11. June 2021
From Argentina to Spain: Alejandro’s Relocation Story
Moving away from home can be stressful and intimidating, particularly when moving to another continent on the other side of the globe. Tack on navigating a pandemic, and even the most adventurous soul might hesitate. But not Alejandro! He and his wife moved from Córdoba, Argentina to Madrid, Spain in March 2021.
With the help of Ale's new manager, the Personio HR team, and our partner relocation agency, they made it to Madrid and secured their visas in record time! Read on to learn more about Ale’s relocation adventure, his new role at Personio, and why he and his wife decided to move in the first place.
Contents
- 1What is your role at Personio?
- 2How did you hear about Personio?
- 3Why did you decide to pick up and move your life to Madrid?
- 4What was your relocation experience like?
- 5What challenges did you face during the move? What went well?
- 6What advice would you give to other people considering relocation?
- 7So, was it worth it?
What is your role at Personio?
I’m a Backend Engineer in the Employee Performance and Development team, an amazing group of people dedicated to building the HR performance and development features of Personio. Fun fact: our 16-person team has 10 different nationalities and 6 women!
How did you hear about Personio?
Regina, one of our Talent Acquisition Managers at Personio, actually found me on LinkedIn! Our conversation during our initial call piqued my interest, so I did a little more research into the company and decided to continue with the hiring process.
All of the interviews went well and I felt a great connection with each person I spoke with throughout the process. And lucky me, many of those people became my teammates when I accepted the offer!
Why did you decide to pick up and move your life to Madrid?
My wife and I have always wanted to experience living abroad and working in a multicultural environment, and moving to Madrid checked all the right boxes. I knew after those first few interviews that Personio was the right place for me – it was just an amazing opportunity that we couldn’t pass up!
What was your relocation experience like?
As you can imagine, relocating in the middle of a pandemic was a little wild. But Personio’s HR team and our partner relocation agency helped a lot to make it smoother! From requesting our visa to finding an apartment to collecting all the documents we needed upon arrival, they made everything manageable. We couldn’t be more grateful to them! Together we managed to get our visas in a record time.
What challenges did you face during the move? What went well?
The most challenging part of our move was just getting our visas, as there is a lot of documentation and COVID slowed down the whole process. Other than that, moving to the other side of the world can be a logistical nightmare – but we made it happen!
When I got the offer, my wife and I were visiting family in our hometown, La Rioja. We immediately went back to Córdoba to kick off the visa process. And then we started getting ready to move! Packing up, selling the things we weren’t going to take with us, saying goodbye to family and friends, and all the little details that go into moving. Those were some busy times, but so worth it. Overall it certainly helped me become more patient and flexible!
What advice would you give to other people considering relocation?
Don’t be 450km away from your apartment in a restricted province during a pandemic when you decide to accept a job offer! Just kidding 🙂
In all seriousness, I wish I had spent more time researching the city and checking apartments in advance. My head was so wrapped up in getting all the paperwork done and trip details finalized, plus doing proper goodbyes with everyone, that I forgot about everything else. So definitely look into your new city and create a list of good apartment options before arriving!
Also, communication is key. Having clear and consistent communication with my HR partner and the relocation agency was such an important factor of our success. And I suggest reaching out to new teammates ahead of time to get some tips and life-hacks for living in your new city!
So, was it worth it?
Absolutely! My wife and I are loving Madrid – it’s everything we hoped it would be. And I am settling in at Personio, learning about my new role, team, and company – and enjoying every step along the way.
Want to read more relocation stories like Ale’s? Check out our blog! We’ve helped employees move from all over the world to our offices in Madrid, Munich, Dublin, and London. (And Amsterdam, opening soon!)
And that’s not all! Ale’s team is hiring. In fact, many of our teams are hiring to help us hit our ambitious company goals. Head on over to our careers page to find the open role that’s right for you.
