Meet José Gomes a Senior Software Developer who moved from Brazil to Calgary, Alberta in November 2019. José embarked for Canada during Brazil’s summer, leaving behind plus 30-degree weather and trading it in for snow and cooler temperatures.
Prior to moving to Canada, José was living in Santa Catarina, located in southern Brazil. He has a degree in computer science and has been working as a software engineer for more than 10 years. Growing up in Brazil, José began his career working for small and medium-sized local companies and eventually, began working remotely for North American companies while living in Brazil.
It’s been almost two years and José is embracing Canada’s culture and beauty. With his wife, 10-year-old daughter, and dog, they enjoy biking and hiking in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Although hockey hasn’t grown on him quite yet, it’s only a matter of time until he’s cheering on the Calgary Flames.
Currently, José works at TELUS Health as a Senior Developer Analyst and also works with Teamit to help screen and recruit Brazilian tech talent for North American companies. In our interview, he shares his story and advice for Brazilian software developers who are seeking an opportunity in North America.
While working remotely and travelling to different places in Brazil, José enjoyed meeting new people and exploring his country’s culture and beauty. Working as a software engineer for several years, naturally, José’s next step in his career was in management; however, he had his eyes set on working abroad and exploring career opportunities. “It was going back a few steps, instead of moving to a manager position,” said Gomes.
In May 2019, José began working remotely in Brazil for The RealReal—a San Fransico-based company and the world’s largest online marketplace for authenticated, resale luxury goods. Around the same time, the company offered him the opportunity to move to North America. That's when he connected with Teamit. The RealReal was looking to build a software development team in Calgary and consulted Teamit to help build them a remote team.
After discussing the opportunity with his family, José connected with Alistair Shepherd-Cross, the President & Co-Founder of Teamit, to begin the process to move to Calgary. He began the work permit application process, taking about six months to get everything ready from the moment José and his family made the decision to move.
“Teamit supported my move to begin my transition including everything from immigration services to renting a house and everything in between such as opening a bank account. It was a stress-free experience, and I had all the support I needed to move to Canada.” - José Gomes
Canada’s diverse culture, education, access to great companies, and career growth opportunities attracted José to take the leap and move to the northern hemisphere. Known for its high quality of life, Canada ranked number one for the fifth year in a row and is considered one of the safest countries with some of the lowest crime rates anywhere. It’s also recognized as a place for opportunity with a strong and stable economy ranking as the tenth-largest economy in the world and an education system that ranks in the top 10 globally.
Although it was hard to leave his family and friends, José and his family are happy in Canada and are in touch daily with everyone back in Brazil. “Many years ago, I could never have imagined that we would be living in Calgary,” Gomes said.
For Brazilians who want to get hired by a North American tech company, José’s first piece of advice is to focus on your English communication skills. Learning a new language is challenging and being able to speak it well and confidently takes practice.
“The first time that I did a screening interview, I failed. And the interviewer said to me, ‘Look, your English skills are good, but you need to practice and speak with native English speakers,” shared Gomes. José took it upon himself to improve his English-speaking skills and looked to Cambly, an app that gives you access to native English speakers to help you practice conversation skills, pronunciation and any other English skills you want to improve. Whether you want to practice once per day or three times per week, how often you practice is completely up to you.
As a software developer, you need to be continuously learning and practicing. Making time to practice your English is also key. “Communication is very important. Don't be shy, be persistent. Someday you will get it. So, keep practicing and improving yourself every day,” he said.
José’s second tip is to optimize your LinkedIn profile and resume. For your LinkedIn profile, creating an English version will help North American companies find you. With your resume, it’s important to keep in mind it not only reflects your experience but also acts as a sample of your English writing skills. There are a lot of resumes out there and tons of templates to provide you with ideas and inspiration. Take the time to review other top software developer resumes and see how they’re communicating their work experience and skills.
Finally, stay up to date and attend conferences. José's recommendation is to check out the GOTO Conferences YouTube channel. When you attend conferences, share your thoughts on LinkedIn. "This is a great way to improve your English communication skills and to show you're staying current on the industry which can increase the chances of someone finding you on LinkedIn," said Gomes.
Working at Teamit, José helps recruit Brazilian software developers for North American companies. This is a fulfilling part of his role knowing he can help other Brazilians build a better life and find great opportunities with quality companies. “It’s something that you don't always have the chance to do in your life—to help others and change their life,” said Gomes.
Have questions or looking for more advice? Connect with José on LinkedIn.
Watch the full interview with José on our YouTube channel.
If you’re a Brazilian software developer interested in working for a North American tech company, we can help connect you with quality companies based in North America. Through our well-established and long-term relationships, our clients and candidates are referred to us by people we know and trust. Learn more about our candidate interview process.
Interested in becoming a candidate? Contact us or connect with our Technical Recruiters based in Brazil, Lorena Locks Coelho and Rafaela Galembeck to learn more.
“Teamit helped me find my first remote job with a high quality North American company. Teamit has close relationships with some of North America's most respected technology companies which took the risk out of the job search for me. The opportunity allows me to work remotely and Teamit supported me all the way through the interview and offer process. It has opened up a whole new world, allowing me to grow my technical skills, improve my English and work with a diverse team around the world. I'm very thankful for Teamit.”- Pedro Andrade at Shift Technologies
If you’re an employer in North America looking to build a remote software development team in Canada or interested in hiring quality Brazilian developers, we can help. Before any engagement begins, we conduct an in-depth introductory call to understand your needs and the challenges you’re looking to solve. Book a recruitment discovery call today.
You can also check out our hiring and salary guide for businesses working with or developing remote teams in IT.