Living And Working In Reading

Reading is a large town in the county of Berkshire and is situated in South East England. Only around forty miles from London, it is popular with commuters due the excellent transport links which include the nearest airport, Heathrow, a little over twenty miles away. Reading is a regional transport hub, international gateway for travel and a major transport interchange.

Sitting on the junction of two rivers, the River Kennett and the River Thames, Reading had always been favourably placed for trade. For centuries, the manufacturing of cloth was a major industry and as it went into a natural decline, it was replaced with iron works and the brewing trade. By the nineteenth century, the town grew rapidly and was known mainly for various manufacturing (often known as the three b’s - breweries, bulbs and biscuits), helped significantly by the beginning of the railways.

Reading is a diverse and prosperous town and with both the population and ethnicity on the rise, the town is proud of its sense of belonging.

The University of Reading has a good reputation and is highly ranked in the QS World University Rankings based in the south east of England and offers some fantastic course choices to over 23,000 students from all over the world.

Reading is home to many large international companies and can boast some fantastic high tech business parks. Retail and leisure is booming as Reading is renowned for having become a major retail centre and it has huge success in many sectors including digital, creative, ICT, energy, renewables and biopharma/ biotech and insurance, financial and business service. Reading has been placed in the top ten of best places to gain employment. Several huge technology companies have their main base in Reading.

The exciting Oracle shopping centre, which has more than eighty shops, is interestingly named after the 17th century Oracle Workhouse which was built using funds from a local man named John Kendrick. Restaurants and cafes are plentiful and the nightlife here is incredible. There is also the ever popular Reading Festival which is held each year and attracts many thousands of music fans. Reading is also big on arts and culture with a host of venues to enjoy.

Reading has over a hundred parks and play areas, twenty wooded areas and five nature reserves. Slightly further afield are the unrivalled Chilterns and many lovely villages to inspire you.

With a strong economy, a great standard of living and in such a close proximity to London, Reading obviously isn't the cheapest place to live yet is definitely an investment opportunity with the more expensive homes often being on the waterfront. Additionally, a recent survey placed Reading second out of thirty UK towns and cities for the best community spirit so you are definitely guaranteed a warm welcome.

Are you looking for a Career in Reading? You are invited to attend our Reading Careers Fair held at Penta Hotel on Thursday 16th February, between the times of 10:00am-2pm. Don't miss out and secure your ticket today!