News channels in Greece all put up lengthy special reports about the earthquake as if it’s a big tragedy, even describing it as a “catastrophe.” Please, let’s put things in perspective.

Earthquakes in Greece have become commonplace and pose no real threat unless panic ensues, your home is ancient and poorly built, or a factory is built on a landfill (Ricomex was a terrible and needless loss). The only characteristic I can point to is this one rolled (S-wave) and was of some length.

It may be helpful to click, “How Quakes Happen” by the BBC. Why? Because knowledge is power. If you look at the frame with the tectonic plates, you’ll notice that Greece is indeed outlined by a plate and therefore vulnerable to regular Earth movement.

For everyone traveling or living in Greece, please review earthquake safety with this quick and educational Earthquake Quiz and “Earthquakes and Epiphany” that details guidelines for every situation. I especially recommend them to anyone who thinks running outside is a good idea. There is absolutely no reason to be frightened or worried if you understand what to do.

Related posts

“Two earthquakes in 20+ minutes“

* Hat tip to Grits’ friend in Souda Bay for sharing the quiz

There are dozens of different work permits for Greece, and individuals who are high ranking professionals (directors, general managers, board members and administrators) at EU or non-EU companies abroad, with a branch or subsidiary in Greece are eligible for a visa and permit to live and work in Greece if their company transfers them.

Permits are not granted to everyone, and I encourage all non-EU citizens interested in living and working in Greece to first read, “How Americans/non-EU citizens can move, live and work in Greece.” Why? Because it is of vital importance to understand the legalities of visas and permits before investing time in looking for a job or continuing to read this post.

Visa

You must apply for the appropriate visa at the Greek Consulate nearest the location of your legal residence with:

1. Passport
2. Proof of employment (work contract or other official document)
3. Verification of employment from HR or superior, and reason for transfer on company letterhead
4. Proof of medical insurance
5. Police record from the station nearest your home

All must be originals.

Permit

Once arriving in Greece, the executive and his/her family members must apply for a permit within 30 days at the municipality ‘dimos’ office or police station (if in a remote area), during which many of the same documents listed above will again be requested for each person along with:

a) Proof of residence in Greece (rental lease stamped by the eforia/tax office or your mortgage);
b) Proof of income (originals of check stubs or payments) translated into Greek;
c) Proof of health insurance (originals) translated into Greek;
d) Health certificate (X-ray and blood test performed by a state hospital in Greece, after which a certificate is issued if both are clear);
e) Four (4) recent passport photos (per person)
f) Fakelo (folder with bands on the corner available at any office/school supply store)

It is good for one year and can be renewed at least 60 days in advance of expiration as long as your contract remains in force. Late submissions incur a penalty, which is per person not per party.

Related articles

“Certifying a photocopy or other document in Greece“
“Translation of documents into Greek“
“FAQ Greek residence/work permits“

On May 28th, after months of careful deliberation about this site’s future, An American in Athens became livingingreece.gr

Many know me and this site as An American in Athens, and this will continue to be true so it’s not necessary to change the name (just the link). However, I know that many people bypassed or discounted this Web site as purely a blog of no value to them or disrespected me as a writer based on the name alone. In fact, only one-fourth of this Web site is personal, while the majority of articles are practical and based on meticulous research and 11 years of wisdom and experience. After a year, the site is very content heavy and something needed to be done.

My stats have suffered a dramatic hit since the change, which I knew in advance, and my special feature box on Google is now gone (wah! ). But the mission has always been about providing quality information in the long term and not worrying about hits in the short term, so I believe this site will eventually rebound.

All permalinks will automatically redirect to the new one without incident, but I would appreciate if everyone would update the link if you’d like to keep me around, and RSS readers and Google alerts should be changed to livingingreece.gr to continue receiving notifications. There will be a day in the near future when americaninathens.com and livingingreece.gr co-exist on the same site, but there is a larger metamorphosis in progress right now to give everyone a better reader experience.

Thank you to everyone who has shown me continued support!

Related posts

“One“
“American in Athens in Eleftheros Typos“ 

This will be my last post about OTE (On The Exodus) and our shoddy ADSL connection because it’s on the way out of our lives.

We again had no online access this past week like so many weeks before, but OTE continues to make promises it hasn’t kept. These empty promises have cost me precious money and work opportunities I can no longer afford to lose, with no apology, no compensation and absolutely no change in service for the past 6 months we’ve lived in this supposedly “good” area.

I am hopeful this Vodafone wireless solution is more reliable. It’s the same price and a lot more convenient for the same speed, so it’s already gotten my attention…and respect.

Related posts

“Somewhere between tragedy and comedy“
“Just another day in Hellas“
“OTE: Miracle on Thiseos Street“
“Communications blackout“
“The magic of DSL in Greece“

The Great Place to Work Institute and its international affiliates publish an annual report on — you guessed it — great places to work. It includes 15 countries in Europe, nine countries in Latin America, three countries in Asia and Canada.

The original Great Place to Work in California compiles Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For^® in America.

How companies are chosen

The process of selection starts when a company voluntarily submits an application for candidacy, and allows a team of screened evaluators to collect employee opinions about trust and quality, perform audits and gather media information, and review company-submitted materials. Therefore, the ranking does not reflect a competition between all possible companies.

Also be aware that evaluators were only allowed to report positive aspects, which means the survey is not comprehensive.

Best Places to Work - Countries

The remainder of this article will concentrate on Greece, however you are free to click on any of the other countries below in which a link to the English version is provided.

Europe: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Latin America: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela

Asia: India, Japan, Korea

North America: USA and Canada

“Best” job

The term “best” is subjective and highly specific to an individual, based on his/her background, needs, goals and values. There isn’t one profession or one company offering “the best job,” just as there isn’t a single method to finding the highest paying job. If there was, don’t you think we’d all work there?

The best job is one that suits the qualifications (experience and skills), interests and enthusiasm of the person concerned. Natural talent also plays a part, since a person with a university degree and interest in public relations may actually have poor oral and written communication skills.

In Greece, jobs with the highest salary are likely those secured with connections and not found on the Internet.

Essential info about Greek companies and jobs

Nearly all of these companies request candidates with bilingual capability, fulfillment of military obligations (if male) and a requirement that he/she be aged 35 or younger. For those unfamiliar with Greece, discrimination based on age, gender and nationality is common practice and one that typically goes unpunished.

It is also common for many Greek companies to not have job listings and not disclose the names, e-mail addresses and other contact information of employees, including the company manager or HR. There is never an employee directory.

If you are a non-EU citizen looking at this post from outside Greece with hopes that one of these (American) companies will sponsor your work visa and work permit, these privately owned subsidiaries have little or no contact with headquarters back home, and securing visas and permits for a non-EU citizen is done rarely unless you are highly specialized and/or have a connection. It is recommended you read, “How Americans/non-EU citizens can move, live and work in Greece.” Why? Because it’s of vital importance to understand the legalities of visas and permits before looking for a job.

There is a surplus of qualified candidates already in Greece and the entire EU, who can fill these positions with no bureaucracy. Many from outside Greece are also at a disadvantage, since working knowledge of local business culture is essential to successfully capturing the Greek market, which IS the company’s goal. See “Common myths vs. reality about working in Greece” for more details.

How to use this list

All company names are in CAPS and contain the link to their home page. If Web sites were only in Greek, I provided a translation of contact information in English, in addition to the career/job section link if the company had one.

I do not represent nor have I ever worked for any of these companies, so specific questions or complaints should be directed at respective personnel.

Καλη δουλεια!

Top 20

1. PISCINES IDEALES
Size: 127 employees
Industry: Construction/contractors of swimming pools
Ownership: Private
Career section: www.piscinesideales.gr
Notes: No English; lists jobs, but you must navigate in Greek to Etairia →Kariera

Davaki 18
15121 Pefki
Phone: (210) 6148.400
Fax: (210) 6142.308
E-mail: info@piscinesideales.gr

2. MICROSOFT HELLAS
Size: 95 employees
Industry: Information Technology
Ownership: Private
Career section: www.microsoft.com/hellas/
Notes: No English; navigation in Greek but job listings in English

Kifissias 221
15124 Marousi
Phone: 801 500 3000 or 211 1206 500
E-mail: msgrhr@microsoft.com

3. PROCTER & GAMBLE HELLAS
Size: 286 employees
Industry: Healthcare
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.pg.com

4. GENESIS PHARMA
Size: 164 employees
Industry: Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
Ownership: Private
Career section: www.genesispharma.com

5. CADBURY HELLAS
Size: 204 employees
Industry: Food products
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.cadbury.gr
Notes: No English

Marinou Antypa 41-45
141 21 Irakleio
Athens
Phone: (210) 270-4000
E-mail: recruiting.greece@csplc.com

6. AION
Size: 55 employees
Industry: Retail Carpets
Ownership: Private
Notes: Has English page, but no career section

7. KRAFT FOODS HELLAS
Size: 286 employees
Industry: Food products
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.kraftfoods.gr
Notes: No English; no job listings, applicants must send their CV (in Greek) to the e-mail address listed

F. Ginosati 19
144 52 Metamorfosi
Athens
Phone: (210) 288-9000
Fax: (210) 285-1430
E-mail: grkfhhr@krafteurope.com

8. EXODUS
Size: 112 employees
Industry: Information Technology
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.exodus.gr

9. BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB
Size: 195 employees
Industry: Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
Ownership: Private
Career section: www.bms-greece.gr
Notes: No English; has career section, but no listings

Athens
Attikis 49-53 & Propodidos 2
152 35 Vrilissia
Phone: (210) 6074 300, 6074 400
Fax: (210) 6074 333

Thessaloniki
19th km National Road, Neon Moudanion
570 01 Thermi
Phone: (23920) 21600
Fax: (23920) 21555

10. PRAKTIKER HELLAS
Size: 1416 employees
Industry: Retail Home Store
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.praktiker.gr
Notes: Has career section, but no listings; candidates are requested to send their CVs in Greek

11. HELLENIC AEROSPACE INDUSTRY (HAI)
Size: 2766 employees
Industry: Aerospace
Ownership: Government
Career section: None

12. MELLON COLLECTION SERVICES
Size: 276 employees
Industry: Financial Services & Insurance
Ownership: Private
Career section: www.mellongroup.com

13. UCB
Size: 133 employees
Industry: Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.ucb-group.com

14. TASTY FOODS
Size: 757 employees
Industry: Food products
Ownership: Private
Career Section: pepsi.newjobs.co.uk
Notes: No GR Web site

22nd Km Athinion-Lamias National Rd.
Agios Stefanos
Phone: (210) 629-8000/30
Fax: (210) 621 8100
E-mail: tasty.hr@intl.pepsico.com

15. AIG GREECE
Size: 141 employees
Industry: Financial Services and Insurance
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.aig-greece.gr
Notes: English version contains limited info; job listings in Greek only

16. ALDEMAR HOTELS & SPA
Size: 1290 employees
Industry: Hotel and Hospitality
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.aldemarhotels.com
Notes: Has career section, but listings

17. HEWLETT-PACKARD HELLAS
Size: 231 employees
Industry: Information Technology
Ownership: Private
Career Section: www.hp.gr
Notes: No English Web site, but career section link is in English

18. PIRAEUS DIRECT SERVICES
Size: 209 employees
Industry: Financial Services and Insurance
Ownership: Private
Career Section: Job Mini-site on skywalker.gr
Notes: No English, job listings in Greek

19. EAGLES PALACE HOTEL & SPA
Size: 83 employees
Industry: Hotel and Hospitality
Ownership: Private
Career Section: None, English Web site has contact info

20. HELLENIC FABRICS
Size: 453 employees
Industry: Textiles
Ownership: Private
Career Section: Submit your CV form
Notes: No listings, use link to submit your CV in Greek or send to: hrm@hellenicfabrics.gr

To see last year’s winners, see “Best places to work in Greece 2007.”