Vitória Machado, 26 years old, Portuguese nurse in Germany

Vitória, a nurse from Portugal, is grateful for the existing opportunities to support mobility and employment in Europe. “Together we are stronger” – with these words she addressed a letter to the President of the European Commission on the occasion of the May 2021 summit in Porto.

See here: https://youtu.be/V21V2WcIZ1c

Holalemania had the pleasure to talk to Victoria about her motivation and her decision to move to Germany.

Holalemania: First of all, congratulations for the honourable mention in the speech of the President of the European Commission. How does it feel for you and how did you come to write such a letter? 

I am very happy about the acknowledgement of my letter and I am grateful for the words of Mrs Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission. In the letter to her, I thanked her for her support in promoting mobility and employment in Europe in the form of relocation assistance, language support as well as professional recognition.

Holalemania: Why did you choose Germany?

Germany is a central country in Europe and has a wide range of job opportunities. The German language is also spoken in other countries like Switzerland, so it is an advantage to learn it. I had originally considered going to other European countries, but I decided to learn a new language to get the most out of the experience. The desire for a better quality of life and work-life balance, as well as social support from the European Union, contributed to my decision.

Holalemania: What do you find to be the biggest challenge in integrating in Germany?

The biggest challenge is the language barrier, so it is essential to learn it before leaving to ease your professional, social and personal integration. The better the language preparation, the easier the integration will be.

Holalemania: What is the most important thing about this experience for you?

I am happy to be in Germany, it is a country that offers many career opportunities. Through this international experience I have learned a lot professionally and personally. Despite all the challenges, the work-life balance pays off. In addition, I was supported from the beginning by Holalemania, who specialise in all these issues and topics, which was very helpful for me. They were always on hand to help me and clear up any ambiguities, even if they were not in the area of work mobility.

Holalemania: Would you like to give any advice to other nurses who are interested in this kind of experience?

To anyone interested, I can only advise you to give it a try. You know your current situation, so why not try another country, another job, another language, another culture, other friends? Open yourself up to the possibility of getting to know other living conditions, and one year of mobility is enough to know whether you want to stay in Germany.

The international experience brings us all not only professional, social and personal growth, but also economic and cultural growth.