You will get an extra dose of inspiration from software developer Mariian Berezovskyi and his story of dedication and hard work. Mariian is a Ukrainian tech talent who got hired and relocated to Canada with VanHack’s help. We are highlighting candidates from Ukraine and waiving fees for companies that want to hire them. Please learn more about our efforts to help tech talents from Ukraine
After accumulating more than 10 years of experience in his home country, in 2019 Mariian decided to move to Canada where some of his relatives had been living since the 1950s. He was so serious about immigrating that he left his full-time job to focus on studying English and looking for opportunities. That’s when VanHack came in handy.
How VanHack helped Ukrainian Tech Talent get a job in Canada
“I didn’t know about work permits and the Global Talent Stream”, Mariian says. So he focused on trying for a permanent resident’s visa which required more advanced English skills than he had at that point. After one whole year of studying the language at not one but two separate schools, Mariian was able to apply for a work opportunity in Canada for the first time. He ended up not getting the job, but through the process, the programmer learned about other kinds of visas and what VanHack could do to help him.
Decoding the Canadian Work Visa
Preparing for the job interviews in English was by far the hardest part of the whole hiring journey for Mariian so preparation was key. He says VanHack’s assistance was important “mentally” so he could feel confident for the interviews.
After studying for so long and finally getting help understanding visa options, a job caught Mariian’s attention. A good opportunity fits the candidate’s career plans and life goals. “I wanted to work for that company. It was very close to what I was looking for. I like heavy industrial projects and they work with mining. So I’d be doing programs for excavators, trucks, and so on. Back in Ukraine, I was leading a multi-functional team with hardware and software specialists, engineers, and mechanical professionals. So we were on the same page. I decided that I had to get the job… And I did!”, our Ukrainian tech talent recalls.
Watch Mariian Berezovskyi’s story:
Hired and relocating
The offer came some days after several interviews with the company, one of which lasted for almost four hours. He was at his parent’s home, in a small village, so the next challenge was finding a place where to print VanHack’s forms. That would be the first of some difficulties he faced during the relocation process. Moving abroad in the middle of a pandemic can’t be easy. Delays, medical exams, and quarantine were some of the obstacles but things worked out fine in the end.
With VanHack’s assistance, Mariian journey with his Canadian employer finally started in May 2021. He is currently living in Vancouver with his wife. “Life here is very comfortable. It is very different because everything here is about comfort. You have big houses, big cars. Compared to Ukraine, as an IT specialist I would have a good salary, but not other people. I would be different. Here it is so good to feel normal, just part of the normal middle class”, Mariian explains.
Dmitriy is another Ukrainian tech talent relocating to Canada. This is how he got hired.
Helping tech talent from Ukraine
We are boosting our work in helping Ukrainian tech talent get jobs abroad and waiving our placement fees. VanHack is also encouraging employers to donate to verified Ukrainian-based charities instead of its placement fee.
“It’s incredible to see an outpour of support from our global community, and since last week 62 employers have already connected to find out how they can help and hire Ukrainian talent looking for remote and relocation opportunities,” said Ilya Brotzky, CEO, VanHack.
Donate to Ukraine
We have put together a list of useful links for anyone looking for ways big or small to support Ukrainians by:
- Donating to reputable institutions
- Getting information from reliable sources
- Learning more about the conflict