From Angola to a dream job in Sii Poland

Geovani Teca, Junior Software Engineer and telecommunications technology enthusiast, as well as a newly appointed PhD student, got his dream job in Sii Poland. To study and work in Poland he traveled over 12 000 km. After several years spent in our country, he feels almost at home.

As a part of the new series of articles, we would like to present Sii employees who illustrate what being one of Sii Power People means in practice. Our heroes want to share their passion, motivation, and pride with others. They feel fulfilled because they create something important at work and it is the satisfaction that motivates them to do even more. They are happy being able to work with their team, share their passion, or act for the benefit of those in need. It is very important for them that the values ​​they foster in life stay in agreement with those that the company has in its DNA.

How would you describe your dream job?

Geovani Teca, Junior Software Engineer at Sii Poland: A dream job has to be connected with one’s passion, in my case – with telecommunications. Besides, it’s a job that doesn’t feel like a burden. When on Sunday I think about Monday, that thought should make me smile. Not to mention the fact that my dream project should have an impact on the development of technology in the world.

Speaking of developing technology, you chose a 5G network project – why?

G.T.: From the first years at the university I have been interested in wireless networks – both Wi-Fi and mobile networks. 5G is directly linked to the mobile network, offering a completely new approach to its design, especially in the context of network architecture. I felt it was my chance to get involved in a project that would really make a huge difference in the lives of many people.

In addition to working at Sii Polska, you have also began PhD studies. How do you manage to combine these responsibilities?

G.T.: This is a very interesting question and I don’t have a specific answer yet 🙂 I chose studies in Information and communications technology and I believe that I will find a way to comebine them with work. For now, the solution would be to change the number of hours from full-time to 4/5 time. The plan is to adapt my day schedule to my duties – I intend to start the day early from research at the university and then go to work or vice versa. Thanks to flexible hours in Sii project, it will be possible. I believe that with the support of the company I will succeed, I am very motivated to do so.

You completed your Master’s Degree in Poland and your native language is Portuguese. Can you tell us something about your origin and decision to change your place of residence?

G.T.: I come from Angola, one of the largest countries in south-central Africa. My government sent me to Poland in 2012 to study Telecommunications and I decided to stay here longer. In fact, it can be said that partly I chose Poland and partly Poland chose me because in this scholarship program I was not initially able to choose the place to go to. I applied for the program, after qualifying I was offered a location and I decided to go. Apart from the Polish weather, I can safely say that I love this country. Especially in the summer, then I feel almost at home.

As a foreigner, was it difficult for you to adopt to Poland in general? What was the most difficult for you at first?

G.T.: At the beginning the most difficult thing was to survive the winter because I came from a very warm place where there is no snow 🙂 It was a big change for me, but I have been getting used to it for 7 years. The next thing was the language barrier. It is said that “one life is too short to learn Polish” and this is a very true statement. For example, at the beginning it was particularly difficult for me to distinguish the words „cześć”, „część” and „sześć”, meaning “hello”, “part” and “six”, when they were spoken. Fortunately, my language skills are much better now.

What is your relationship with team members and colleagues from university?

G.T.: I have a good relationship with my colleagues, they openly invite me for integration after work or for social gatherings. We’re joking almost all the time. At work, they are also very helpful and patient. I take into account that everyone is unique and has their own personality, and I really appreciate the way they treat me. Thanks to that I feel like I’m Polish 🙂

Do you have any tips for people who have recently moved or are just thinking about moving to Poland?

G.T.: To those who have recently come to Poland, I would say that it is a country of many possibilities, mainly when it comes to learning and career development. There are many projects in Sii in which foreigners are supported, the teams are very helpful and with a little good will, you can establish a good relationship. My advice – first of all, don’t hesitate to speak Polish. It may sound funny, but when you communicate with people in their native language, certain barrier is broken and they open up to you and it turns out they are willing to teach you their language. To those who think about a similar change, I would say: you won’t regret it. Speaking from my personal experience, this is an exciting adventure.