No need to be shy: everything you wanted to know about relocation

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The general idea of ​​relocation: the company moves the employee "turnkey". The end. But is it really so? We talked to Maria Antonova, Senior Recruiter Ten Square Games Wroclaw , about relocation options and how she carried out hers.

A subtle question

- I thought about relocation when I was working at Wargaming, - says Maria. - Product teams were moved "turnkey", and for recruiters there was only one option - temporary remote work from another country, without changes in salary. Also, other companies practice different "packages" for relocation: somewhere it will be "all inclusive", somewhere they will offer partial help, for example, only with work, and you will have to deal with housing and documents yourself, and somewhere you can expect an unpleasant surprise in the form of changes in the terms of the contract.
Note:

Some companies worsen the conditions for relocators: they offer to relocate you under a strict contract (you won’t be able to quit for 2-3 years) or with a probationary period of 3-6 months (despite the social media marketing service fact that you have long passed the probationary period in Belarus). Be careful and clarify all the nuances here.
— At some point, I realized that I didn’t want to stay in Belarus any longer, and decided to look for relocation options on my own, — says Maria. — My mental state wasn’t the best, like many others in 2020. I sent out my LinkedIn PDF profile to a bunch of foreign companies, not really hoping, and a month later I received only one invitation for an interview.
Note

Resumes without cover letters don't work. Read our guide on how to pass interviews, part 1
The barrier is my own doubts

— This single response inspired me and showed that my experience is needed and important not only here in Belarus. And although I didn’t get an offer because I didn’t know Polish, the fact itself gave me motivation and incentive for a while, — Maria recalls. — I started watching webinars about relocation, began to search more specifically: Europe, the opportunity to use English, large and successful game development companies. I didn’t want to consider Poland until the very end because of the law banning abortions. I really wanted to go to Sweden, I was serious, I even took a trial lesson in Swedish. I improved my resume, started sending cover letters for each vacancy: it took at least an hour a day. But there were no more invitations. I freaked out and flew to Zanzibar. There I had an epiphany, I analyzed what was happening, dealt with my fears, felt that I really wanted to move and got ready for it calmly and confidently.

Psychological lifehack

Do not discard psychological "tricks" when preparing: any techniques, and writing down pros and cons on paper, and flow drawing or metaphorical cards - all this helps to understand your desires and tune in to achieving the goal that is really needed. It is not clear how, but it works.
— I don’t understand how, but upon returning, invitations for interviews started coming in: an interview with Krakow, the company Ten Square Games, which had rejected me because I didn’t know Polish, is ready to return to consideration, companies from London and Berlin are scheduling interviews for me within a week, and then an interview with a company from Warsaw and Facebook!
Note

The era of covid-19 has changed the views on remote work. If previously relocation to the country where the office is located was implied by default, now many companies have felt the savings from remote work and the fact that the quality of work does not decrease due to the format. Thus, it is becoming more difficult to find a turnkey relocation: companies do not want to move employees and offer to work from home.
— I got to the second stage with Facebook, I didn’t have time to talk to Warsaw, and their salary offer was lower than I expected, it didn’t work out with London because of visa complications, I didn’t pass the final stage with Berlin perfectly, so they wanted to look at other candidates, — lists Maria. — Meanwhile, I already had two offers from Poland, between which I was choosing.
Stick to your guns

— Ten Square Games introduced me to the team, during the call I showed my shoes with babies in the soles that blew up my TikTok. Apparently, they were impressed, — laughs Maria. — They made me an offer: 6 months of remote work through an individual entrepreneur and then relocation. I said, like, this is all great, but I don’t know what will happen here even after 3 months, let alone six. Then the remote probationary period was reduced to three months. Before I could recover from the fact that the company met me halfway, I received a second offer from Krakow! They told me that they were ready to relocate me right away. I told TSG about this and decided that I was going to Krakow, although I liked this company less, but I wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Note:

The provided relocation may consist of three main components: a relocation bonus (funds for moving, covers transportation costs), payment for a realtor who will look for housing, and payment for the services of a company that will handle the paperwork (visa issues, registration of an individual entrepreneur under such an agreement, etc.).
— In addition to the three points mentioned, the company provided me with an apartment for 2 weeks after my arrival so that I could calmly sort out the documents, look around the city, and rest, — says Maria. — I remember very clearly the moment when the company told me that they were agreeing to my conditions. Friday evening, I was going to Galileo to buy Korean masks. A call from Poland: Maria, this is Ten Square Games, we really want you on the team, we are ready to move you right away. I am standing in amazement in the middle of Galileo. I am trying to ground myself: I am Masha. I am 25 years old... Today, a company from another country that has never worked with me and has never even seen me in person, with which I cannot even communicate in their language, has already met me halfway twice to hire me. This means I did everything right.


Post-Covid Relocation

— You could say that during the times of Covid, the concept of relocation has been transformed, — Maria shares her observations. — This is no longer just the inconvenient “package” that your permanent company where you worked in Belarus could provide. Now you can study the relocation conditions in your company and, if they do not interest you, look for another company. It is not necessary to agree to an unterminable contract for 2 years, a new probationary period, lower pay just for the sake of moving to another country. You can look for what suits you and move to conditions no worse than those in your current position, no matter what they say in webinars about relocation.