As the world watches the invasion of Ukraine in disbelief, companies, NGOs, and people everywhere are trying to do their best to help. We are joining in this effort and working on ways to make it even easier for companies to hire tech talent from Ukraine. While our initiatives are slowly but surely beginning to bear fruit, we talked to Dmitriy Apollonin, a Ukrainian software developer who got hired by a Canadian company with VanHack two years ago. He shares his experience, his journey, and all the preparation needed to land a job in Canada. Get inspired by this success case!
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”.
How VanHacked helped
Dmitriy says one significant aspect of having VanHack’s assistance was understanding how different the hiring process could be. “The most important thing for me was that I didn’t have any experience with interviews for a foreign company. And specifically with Western companies. What I realized with the help of VanHack’s recruiter is that it is a completely different process. Specifically, culture-wise”.
Good news in the middle of the night
One thing that Dmitriy learned right away was that the hiring process is a lot longer than he was used to. It took him 35 interviews over the course of five months to finally get an offer. Due to the time difference, Dmitriy had to go through many conversations with recruiters very late at night in his country. He was used to the 11 pm to 3 am interviews so it was only fitting that the good news would come late at night too. “It was very exciting. Around 1 am I received a call from my now manager and he told me”.
Relocating from Ukraine to Canada
If the hiring process was long and slow, relocating was like a “blizzard” the Ukrainian says. “Everything moved pretty really fast”. VanHack helped with his and his family’s visas and other documents like the LMIA. Around a month and a half after getting the offer, Dmitriy flew to Canada with his wife and kids.
Two years later, he tells us how he adjusted to his new life. “Canada is a really great country for immigrants. I really mean this. Everything is very smart in Canada, from the moment you land here to the final stage when you are settled down. You have all the information you need at your disposal. All the steps are smooth and clear”.
Not everything is great all the time, of course. The Ukrainian recalls having to ask people on the phone to repeat themselves or talk slower because his English was not as good when he arrived. “We had a lot of worries about if it was a good decision, but after two and a half years I can assure you that it worked out well for us”.
Decoding the Canadian Work Visa
Doing our best to help tech talent from Ukraine
Right now we are boosting our work in helping tech talent from Ukraine get jobs abroad and waiving our placement fees. VanHack is also encouraging employers to donate to verified Ukrainian-based charities in lieu 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.
Please learn more about our efforts to help tech talents from Ukraine
How can we help 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
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