Making the move
By this point, you have secured your role and you are ready to start your new life Down Under.
To ensure your settling-in period is as smooth as possible, Talent Hub have put together a few handy tips and links. These aren’t meant to replace your own research and we’d definitely recommend doing some homework yourself, but we’ve compiled the information that we wish people had shared with us back in 2012.
Finding a home
It can be difficult to find your first home in Australia or New Zealand as often real estate agents/landlords want to see proof of income and rental history. Ensure that you have arranged for somewhere to stay before you arrive (whether that’s a friend’s house, hotel or short-term holiday lease), ideally somewhere you can stay for 2-4 weeks to give you time to secure a rental property.
In Australia, the main real estate websites to search for your own property are:
If you are looking for shared accommodation then try:
In New Zealand the main real estate websites are:
Getting your admin in order
Before you start work you need to ensure you have your bank account and tax file/IRD number set up. In Australia you will also need a superannuation fund http://www.australia.gov.au/information-and-services/money-and-tax/superannuation, and in New Zealand you should look at Kiwi Saver www.kiwisaver.govt.nz
In Australia, the major banks are:
National Australia Bank
Commonwealth Bank
Westpac
ANZ
In New Zealand, the major banks are:
ANZ Bank New Zealand
ASB, Bank of New Zealand
Kiwibank
Westpac
You can find details of how to secure your Australian tax file number here:
https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/Tax-file-number/
You can find details of how to secure your New Zealand IRD here:
http://www.ird.govt.nz/how-to/irdnumbers/
Integrating into the Salesforce Community
Nowadays, most major cities in the world will have some sort of Salesforce social gathering. This is no different in Australia and New Zealand as you can find meet-ups in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland. If there isn’t already a meet-up that matches your needs, why not create one? We are sure that there will be Salesforce professionals nearby who would love to meet to share knowledge and who knows what it could turn into?
A good place to search for suitable events in your area is www.meetup.com/. And remember, this doesn’t have to just be work related, it is also a good source to find and meet likeminded people, so you can start making friends in your new area too.