A bunny lover, a dessert enthusiast, and an erratic walker: that’s how our brand new Test Engineer, Luciana, defines herself. The 24-year-old Brazilian just moved to Munich after a job offer at arculus, but her relocation journey to Germany was full of unexpected challenges. In this interview, Luciana shares with us a bit about her recent relocation experience, her tasks at arculus, and her expectations for the future.
First of all, what is your mission at arculus? Can you tell us a little bit about your tasks?
Luciana: “I am a test engineer. That means my job is to create a test strategy to ensure the quality of the products we deliver. My tasks include creating procedures, analyzing test scopes, and implementing quality metrics. For that, I must understand how we can improve our development flow in terms of testing, especially through automation so that we can reduce the time needed.
Can you explain what these tests are exactly?
Luciana: “The robot has several types of testing: mechanical, software, electronics, integration, user interface, and so on. Part of my job is to first organize and coordinate all of these tests. After that, for the software tryouts, I need to check which tests need to be performed manually and which can be automated, and how. I can even go beyond that and test anything related to electronics and the software, as well as define test procedures. So I would say that I’m basically a test coordinator, and I work together with whoever implements a new feature.”
And what’s your favourite thing about this job so far?
Luciana: “Well, from a more professional standpoint, I like the fact that my position requires a general view of every aspect of our arculee. So that means that I don’t specifically work for mechanics or electronics. I need to interact with all of the teams within robotics because there are tests happening in all of them. So having a deep understanding of the product and how I can contribute to improving it is definitely my favourite thing.
Now, from a more personal perspective, I truly like my coworkers. They have all been so friendly and helped me a lot to adapt to a new work environment in a new country.”
Speaking of a new work environment, why did you choose to come to Germany?
Luciana: “I actually never thought that I would end up in Germany. I wanted to work in Europe, but I wasn’t sure which country would be best. Also, when I applied for the position, I thought I was going to be working from Ingolstadt. Only at the end was I told that things had changed and I would be needed in the headquarters, in Munich. But I love that because it’s such a beautiful international city. And since I don’t speak German yet, it’s much easier for me to communicate in English here. So yeah, I’m really fascinated by the city so far.”
And what would you say is your favourite thing about Munich thus far?
Luciana: “My favourite thing is everything (laughs). But if I had to choose one, I would say multiculturalism. For example, you can find so many different types of restaurants from different nationalities. And I love this cosmopolitan vibe.”
And how was your journey to Munich? Can you share a bit about the relocation experience?
Luciana: “Everything happened really fast. First of all, I needed to fulfil a notice period in my previous job, in Brazil, for 30 days. And in the meantime, I was also working on the visa bureaucracy. I had to travel to another city in Brazil, called Recife, to visit the German consulate and get my visa. But that was surprisingly fast, I had my travel permission approved within two hours after my interview.
Unfortunately, not everything was this easy. One of the biggest problems I had was related to bringing my bunny with me. I had to take legal action in the Brazilian court because the flight companies usually only allow dogs and cats on the plane. I was also really worried about the journey, especially because I had a connecting flight in Lisbon, and so I was afraid that I would have some issues there. But, thankfully, everything worked out in the end.”
Can you tell us some more about your bunny?
Luciana: “My bunny’s name is Boo, and he is almost two years old. He hasn’t really seen Germany that much yet since he was just inside my apartment so far. One thing he does like in the new country is the food! There’s a much bigger variety of products for bunnies here than in Brazil, so he’s been having fun with that (laughs).
Truly, though, Boo is much more than just a pet for me. He is my family in Germany and I would not have been able to take such a huge step without him. I’m thankful every day to have him waiting for me when I get home after work.”
Now, back to arculus: how did the company help you with relocation?
Luciana: “I had support from arculus during the whole process, especially from my colleague Iuri, who is also Brazilian. He contacted me on LinkedIn as soon as he found out I was moving here. But he was not the only one; I really had support from my whole team because they knew relocation is a hard process. HR was also always available to answer my questions. And, of course, there was also support with the more bureaucratic things, like my visa and financial aid.”
What is one piece of advice you would give to someone considering relocating with arculus?
Luciana: “The person should analyze every aspect of the decision. In my case, it was always my dream to work and live abroad. It was something that I had always wanted, no matter what. But that doesn’t mean it was an easy decision. I had to leave my family in Brazil to be here. But although it wasn’t easy, I knew it was what I had to do to fulfil my dream. So my advice for anyone considering relocating is to keep in mind that living abroad is not always as perfect as some people might believe, especially Brazilians. But it’s worth it. There are always pros and cons, and the best tip is to balance them out.”
So, after all the challenges, would you say the relocation was worth it?
Luciana: “For sure. I really love what I do at my job, and also really love the city. So I feel like I truly belong in Germany now.”