A Tale of Two Engineers: How Legal Migration to Germany is Getting Easier with the Help of this NGO

Ahmed Samir, backend engineer; Ashraf Aaref, search engineer; and Stephen Collopy, senior recruiter, were guests on The Journey, a podcast "for a more relaxed debate about migration".

Moderated by Journey host Peter Arp, the GetYourGuide engineers spoke with Dr. Johann Harnoss and Maria Fernanda Siqueira, the co-founders of the Imagine Foundation. Imagine is a Berlin-based NGO that helps tech talent from West Asia and North Africa prepare for their job search in Germany from their home country.

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Imagining a world without borders

Germany is brimming with job opportunities, and Berlin holds the highest number of startups in the country. The nation's capital provides optimal conditions for creativity and innovation with its numerous incubators and accelerators. Our buzzing startup ecosystem attracts skilled candidates from countries that offer fewer opportunities due to political or economic reasons.

While Germany is known globally for its liberal skilled immigration laws, it’s not always easy for many qualified candidates from non-EU countries. Many people get caught in a chicken and egg situation when trying to find a job: Without a job offer or a work visa, people can't stay in Germany. But staying in Germany may significantly increase their chances of finding work.

The Imagine Foundation aims to help people from Western Asia and North African countries overcome this challenge by arranging legal pathways for them to come to Germany and supporting them in finding a job from their home country.

Peter invited our software engineers to the podcast to share their different stories of migrating to Germany from Egypt: Ashraf, who made the journey on his own, and Ahmed, who went through the Imagine program.

Many people get caught in a chicken and egg situation when trying to find a job: Without a job offer or a work visa, people can't stay in Germany. But staying in Germany may significantly increase their chances of finding work.

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From political turmoil in Egypt to German bureaucracy

Ashraf, came to Berlin from Egypt many years before he joined GetYourGuide, at a time when the Foundation did not exist.

Peter posed a question to him, "The outbreak of the Egyptian Spring happened after your arrival to Germany. [Looking back], how do you view that situation in your home country?" Ashraf told the Journey host, "The more it got stressed there, the more everyone wanted to get out, but not everyone had a way out.  

They would get out just to get out of the fear and instability that happens there [in Egypt]. Even if they did have the talent to go somewhere they deserved, why is it that they don't get the chance to go?

This is where Imagine comes in, to give the opportunity for people to present their abilities." Graduating from university around the same time as the economic crisis, it wasn't easy for Ashraf to find a job in Egypt. So, he decided to try his hand in Europe. He applied for a few roles in Germany from home. After passing a technical test, he received one offer for a company near Bonn, Germany.  

Without a passport nor the documentation he needed, Ashraf spent the next few months jumping through bureaucratic hoops, shuttling back and forth to the Germany embassy in Cairo. "Every time I went to the embassy, there'd be a massive queue. It wasn't a great journey." Appointments took months to obtain, and he needed countless forms from his future employer. Six months after his job offer, he arrived in Germany to start his new job.

Graduating from university around the same time as the economic crisis, it wasn't easy for Ashraf to find a job in Egypt. So, he decided to try his hand in Europe.

Helping others on their journey

In 2017, Ashraf found a job at GetYourGuide the traditional way, through our career page. While working here, he co-founded Egyptian Techies in Berlin. Inspired by his own struggle migrating to Germany, his community helps newcomers integrate into Berlin through advice on housing, moving, the German tech market, and events that share knowledge in IT.

Through a mutual friend, Ashraf was introduced to Johann from Imagine. He helped him better understand the granular challenges of getting settled in Germany from Egypt, helping him shape his program. Ashraf then put Johann in contact with GetYourGuide and helped him pitch Imagine for our annual GetYourGuide for Good Initiative. Every year, we choose a foundation to support through funding and volunteer work. After being selected as the 2018 NGO, both GetYourGuide and individual employees donated to Imagine. From there, a relationship between the two companies was established.

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"Through the events and initiatives, my colleagues began to ask how they could continue getting involved with Imagine,” says Ashraf. In fact, Leandro Lages, our engineering manager, now volunteers at Imagine as an engineering manager and instructor. "The collaboration is really in line with our company values as we are trying to help clear the confusion of legal migration and help talent reach their full potential," explains Ashraf. Once engineers graduate from Imagine's program, the NGO helps them until they find a job in Germany.

Curing the chaos on legal migration

Ahmed has a similar background. He's also a software engineer from Egypt, but his story takes place a few years after Ashraf arrived in Berlin. A friend had told him about Imagine. "I applied, met them over Skype, and after finishing my process with them, I found that the advice started to work," he says.  

Through the Imagine Bootcamp, Ahmed received a ton of info about the German market including:

• how recruiters choose their candidates
• how to utilize LinkedIn
• which technical skills recruiters were looking for
• which technologies to focus on
• support on his CV and cover letter

After finishing Imagine's program, Imagine connected with GetYourGuide, and he was offered a role with us as a backend engineer.

“It turns out Ahmed was precisely the type of candidate we were looking for,” Stephen, our senior recruiter, elaborates, "From our standpoint, we want to empower people and have a global community. We are currently 56 different nationalities in this office already, that [diversity] builds on different ways of working and solving problems."

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Our growth mindset

Peter challenged the GetYourGuide senior recruiter, "So, what's so great about having Ahmed [specifically] a part of the company?"

Stephen replies, "Ahmed is a prime example of a very talented, well-spoken engineer who hit a glass ceiling and didn't have as much opportunity in his home country," he continues, "He had fantastic experience and passion for what he does in software engineering."

With the many opportunities at GetYourGuide, Stephen explains how Ahmed possessed qualities that the company looks for beyond skill, "Ahmed was interested in growth, progress in his career, progress in himself. It wasn't just about what he could do for money. It was the broad spectrum. Yes, money is one element, but it's about the opportunity to work in a progressive company and a European environment where growth is pushed. Growth is one of our core values. This really stood out for him."

You may be interested in our article, Recruiting 101: Our recruiting process for engineers

Helping other people move freely, legally

Enquiring further about the impact of the NGO on Ahmed's life, Peter returns to the backend engineer, "What would you do if you had never met Johann?" Ahmed replied, "I would have stayed walking the wrong way, I would have been getting rejected from interviews, not knowing why. I would think I was a bad candidate, not knowing the problem."

He has the skills, the only thing that was missing was a way to communicate that he has them. That's what we helped him with."

The host notes, "This is a prime example of what it means to be stuck in a country that doesn't see his talent, and he doesn't see how to get away from it." Johann further explains how Imagine can help, "Ahmed is one of the few students we put in touch with GetYourGuide. He passed the technical test with flying colors. He has the skills, the only thing that was missing was a way to communicate that he has them. That's what we helped him with."

Maria, Imagine co-founder, tells us about the impact that the support from her organization could have on the candidate's long term career journey, "Without coaching, they would have to learn all this by themselves, this would take more time and more tries, and after some rejections, everyone's motivation lowers a bit. With Imagine, this process is sped up. We understand the market in Germany."  

"It's not just about your education, what you know, it’s your passion for what you do,"

The co-founder explains how their boot camp for the German market makes the transition a bit smoother. The feedback helps candidates know how they should direct their efforts and their drive.

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Diversity as a strength

Stephen concluded the segment by sharing with the audience what we look for in tech candidates, "It's not just about your education, what you know, it’s your passion for what you do.

Having a good education and real-world experience, actually pushing software through a company as progressive as we're trying to be, that makes a big difference. Wanting to maintain that multi-cultural aspect and having people who do things in different ways is very important to us."

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