How a young Czech developer made it in New York
Jakub Kvita was born in a small Sileasian town. Having studied in Brno and the UK, he gathered work experience at CERN and Red Hat and became the first StarLifter lifted to Vestorly, a fast-growing marketing startup from the NYC. He told us a lot about his life in New York, and why he thinks everybody should try reaching for the stars.
It was never Jakub’s dream to work in America, let alone in New York. “I had never felt like going the US and live there, but I realized it was a logical step I needed to make to improve my career,” he admitted.
What was he afraid of? Long distances and a different, non-European attitude. “I knew very little about the States,” he confessed, but his desire to snatch the opportunity eventually prevailed. “I said to myself, ‘OK, let's do it,’ and I started to search for opportunities!”
Ready, set, go
But how do you even start looking for a job in the States when you’re a young developer from Czechia? Upon discovering that there’s a long and exhausting way ahead of him, Jakub approached StarLift, and after careful consideration, he was accepted as a successful candidate.
“StarLift can only do so much, however, and it ultimately depends on how you present yourself. StarLift gives you a lot of very good tips and advice, but you need to put your time and effort on being presentable to companies. It's important to be approachable, likeable, but also professional. Do not forget to smile!” he stressed.
Through the program, he eventually landed a job at Vestorly, a content platform for global financial services, where he’s worked as an Infrastructure Engineer since October 2016.
How did the interview go? “I had around five Skype calls during three weeks. The first calls were with the CPO and the CTO just to get to know each other. After that, I had two technical interviews with Vestorly engineers. I had to solve a task using any programming language and discuss the process and the solution with them,” he said.
The only thing that stood between Jakub and his new job was the visa. “The application process took almost two months, but you spend most of the time putting all the forms and documents together. Once you have everything, the actual application takes a week or so to be processed. Then you have to go to the embassy for an interview,” he explained.
Love at second sight
Aided by legal advice provided by a StarLift’s lawyer, Jakub successfully managed to navigate through the visa application process and set off to New York with a list of local contacts from StarLift that helped him settle down in the city. “I was thrilled to visit all the places I knew only from TV and movies, to experience living on Manhattan and enjoy all the different cuisines from all around the world,” he confessed, even though his arrival wasn't as glamorous as he'd expected.
“It was the middle of the night, and I was walking through Brooklyn. Frankly, it wasn’t really exciting — it’s not the most beautiful neighborhood,” recalled Jakub his first impressions after arriving in New York. “Coming to the US from Europe for the first time can be a shock!” he admitted.
After the first adventures, however, he fell in love with the city. “One of the nicest things about it is when complete strangers approach you and start talking to you just because they want to tell you something or join in the conversation you’re having,” he said and added that he’d met some fascinating people this way.
He stayed in his provisional apartment in Brooklyn for two weeks only, and when he got the chance, he rented a flat in Manhattan. As he described, finding a flat in New York was another full-time job: “People move in all the time here, which means you have to act fast to get one. I managed to get the place in Manhattan only because I was the first to view it.”
Man about town
Jakub has lived and worked in New York for 11 months now, but he said that he didn’t feel like he knew the city at all. “I have a basic idea of how to get around, but there are so many hidden gems everywhere that you could spend your entire life exploring the neighborhoods!” he said.
He adds, nevertheless, that he’s already found a place or two he loves: “One of my favorite parts of the town is Pier 84, a park not far away from where I live. It’s a very narrow promenade that goes directly to the Hudson River. It’s a fantastic spot. Many people go there walking their dogs. I just watch the river flow.”
What he also discovered in New York is how much he loves working for an innovative startup: “Vestorly embraces new technologies, which is important to me. Our work environment focuses on collaboration to achieve the best results, which is a style of work that makes me really happy.”
While he acknowledges that New York is not a startup mecca, he says he's very satisfied with his choice: “Working for Vestorly keeps me in touch with the real world. Our offices are located in Midtown Manhattan, which I prefer to staying in the pure tech world of the San Francisco bay.”
Don’t worry, be happy
As the saying goes, places change people, and New York has changed Jakub without a doubt. “I realize I work here way harder than I used to in Czechia,” he told us. “I enjoy it so much! You know, I’m finally working on a real thing, not just some random school project,” he praised his work at Vestorly where he’s working on email communication management and configurations.
He works just as hard as his fellow New Yorkers. “I expected this, and I’m not complaining. People here are very hard working, and I finally understand why the nightlife is so important here. It’s the bars and restaurants where you get new energy here.”
Jakub is not the first nor the last Czech IT guy who traveled to the US to find his real potential. But what would he say to those who are not entirely sure they could make it? “Don’t worry about it too much. Many people are already living here, and they are doing perfectly fine. And you’re always one flight away from home. Just do it!”
Are you a young developer from Czechia or Slovakia? Would you like to launch your career in a startup in the US or the EU? Contact us right now via our website, Facebook or Twitter!
