Nearly four years in Malaysia – Marc liked his life and the culture there, but he had come to realise that home would always be back in the Philippines, where his family and friends were.
Marc had initially made the bold move to work in Malaysia in 2015 as he felt that his career in the Philippines had stagnated. During his stint overseas, he enjoyed rewarding career opportunities, such as the chance to work closely with multinational clients to develop new systems, but constantly missed home.
“It just wasn’t the same, living apart from my family and friends. I missed out on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas, weddings and more,” said Marc. “I thought I would get used to it, but every time I saw photos of the events, I acutely felt that I was missing out on being part of my loved ones’ lives.”
Marc considered returning to the Philippines but was concerned about having to take a significant pay cut. More importantly, he was worried that he would not have the same opportunities as he did in Malaysia.
Just as Marc was evaluating his various options, Shane Garcellano, International Candidate Manager at Robert Walters Philippines, reached out to him to share about Balik Bayan, a campaign aimed at helping overseas Filipinos like Marc return home.
“Shane gave me a call and took time to understand my situation and concerns. She also shared the various opportunities available in the Philippines. I was honestly surprised at all exciting jobs available back home as I had not kept up with industry developments in the Philippines,” Marc shared. “After speaking to Shane, and doing some of my own research, I decided that moving home would be best for me in terms of my professional and personal life.”
Shane passed Marc’s details to Andrea dela Casa, manager of the technology division at Robert Walters Philippines, who worked closely with Marc to help him secure opportunities that were aligned with his career expectations and goals.
“Andrea is a very helpful and patient consultant. My interview process with the international financial services firm took about two months and I wasn’t too optimistic at times, but Andrea was supportive and hopeful in every step of the way. She prepared me for every interview and gave me helpful tips on how I could best position myself. I knew I could trust her to help me find a good job in the Philippines,” Marc said.
Marc is delighted with the position Andrea helped him secure as it isn’t only aligned with his salary expectations, but also offers him a lot of opportunities to improve his skills as a developer at the multinational firm. Most importantly, he will be close to his family and friends, who will give him additional motivation to work harder.
“I don’t regret going overseas to work but living abroad for the rest of my life just wasn’t for me. At the end of the day, home is where the heart is – and my heart was always in the Philippines. I feel very lucky that Shane reached out to me to tell me more about Balik Bayan and helped me find a job back home.”
Find out how you can Balik Bayan to a better career back home. Contact Grace Sampan at grace.sampan@robertwalters.com today.
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