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Building upon the themes of strategic planning and cultural immersion, this chapter focuses on the necessary blend of preparation and mental attitude required for success abroad, drawn from Francisco Pont’s experience.

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Chapter 3: The Mindset Shift—Beyond the Resume

The Strategic Decision: Why and Where

Francisco Pont, a software engineering professional from Argentina, made a calculated decision to move abroad. His primary motivations were dual:

1. To live in Europe due to a strong cultural affinity for the continent.
2. To professionally develop his skills in an English-speaking environment.

He had studied English consistently but found that arriving in a native-speaking country immediately exposed “gaps in knowledge” in the language—a crucial realization for anyone planning a move.

Leveraging the Working Holiday Visa

Francisco’s first strategic step was deciding on Ireland. His decision was influenced by the Working Holiday Agreement (WHA) between Ireland and Argentina.

• What is the WHA? It’s a bilateral agreement between countries that allows eligible citizens to work full-time in the host country.
• Key Detail: These visas are often quota-limited and require you to be highly attentive to the application date, as they are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis (no curriculum review). If an application arrives even a day too early, it will be rejected.

Francisco advises anyone considering working abroad to search Google to see if their home country has a WHA with their desired destination, as it provides a crucial entry point.

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The Hustle: Landing the Job from Afar

Francisco’s job hunt was relentless and provides a blueprint for persistence.

The Volume Game

Recognizing the competitive nature of the software engineering market, Francisco employed a high-volume outreach strategy.

• He started searching in Google for company pages and contacting recruiters.
• He sent hundreds of emails—a massive volume that many applicants from Latin America give up on too quickly. He stresses that even if you send 100 emails and only get two interviews, those interviews are training for the one that counts.

The Cultural Interview Challenge

During his initial interviews (conducted via Skype while he was still in Argentina), Francisco encountered a few hurdles:

• Location Doubt: Recruiters are often hesitant to invest time in candidates who are not local, asking, “How do I know this person will actually move?”.
• The Accent Barrier: His manager, who was European but not a native English speaker, had a unique accent. Francisco found it difficult to understand the questions and frequently had to ask them to repeat or clarify.

Francisco emphasizes that showing honesty and acknowledging the difficulty in understanding the accent is better than guessing—they won’t take it personally. After a successful Skype interview, he was told to arrange a face-to-face interview once he landed in Dublin.

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The Ultimate Leap: Moving Without a Safety Net

In the boldest move, Francisco reveals that he moved to Ireland without a confirmed job.

He purchased a ticket and arrived in Dublin with only the WHA and a plan to secure his final interview. This created an immediate advantage: he was now a local candidate.

“Once you are here, it changes. When you can put a local address on your resume, it changes [the perception of recruiters].”

The Shock of Expectations vs. Reality

Like many who move, Francisco quickly found that the reality of life in Dublin differed significantly from the mental projections he’d made in Argentina.

• Salary Shock: He initially accepted a salary that was perhaps “medium-low” by Irish standards, but he prioritized getting his foot in the door. This initial income, even if lower than hoped, meant he started his professional life in a stable country with access to a more robust job market.
• The Climate Struggle: The Irish weather—cold, rainy, and windy—is a shock for many. He realized complaining about the rain (“hoy está lloviendo…”) was pointless and changed his attitude.
  • Attitude Shift: He started doing things he never would have done in the rain in Argentina, like going for a run or cycling to the beach, by accepting the climate as an unchangeable reality.

The Final Advice: Face Your Fears

Francisco’s most powerful counsel is simple: Do it.

If the desire to move is strong, you must ask yourself: “Why am I not doing it?” The barriers are often self-imposed excuses—fears about the language, the culture, or personal ability.

• No Retreats: If you have the feeling, act on it. If you don’t, that feeling will haunt you for the rest of your life.
• Persistence is the Path: The process requires persistence and a willingness to accept that the initial step may not be perfect—the salary might be lower, or the job might be short-term. The goal is to start, build experience, and then leverage that new professional foundation for better opportunities.

He concludes that moving abroad is not just a career change; it is a confrontation with yourself that leads to massive personal growth.

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” —Winston Churchill