A move to Winnipeg fulfilled a long-held dream. Returning to Brazil opened a different chapter in the same international career.
Andre Pereira’s international software developer career did not end when he returned to Brazil. After receiving an offer from a company in Winnipeg and moving to Canada, he later needed to return home for family reasons. At the time of his interview, he was still working for a Canadian company from Brazil, enjoying both the work and the relationship with his team.
In his conversation with Grayce Ferreira from VanHack, Andre looks back on the preparation behind that opportunity: improving his English, practicing interviews, and continuing to learn after years in the industry. His experience is a reminder that an international career can change shape without losing its meaning.
Experience was a foundation, but opportunity still took work
Originally from Sao Paulo, Andre began his technology career in 1999. His background spans software development and leadership, including work as a lead developer, coordinator, and CTO. He also describes studying computer science and later pursuing postgraduate studies in artificial intelligence.
Even with that experience, working abroad felt difficult to reach. He had long wanted to visit other countries and explore opportunities in places such as Canada and the United States. Getting a conversation with an overseas employer was itself a challenge, and English added another layer of uncertainty.
He recalls discovering VanHack around 2018 or 2019, sharing his profile, and taking part in English training and mock interviews. In 2021, he received a job offer from a company in Winnipeg. The preparation had helped turn a longstanding ambition into a concrete opportunity.
Practice changed what an interview felt like
For Andre, the value of mock interviews went beyond rehearsing answers. Repeated practice helped him become more confident and less preoccupied with the possibility of failure. In a real interview, he could focus more on communicating the information the interviewer needed.
That distinction matters for experienced developers. Knowing how to do the work and explaining that work clearly in another language are different skills. Andre’s advice is to practice both, rather than assume technical experience will make the conversation easy.
He recommends doing mock interviews, asking a friend to interview you, and practicing explanations of what you do. Those conversations create opportunities to work through uncertainty before an actual hiring discussion. His emphasis is consistency: keep improving your English, keep learning, and keep trying even after a rejection.
So you’re not afraid anymore of failing.
Andre Pereira
A familiar team made the move easier
By the time Andre moved to Winnipeg, he says he had already worked remotely with the team for almost a year. Meetings and ongoing collaboration meant he knew the people before arriving in person. The move was a significant change, but the working relationships were not starting from zero.
He describes a welcoming team that helped him understand the company and settle into its way of working. He also recalls a smooth immigration process with support from VanHack. Looking back, he speaks warmly about the people who helped him navigate that transition.
His account is personal rather than a promise about every relocation. For him, the combination of an established relationship and a supportive team made an unfamiliar situation easier to manage.
Returning to Brazil was not the end of the story
Family circumstances eventually brought Andre back to Brazil. But returning home did not mean giving up international work. He continued working for a Canadian company and describes feeling good about the team, the work, and the way he was treated.
That is an important part of his definition of success. Moving to Canada had been a dream, but geography was not the only thing he valued. A positive working relationship and the ability to continue his career from Brazil also mattered.
His story leaves room for a less linear version of working abroad: preparation, an offer, relocation, and then a change of plans. The return home was another chapter, not a reversal of everything he had achieved.
Learn the systems, not just the syntax
Asked about the skills developers should build now, Andre points to AI alongside broader software engineering fundamentals. In his experience, knowing a programming language is only part of the picture. Developers also need to understand system design, integrations, and how a company’s existing tools connect to what it wants to accomplish.
He describes using machine learning in his work, including data extraction and validation, while respecting company restrictions. His perspective is practical: understand the tools and concepts, and think about where they fit into a system rather than treating AI as a label to add to a resume.
His learning advice starts with depth. Choose a language, become proficient in it, and understand more than its frameworks. Study algorithms and how systems behave as they scale. Books remain one of his preferred ways to learn. Alongside that technical work, keep practicing English and explaining your ideas to other people.
Build a career that can keep evolving
Andre’s journey combines persistence with the flexibility to adapt. Years of experience did not remove the need to prepare, and a change in family circumstances did not erase the opportunity he had built. Today, his account connects a long-held ambition with a working arrangement that fits a different chapter of life.
For developers considering their own next step, his advice is straightforward: deepen your technical knowledge, practice communicating it, and do not let a series of unsuccessful interviews become the end of the search.
Ready to explore your next chapter? Explore international tech opportunities with VanHack, or watch Andre’s full interview to hear his experience firsthand.
