What makes you keep moving when things get hard? If you are reading this post, it means you are a hard-working determined person who takes challenges head-on and who is ready to fight for what you want. That’s the attitude we love around here! Since we all need a little extra push every once in a while, we want to talk to you about strategies to boost motivation during the international hiring process.
1 – Know what you want: motivation comes from purpose
Your point of view matters. The hiring process is also about finding a place where you will be happy and thrive, so don’t take the back seat. Carolina Brand, Talent Manager at VanHack, explains: “It is not only about the company, but it is also about you making sure that it is a company you want to work at”. So eyes on the prize. What companies do you have in mind? What would your dream job look like? Where do you see yourself thriving?
Your personal goals have to be part of the equation too. Take a minute to remember why you are doing this in the first place. Do you want to grow, learn, to have an international experience? It helps thinking about the people around you too. Are you planning this career move with a family? What are your dreams for them?
For VanHackers Debarghya and Poulami, a couple who immigrated together from India to Germany, moving to Europe had been a long-time dream. Their motivation was a mix of professional goals and the lifestyle they envisioned for themselves. “We thought that maybe [moving to Europe] would give us different kinds of exposure, both product-wise and technology-wise. We also wanted to travel, we both love traveling. So we thought that moving to Europe would give us better options to travel”, says Poulami. Learn more about relocating to Germany
His kids were the motivation boost for Dmitriy Apollonin. He is a Ukrainian software developer who got hired by a Canadian company with VanHack two years ago. A safer environment, better opportunities for his kid, and more chances to travel were some of the reasons why Dmitriy and his wife wanted to live abroad. “I watched youtube vloggers showing their life in Canada. I was very impressed with their friendliness towards children”, he explains. “Our daughter was half the reason why we decided to move”.
2 – Repeat: sometimes you just have to try again and again
When things don’t go as planned, resilience is in order. Rosalba is a Fullstack engineer from Cuba who got hired and relocated to Canada. Like so many VanHackers, Rosy was nervous about the English verification videos, but she says following the instructions on the platform helped her know she was on the right path.
“The site is very clear about what you need to do in the videos and how to prepare for that. What I did was I read all the descriptions on the site and prepared by talking about myself following the same structure you are given on the site. English is not my first language so first I wrote down what I needed to say in each video, and I practiced my pronunciation. It took me an hour and a half, maybe two hours because I didn’t like how the first recording came out, so I had to record many times.”
Sometimes, when motivation fails, it helps to just try again without dwelling too much on the problems. When you are not a native English speaker you can’t escape sometimes mispronouncing a word or forgetting how to say something. Rosalba wants you to know it’s OK. Perfection is not the goal. “Being prepared for different types of interviews helped a lot. I think one great piece of advice is to not be afraid to speak in English. I know that English is not the first language for many of the people who apply through VanHack but the employers are really nice people so if you make a mistake, it’s OK, that is not your first language”.
3 – Think long term: it’s supposed to take some time, don’t let that kill your motivation
Building an international career takes time. We can tell you it is worth it! But we will not let you think it’s easy and fast. So don’t be discouraged if you think months have gone by without any progress. Sometimes hiring process are long and get delayed or stretched for reason outside of your control. If you are working on yourself, preparing and doing your research, you are making progress. Sure waiting is not fun, but don’t let time kill your motivation.
4 – Just keep at it: combine motivation with perseverance
We have all been guilty of overthinking, right? The urge to over-analyze get even stronger when we feel things are not going our way. The hiring process can be hard and it comes with its ups and downs. One thing we can tell you though is sometime it helps to just keep at it. It is not about repeating mistakes, but it’s about standing back up and trying again until you make it.
Candidates get rejected for reasons outside of their control all the time. Sometimes the job just wasn’t a good fit for you. “Failing isn’t your enemy, it’s fearing failure that truly cripples you”, Lei says. She is an amazing VanHacker from Myanmar who had to try many time before finally landing her dream international job. “I got rejected. Yes, I was disappointed. But I took it as a learning experience. I focused on learning new things, and I eventually got a very nice job. You may get rejected and feel hurt, but please DO NOT GIVE UP! You can do it. Believe me. Take one step at a time towards your dream job”.
You can watch Lei’s full story here:
5 – Ask for help: we are here for you
And last but not least, when motivation starts to falter, lean on the people who’s rooting for you. Rely on the support of your friends and family. May we remind you we are also here to help? Our team of consultants offer preparation, guidance and resources throughout the entire hiring process. We want to assist as many tech talents as possible reach their dream job abroad. You are most definitely not on this alone. So tell us, what can we do for you today?
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🌎 VANHACK, LinkedIn Talent Awards Winner 2021, is Canada’s most respected recruitment company. With more than 1,500 hires, VanHack is on a mission of increasing diversity and creating a borderless world. So if you are a software developer looking for a job abroad, in Canada, the US, or Europe, join VanHack today. 100% free for candidates, plus you will get all the preparation you need when your profile is shortlisted.
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