with fresh summer salads and tempting desserts.

The NZS.com team will return on Monday 7th January, 2008. Until then, whatever you’re doing, have a safe and sun-filled summer holiday break!

Here we grow again, adding more members to the NZS.com team…

This week we welcome Dean Stirling to the role of Sales Executive. Our latest addition comes with over three years experience in B2B sales in Web and Internet marketing. Dean is passionate about the Internet and the part it has to play in companies growing their business, and is looking forward to working with the many websites within New Zealand to improve traffic to their sites.

Dean is also inspired by the outdoors - he plays golf, wakeboards, cycles, surfs and is now turning his hand to kite surfing. Along with enjoyment of outdoor recreational pursuits, Dean is an avid sports fan, with Formula One a winner and coaching his son’s rugby team a close second.

If you’re looking for a new job, browse our selection of job vacancies in New Zealand.

I’m the newest recruit to the NZS.com team, adding five years Web development and design experience. With an excellent eye for design and top programming skills, I have played a pivotal role in the design of NZS.com’s fresh, new look.

So if you like it, love it, or just plain hate it please let us know your thoughts through our Suggestion Box.

A brand new look for NZS.com was launched this morning. We hope you like it!

The team here have been working hard in the background for a few months to bring the new look and feel to fruition. Along with the cosmetic update, the structure of the site has also had a good re-work, so you’ll find the site faster to load and easier to use across the board.

A special thanks goes to Zane, Greta and Steve who have worked so hard to bring you the next step in NZS.com’s evolution.

We’re all excited by the outlook for NZS.com as we start a new phase of development towards mapping out the entire New Zealand Web. The goal we’re driven by is the aim of providing you with the simplest and quickest way to find the website or content you’re looking for on the New Zealand Web.

If you have any feedback or suggestions about the site, we’d love to hear from you. Let us know what you think through our Suggestion Box.