u/Adventurous-Board185

Hey everyone,

I’ve been in Wellington for a bit now on a Working Holiday Visa and I’m absolutely loving the vibe here. I’m a Game Developer (Unity/C#) with about 5 years of experience back home in SEA, but now that I’m actually on the ground, I’m trying to figure out if there's a realistic long-term path for me.

I’m currently weighing up two very different options and would love some local perspective:

• The Master’s Route**:** I’m looking at the Professional Master’s (CS) at Vic or Massey for later this year. To be honest, I’m wondering if it's worth the massive tuition fees just to get the post-study work visa. Does a NZ Master’s actually make me more hireable here?
• Stay or Go?: I’ve also been thinking—is it better to just head back home and keep improving my portfolio until I’m "senior" enough to get a direct offer from an overseas company? Or does being here in person on a WHV or a study-visa give me a big enough edge that I should keep grinding for a local role now?
• The CyberSec Pivot**:** I’ve also been tempted by Cybersecurity, but I’m worried about starting from scratch. Is it wiser to stick to Software Engineering (where I have the most experience) to secure a visa, or is the demand in CyberSec high enough to justify a total pivot?

I’d love to hear from anyone in the Wellington tech scene, especially if you've transitioned from a WHV to residency or if you’re currently hiring devs.

Cheers!