'Life in Mexico City is like a Simpsons episode, with worse trains'

This dev moved to Poland and Sweden to build apps for Spotify

The eXpat Files Tomorrow is Monday, which means another day in the office. Because we know some of you can't bear the thought of doing that again, each Sunday we bring you The eXpat Files, in which a Reg reader shares their experience of moving to another nation to pursue their career, and find interesting local snacks.

This week's volunteer is Hector Zarate, for whom home was Mexico, then Poland and now Sweden where he works with oh-so-hot music streaming service Spotify.

Over to you, Hector:

The Register: How old are you and where do you live in Mexico, when you're there?

Zarate: Born and raised in Mexico City. 27 years ago.

The Register: What kind of work do you do and with which technologies?

Zarate: Since university I've been very focused on developing mobile software, particularly iOS. I'm currently working in Spotify developing the Browse experience for iOS.

The Register: Why did you decide to move to Poland, and then Sweden?

Zarate: Shortly after graduating I was contacted by a wonderful recruiter.

Then Spotify came in exactly the same way. They are doing very interesting things in the computing industry, so it a was natural next step.

The Register: How did you arrange your expat gigs?

Zarate: LinkedIn. The website has literally changed the course of my life.

The Register: Pay: up or down?

Zarate: First down. Then made my way up.

The Register: How do workplaces differ between the Mexico, Poland and Sweden?

Zarate: The software industry in Europe is very mature in comparison. I saw best practices like continuous integration, automated testing, genuine agile project management, etc. even in small startups in Poland.

In addition, between long commutes and a terrible work culture, work-life balance in Mexico City is simply terrible. For most professionals it's not strange to work around 50 hours per week. Not surprisingly, this has a big negative impact on the quality of work by individuals and organizations.

The Register: Will your expat gig be good for your career?

Zarate: Definitely! I would say it was almost a requirement for my professional goals.

Through them I've been able to contribute to bigger and more interesting projects than I could find back home.

I've even worked or pair programmed with authors of books I read during my studies.

The Register: What's cheaper in Poland and Sweden? What's more expensive?

Zarate: Cheaper: Culture, healthcare and travel. When I buy tickets for music shows or medicines, I'm always positively surprised.

More expensive: US imports like clothing, sneakers or some gadgets, which in Mexico are cheaper due to trade agreements with US and the exchange rate.

The Register: What do you miss about the Mexico?

Zarate: The randomness of daily life.

Life in Mexico is less bound to personal schedules and spontaneous interaction between strangers is very common.

These makes lots of days similar to a Simpsons episode where everyday life derives into big, unexpected adventures.

The Register: What's your top tip to help new arrivals settle in Poland or Sweden?

Zarate: Work hard to build your social network since this is what will turn any city into home. Even the most vibrant metropolis is gonna suck if you can't share your days with more people. Take an active role in searching and reaching others with similar interests and points of view. This means a little bit of work, but the alternative is to be alone and bored to death during the weekends.

The Register: What advice would you offer someone considering the same moves?

Do it and see if you it's your thing. The younger you are, the better. Keep your professional skills sharp.

Once you are on it, you are going to like some things and you are going to miss others, but be thankful and willing to enjoy what is available. Make wherever you are a better place. Leave a surplus of happiness at your departure.

The Register: How easy/hard/impossible is it to watch your favourite sports team from home?

Zarate: Not that hard. During the last World Cup I got together in a sports bar with two or three other guys from Mexico to support the national team in their last match. We were few in numbers but our enthusiasm was commendable: we even had nachos with decent guacamole.

The Register: Is there a Mexican expat community in Poland or Sweden? If so, should other Mexicans embrace them, run like hell in the other direction or keep in casual contact?

Zarate: I tried reaching it when I first arrived to Poland, but almost everybody missed home too much and complained too often for me.

I would say, reach them but keep your portfolio of acquaintances diverse.

The Register: And because this is the weekend edition of The Register, what can you do on weekends in Poland or Sweden that you could not do at home?

Zarate: Traveling to a new country just for a weekend (without going broke).

The travel possibilities within Europe are mind-blowing: by traversing a short distance you can be in a whole new place with a different culture, language and food.

You folk keep reading these things, so we need to write more. So if you are an expat who wants to tell their story, or know someone interesting, let us know. ®