Luis Daniel Vazquez Peña came all the way from Venezuela to bring his skills and knowledge to the next level while pursuing his Master’s degree in Software Engineering. What were the reasons for Luis to travel half around the world, find out in his testimonial.
Oh, there were definitely three main factors in my decision. First off, I found a Master-level programme that matched my goals in terms of skills I wanted to develop as I advanced in my career. Secondly, I have loved Zagreb ever since I came here as a tourist on August 2019 and staying in Croatia for a longer period seemed great to me. Last but not least, my family lives in Ljubljana, so being 2,5 hour by train from them was a no-brainer. From my perspective, my experience in Croatia has been very positive. Although I was already familiar with Zagreb before I enrolled in my Master-level studies, the transition was smooth for me, even as a newcomer. There are quite a few things that make Croatia a very special place to quickly adapt to.
Croatia is very safe. In Zagreb, which is the city I live in, you can walk at any time of the day and not face any threat or feel unsafe at all. The transportation system is excellent and inexpensive. The city is interconnected with trams and there are also buses that take you to more remote areas. Many cafes, bars, museums and a large natural park (Maksimir) where you can run, walk or simply reconnect with nature. Plenty of people speak English, so communicating with locals should not be a problem. Some of them speak German, Italian or Spanish, among other languages. Relatively speaking, cost of living is low, although rents in Zagreb can be much higher than in other cities in Croatia.
I was very happy when I realized the high quality of education in the study programme that I chose. Most teachers in my programme are very knowledgeable and I personally believe that some of them are rock stars in their fields. They are also very approachable and some of them go the extra mile and are so readily available to you that I will honestly ask them for advice on time management skills. That is probably the most remarkable feature that I can highlight from my experience as a student, but I was also surprised by the large number of areas covered in my programme. It also motivates me a lot to know that my classmates are very committed to their studies, although it makes sense to find a higher level of commitment in Master-level studies.
As for the work opportunities, my situation is a bit different as I work as a software developer for a foreign client. However, I have received a few messages from local recruiters, which gives me a sense that the local job market in my area is in high demand. This is my perspective as a software developer, but my intuition is that businesses in Croatia are growing and the startup scene is getting hotter, so I bet there is currently a need or there will be in the midterm, for many more professionals in different areas. Just to mention one example, an instructor mentioned an open position for an entry-level data scientist / software engineer related to a large project that was recently awarded to one company. He asked us if any of us were interested in considering this role, so even as a student, some opportunities might knock on your door.
My goal is to stay here after finishing my studies. My current job is 100% remote so I could stick with it while being here after I graduate, but it will also depend on the type of visa available at the time. Apart from all the pros I mentioned earlier, there is also a specific one for me, as I’m involved in a startup-like project that is part of my Master-level studies. I am part of a team that is developing a game-based learning app for children. We really have a great product in the works and we are all looking forward to taking it to the next level. I can’t say 100% sure that I will stay in Croatia if my career path requires me to relocate, but either way, Croatia has had a lasting impact on me, so let’s see what the future holds.
