Relocated: with his wife and two children from Ukraine to Austria
Current employer: BWIN Interactive Entertainment AG
Position: Software Developer
Date started: 01.03.2008

    

1. Why did you decide to work abroad? Were you looking for a vacancy in any specific country?
   
   

   Just wanted to work abroad :). Maybe because life there is better. I was looking for a job in the Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic; never thought about Austria actually.

2. Did you have any doubts in the successful outcome of your application with Ciklum Relocation for a chosen vacancy?
   
   

   I just had doubt in my skills, not in Ciklum’s staff and their competences.

3. Have you ever applied for other vacancies requiring relocation before?
   
   

   Yes, I had an offer from a Dutch company, have been there for a final interview but rejected the offer. I also had a choice between my current job and the job in Czech Republic.

4. Why did you accept the job offer from BWIN International Ltd?
   
   

   I accepted my current job because it was the best offer in terms of salary and living conditions. Personnel, whom I talked to during the interviews, showed the best experience.

5. What was your best moment during your first working days at the new place?
   
   

   I guess it would also be a positive moment if I say that everything was very easy, predictable and without any difficulties :). A lot of help from the HR department.

6. What new experience did you gain at your current position? Do you have a chance to learn or you only share your knowledge with others?
   
   

   I was lucky to get acquainted with very strong developers, from whom I learned to look at a problem from a higher level of abstraction, think of it from different angles of views. I also had a chance to share my experience with some other developers.

7. Are you a part of an international team at your current place of employment? Is there a language barrier between your team-mates?
   
   

   There are people who came from Poland, Hungary, Russian, Ukraine and of course form Austria. I never felt any language barriers between me and my team.

8. How long did the process of adaptation to the new environment take place for you? In terms of everything being new: the country, company, team, and even your flat.
   
   

   4-5 months. But to my mind the process of adaptation, at least for me, still continues. It’s not something discrete, which stops after a certain date. Time after time there are some challenges, which I successfully deal with :).

9. Do you have an opportunity to keep in touch with your family and friends? Do they visit you?
   
   

   Skype, ICQ, mailing :). I plan to invite my mother and sister to visit me.

10. Did you have a chance to travel around Austria or to any neighbor-countries?
    
    

    Not yet, but we plan to travel to Slovenia during the summer vacation.

11. What do your wife and children do while you are at work? Is your wife looking for job opportunities?
    
    

    So far my wife sits at home with kids. My son goes to kindergarten, will start his school this year. My daughter will go to kindergarten this Autumn.