From Russia to Germany

The second mistake was that I didn't spend enough time with my family. I underestimated the difficulties my wife and daughter were facing and in the early years I didn't support them enough. Now the situation has changed, but I still regret it.

Why did you decide to gain a new professional foothold abroad?

There were two main reasons for this. Firstly, while working in the international market, I realized that it was very interesting for me to meet and work with people from different countries, to get to know their culture and way of thinking better. Moving to another country seemed like an interesting adventure and a rewarding challenge.

Secondly, for many years I did not agree with the development of the political and socio-economic situation in Russia. After the annexation of Crimea in 2014, I realized that I could not expect any improvement and I started looking for ways to leave the country.

In this context, what were the 3 most important experiences in your life that have brought you to where you are now?

The three most important experiences:

My interest in technology and languages opened up the world to me, allowed me to travel a lot and meet many interesting people, and ultimately led me to move to Germany.

Reading the right books - "1984" and "Animal Farm" by George Orwell, "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut, "We" by Yevgeny Zamyatin, "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" by Milan Kundera, "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, "All Quiet on the Western Front" by Erich Maria Remarque, "The World of Yesterday" by Stefan Zweig and many others, first in the mother tongue, then in the original, made it possible to develop one's own principles and, if not to solve, then at least to ask the right questions about being and consciousness for oneself.

Sport (I was a semi-professional Greco-Roman wrestler) taught me to fight with myself, my weaknesses, my laziness and my fears.

If someone planning a similar step to you were to ask you, what 3 pieces of advice would you give them to help them make a successful new start?

Start learning the language seriously as soon as possible, even if it is not certain that you will be staying in the country for a long time. Firstly, even as a beginner in the new language you will have great advantages compared to those who have no knowledge of the language. Secondly, by learning a language you can quickly expand your network. Finally, knowing another language will always be an asset in your professional biography, even if you move to another country in the future.

Don't look to the past, but to the future. By this I mean, among other things, the following: A move is often associated with difficulties, you have to give up what you are used to or develop new habits. Sooner or later, the moment of parting with illusions comes - in this sense, the emotions of a migrant can be compared to Gartner's hype cycle for new technologies. Importantly, these difficulties are only temporary and the low point of disillusionment is always followed by a plateau in productivity. 

Have a plan B in case of a sudden change in the job situation (e.g. mass redundancies in an international company). Research the job market in the new country in advance. For this purpose, it is useful to make a list of companies that interest you, subscribe to published job offers, have a list of the most important recruitment agencies, etc.

What role does the right network/supporters/your own company play in success or failure?

It is very good to have the support of a friend, a representative of your interests or your company in a new country. However, this support depends on factors beyond your control. For example, not all companies offer relocation support. Another factor is your network. This is your own capital that you manage and which plays a major role. For example, when I had to look for a job in Germany, it was the contacts in my network that helped me get several job offers.

How did the MBA program help you with this step?

Thanks to the MBA, I was able to close a very big gap in my CV, namely a European education. Although I received official recognition of my technical diploma after the move, it wasn't just the result that was important to me, but also the learning process. Because the teaching approach, the requirements, the grading principles and the defense criteria are very different in the DACH region than in Eastern Europe.

Furthermore, it is no secret that one of the benefits of an MBA program is networking. By participating in the WU EA program, I was able to significantly expand my network in the DACH region, which, as I mentioned above, contributes a lot to successful integration.   

Finally, the WU EA MBA program also offers direct contact with top recruiting agencies. Through seminars and direct consultations with recruitment consultants that cooperate with WU EA, such as Career Angels, I gained a much deeper understanding of the job market in Germany and Austria, was able to revise and significantly improve my resume and prepare for interviews for top management positions. All of this has not only helped me to receive several job offers in one specific case, but has also given me confidence in my abilities and confirmed my relevance in the DACH job market.

How did you manage to reconcile the MBA with a demanding job and your family life?

It turned out to be much easier than I had expected. Firstly, I had to sacrifice virtually no time with my family for the MBA program. It turned out that the time and effort required to complete the program could be taken from time that was previously "wasted": lazing around and watching TV series.

Secondly, the MBA program is a great way to combine work with learning, because you can turn real work problems and situations into case studies, write papers about them and immediately apply the knowledge gained in the program to solve specific professional problems. In this sense, my work productivity has greatly increased during the program.

And finally, the intensive learning and exchange with the professors and fellow students on the MBA course "opens your eyes". It leads to new ideas and solutions, accelerates all thought processes and gives you a boost of energy. You can simply do so much more at the same time.

Read more interesting career stories of our students and graduates here.

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