Moving across the ocean is much easier with a supportive team
My name is Loraine, I’m from Brazil and I’m a Software Engineer at Mentimeter. Prior to moving to Sweden I was living in Brazil and working for an American company that was a customer of Mentimeter. I thought that the product was cool and innovative, and I hoped that the work environment would be the same. I was right.
What made you want to join Mentimeter?
I had wanted to move to Europe for a while already but I had never been to Sweden before. When I was looking for a new job in 2023, I saw on LinkedIn that Menti was hiring for my position and everything started.
The first thing I saw was the people's page and I got interested because I saw a lot of women and diversity - even in engineering. I was not very used to that but it was a requirement for my next workplace.
And what about your role attracted you?
I was very interested in the role because I would be the first Software Engineer in Test team and I knew it would be a good challenge for me because I had the knowledge to improve the testing parts and I was willing to learn how to develop in order to contribute to the work of DevOps team as well.
No doubts when receiving the job offer thanks to clear communication
What was the recruitment process like for you?
The hiring process was very fast, it took about one month, and I felt comfortable throughout the process. All the interviews were remote and in English which is Mentimeter’s company language. The relocation benefits were clearly explained in the first interview and feedback was given by email, so I didn’t have any doubts when I got the job offer.
How did you prepare for the move?
So I did a lot of digging into this possibility: there are websites where you can find information about living costs in Stockholm and you can even check the taxes you’ll pay depending on your salary.
And of course before applying to my job I checked if Menti would support my relocation process in some way. And they did!
What did Mentimeter do to support your move?
Mentimeter sponsored my flight from Brazil to Stockholm, organized an apartment for me for the first weeks and supported me with all the visa paperwork.
Did you experience any difficulties with moving across the ocean?
The visa process was the hardest part since it was out of my control and took a while. I just hoped for the best and Mentimeter supported me throughout the process. My manager was also available any time I wanted to talk. We even had a “meeting” at the airport to celebrate my arrival!
Having fun together and helping each other is part of the deal here
How was it to first join Mentimeter?
My first day at Menti was a trimester planning day, and I had the opportunity to meet a lot of people. The thing I liked most about my first weeks was that everyone stops you at the coffee machine and introduces themselves. This is so nice, you feel included by everyone, not only your team!
Was it easy to settle into a new role and company?
The first month was filled with onboarding meetings but with a good frequency so we could absorb all the information.
And what about social life?
Soon after I arrived, my team had a Crayfish party, a very popular traditional event in Sweden. Even though Mentimeter is very international, I am the only non-Swede in my team. My manager printed out all the traditional Crayfish party song lyrics for me both in Swedish and English to help me follow along. They even helped me find good yogurt. Swedish people are very proud of their selection of milk, yogurt and butter. I felt so welcomed!
