From Minsk to Chicago: the story of successful immigration
Site "Business and study in the USA" published an interview with Alexander Golod, Vice President and Partner of the American Company Waverleythat deals with software. Hunger was born in Minsk, and in 90-x moved to the United States. ForumDaily publishes an article in the first person with abbreviations.
Moving to Chicago
I am a native Minsk resident. I went to the 65th specialized English school. After school I entered the Polytechnic Institute. From his student days, from his second year, he was drafted into the army. After serving for two years, he returned to the institute and successfully graduated in 1993 with a degree in Applied Mathematics. At the institute, among other things, I was engaged in technical translation from English: you can’t get by on a scholarship.
Immediately after graduation, I left along the line of reunification with my family in America. My mother lived with her sister. It so happened that I lived in only two cities of the world - Minsk and Chicago. Cities are very different, but both are good in their own way. I consider both these cities to be my own.
There were no particular difficulties. I came to Chicago with English language skills, a good technical background, and a willingness to work. After looking around a bit, I decided to take the Oracle course. I was lucky, this is a very good school that gave me a quality education. Interestingly, its owner is also a former Minsk resident.
After the Oracle courses, I easily found a job. Over the next several years I worked in large American companies. He gained particularly valuable experience at Motorola, at the center of pioneering engineering. However, this company has its own characteristics. In my opinion, Motorola is a very cyclical company. Things in the company were either very good or very bad. There was no middle ground.
In 2001, I switched to another big company, GGP. I had a good career growth. There, I became the director of databases, but I felt I was ready to go into a startup or into a business and not participate in office politics. Despite the good position and salary in the GGP, one day it became boring for me to live. I realized that nothing shines in corporate America, because I am not a very politically correct person, and perhaps another mentality.
It so happened that in 2002 I went to Minsk for the first time. As usual, I went to the bathhouse with my friends (but not on New Year’s). One of them turned out to be a partner of the Intetics company. So, quite unexpectedly, I became an investor-partner in this business. In 2003, we opened an office in Chicago, which became our headquarters. Over time, we managed to attract serious clients and earn a solid reputation among technology companies with Eastern European roots.
Waverley Transition
Since 2012, I have become one of three managing partners in another company - Waverley, a software company in Silicon Valley. We started by opening our first technology center in Kharkov, Ukraine, in August 2012. Interestingly, at the time of my arrival at Waverley, the company actually operated in a startup mode. It was not at all like working in large corporations with their bureaucracy.
Now we have more than 100 people working with branches in Kharkov and Lviv, as well as Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and a design studio in Italy. And we continue to grow rapidly.
We are a software and consulting company specializing in innovative and high-tech projects for corporate and startup clients. For example, Jibo. This is one of the world's first robotic friends for the home. For some consumers (for example, elderly, lonely people or those who suffer from allergies), this miracle invention can replace a conversation partner and a pet, for others it can become a personal assistant.
We have a project with Nespresso. I am sure that many are familiar with this company for the production of coffee machines. We develop iPad applications for them Nespresso for retail sales of the company's products in their branded boutiques. There are many other interesting projects, but not all can be talked about.
Family
I have a wife from Ukraine, two daughters. One 14 years, and the second is still quite baby - 3,5 year. Both speak good Russian. They will not lose their language, I hope, because at home we speak Russian. My parents, other relatives and friends live in Chicago. That is why we are not talking about moving to California.
The youngest daughter goes to a Russian-language kindergarten, the oldest will go to ninth grade in the fall. It is very important for me that my children know and love Russian culture. In Chicago in this regard, all is well. We have a very active Russian-speaking community, there are kindergartens, weekend schools, various art circles and sports clubs with Russian-language programs and teachers.
Of course, children who were born and raised here will be more involved in American culture, but I believe that we must do everything so that they do not forget their roots.
I believe that it is always better to own real estate, and not to rent. We bought our first apartment after two years of living in America.
Now we live in a suburb of Chicago with very good schools, which is important. The center of our town is only seven minutes walk. There is also an electric train stop where you can easily reach the center of Chicago in 40 minutes. It is quite convenient, because you do not have to worry about parking and stand in traffic jams.
My wife works in a large corporation in 5 minutes away, I work from home; parents, kindergarten, school, airport within 10-20 minutes, this is important for the quality of life.
Russian-speaking community
My social circle outside of work is our Russian-speaking community, and on different continents. Although I feel quite comfortable in an American company, my partners, colleagues and clients are Americans. I have many good friends among them. But my real friends are people from my cultural environment.
I like to travel. Over the years I have been almost in the 40 countries of the world and in the 40 US states. I love San Francisco and New Orleans in the USA, Italy and Spain in Western Europe, Peru and Ecuador in South America.
Reading is my passion since childhood! I read in Russian and in English. I am fond of Russian and French classics, antique literature. From modern Russian writers close Victor Pelevin. I think that he is a keen observer and critic of modern times. No one and nothing escapes his gaze.
From the previous generation - Friedrich Gorenshtein, Vasily Aksenov, Andrey Bitov. Among foreign writers - Houellebecq, Fowles, Borges, Roth, Marquez, Kundera, Pavich... Can you really list them all?! As Pushkin rightly noted: “Following the thoughts of a great man is the most entertaining science.”
Tips for new immigrants
The main thing is to learn English. Try not to dwell only on the Russian community. This can severely limit your prospects and mobility. This problem exists in many national communities.
For example, there is a large Polish community in Chicago. And quite a lot of its representatives do not speak English and have not adapted to American society. Simply put, they have been stewing in their own juice for many years. Maybe this option is suitable for some, but it greatly limits the possibilities for growth, and indeed for a full life. I believe that in order to understand the country and its people, you must work for an American company.
If we talk about what specialties are in demand in the labor market, then first of all it is STEM education (Science - Science, Technology - Technology, Engineering - Engineering, Mathematics - Mathematics). These specialties provide an opportunity to make a good career and provide a high standard of living.
In the countries of the former USSR, high quality education in the natural sciences has been preserved, which allows our specialists to successfully compete in the global market. Given the fact that the demand for engineers, programmers and other technological specialties is constantly growing, Western companies are constantly looking for talents in this area.
This is especially noticeable in Silicon Valley, where such famous companies as Facebook, Twitter, Google and many others attract the best talents from around the world. Less prestigious enterprises have to look for employees all over the world. Some positions remain empty and remain blank for a long time. So, if you or your children have such an education, then the probability of finding a good job in the States is very high.
We also need specialists in health care - doctors, nurses, technical specialists. In addition, since life expectancy is constantly increasing, the demand for services for the elderly is increasing.
And most importantly, be optimistic. America is a country of immigrants with great opportunities. You just need to believe in yourself and be ready to learn and work. Good luck!
See also:
From the first person: how Muscovite settles in Los Angeles
History of Russians who moved to Hawaii
As a native of Belarus was on top of the American fashion Olympus
Everything you need to know about US work visas
We live in the USA: how to find the first job
Our people are about working in top companies in Silicon Valley
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