Truth be told though, any journey, not just the long ones, begins with a couple of steps – planning and preparation. Whether it’s a quick run to the supermarket, which just requires money, a shopping list and car keys or a holiday trip to faraway places, planning and preparation is really where a journey starts.
However when the journey means moving to another country to start a new life the words planning and preparation just take on a whole new meaning and the difference between excitement and anxiety becomes a little more difficult to identify. In many areas of research, for large corporations and problem solving enterprises, one of the most powerful decision influencing tools in use for many years is the “Think Tank”. A Think Tank is quite simply a selected group of individuals with expertise in a number of areas relevant to the problem to be solved. The individuals bring their expertise to bear on the problem and as a team they develop a solution. So what on earth does a Think Tank have to do with taking a journey? Well it all comes back to those first couple of steps that begin the journey: planning and preparation. ePAK or to give it its full title; Electronic Personal Assistant Kit is a virtual “Think Tank” of expertise. Many hours of research, interviews and reading have been put together with accounts of the experiences of others who have made the journey before. Articles have been selected or specifically commissioned from experts in a given field to cover particular aspects or questions. All of these are brought together from a wide variety of sources, to give you the most important part of any journey; information. In order to make informed decisions one needs relevant information. To make sure one meets requirements for an application you need information. To smooth a journey you need information about where to go, what to do and when to do it. To make settling down in a new home exciting not terrifying you need information on what to expect and where to find things. ePAK is designed to present relevant information in an easy to read, easy to reference style which will make the first couple of steps of your journey easier and more exciting. Some of the articles are of a general nature and will be helpful no matter which country you are emigrating to. However the prime purpose of this ePAK is to assist those who want to immigrate to New Zealand. So, what are we waiting for?