NetApp, an IT company specializing in storage services, took the title of best employer after finishing second to Google last year and, from what can be seen, it is a well deserved honor. Employees have access to Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Xbox game systems that are supplied by the company and staff is annually given extra vacation days to enable community service ventures. They are also offered lucrative referral programs, paid training and discounted gym memberships. Immigrants moving to Australia should definitely have NetApp high on their list of companies to target when sending out their resumes. 

The rest of the top five consists of other world renowned companies that are also no strangers to being hailed for their superb working conditions.

Guinness maker Diageo finished second in the list, jumping two spots from last year. Microsoft partner OBS rose seven spots in the list from 2009 to come in at number three. Google, last years champion, came in at number four while education company Sentis rounded out the top five.

The Great Place to Work Institute Australia compiled the list by surveying over 16,000 employees from more than 150 companies. The results also found that health and training were the most popular benefits among employees and that flexible hours were crucial to the vast majority. 

The list provides more great information for those moving to Australia by giving a roadmap of which career paths immigrants should pursue in order to land at these top companies. As three out of the top five companies listed are technology based, it should serve as a reminder to migrants to sharpen up on those computer skills. While the low level of unemployment still provides an abundance of jobs in Australia, working opportunities in a vast array of employment categories, those who are searching for those top companies that will treat you like a king should strongly consider the technology sector.

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In a shift from the old “get married and when we have children let’s move to the suburbs” approach, people in Australia are trending towards staying in the city with slightly larger apartments and keeping with this arrangement long term. The younger generation apparently has too much of an affinity for city life and are willing to make the financial sacrifices necessary to adjust to the more expensive lifestyle.

Instead of just assuming that the luxuries of suburban life (i.e. bigger homes, larger properties with backyards, relative calm, etc.) are unattainable inside of the big cities, today people are making minor modifications to the types of apartments they seek to maximize city life without sacrificing the “stable” lives they lived growing up in the suburbs.

This news will affect immigrants moving to Australia in a number of ways. For one, it makes it crucial for potential immigrants to be even more versed in Australia’s real estate market. Knowing the trends and being able to anticipate where the market will head with the advent of these trends can bring great benefits. For example, someone moving to Australia with some money put away may now consider buying an apartment in the city as opposed to a house in the suburbs due to demand going up which should keep the value going up.

In addition, if a potential immigrant who is moving to Australia with their family would like to join the trend and settle into an apartment in the city you can gather the information for what type of unit will be able to fill your needs. Some things that families look for when searching for long term apartment solutions in the city include: ground floor apartments to make for easier entry and exit with children, access to laundry services which are not usually common in some apartment buildings, central/walking distance location to desired areas and, if possible, a property that at least has access to some sort of backyard space.

Deciding where to settle when moving to Australia is sometimes as big a challenge as dealing with the actual decision of immigration. Do ample research early on in the process and determine whether city living or suburban life is for you. Once you’ve made that decision you can be ready to move forward and tackle the rest.

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Although the Bureau of Meteorology has classified the cyclone as a category 3 storm, they said it would continue to hit the continent with heavy rains and fiercely strong winds reaching over 124 miles per hour. Over 60,000 homes in Australia have been left without power. The energy company said they have work crews on alert but would not be able to send them to fix anything until the storm calms down.

All shipping vessels en route to Australia and located along the Great Barrier Reef had to be evacuated from the area. The cyclone has caused delays for immigrants moving to Australia since they will now have to wait longer for their shipments to arrive.

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Frank Lowy

Westfield Chairman
Born: 1933, Slovakia
Now lives in Australia

Lowy, one of the richest men in Australia, left Eastern Europe as a refugee after World War II. He then fought in the Haganah, the predecessor to the Israeli army, during Israel’s War of Independence. A few years later, after moving to Australia, he co-founded Westfield (WDC.AX) and built it into one of the world’s top developers of shopping centers.

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