Polish Canadian going back to Poland question - best city for computer networking / software development work

Hi everyone, new to the forum!

I've decided, after 26 years living in Canada (born in en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nysa,_Poland, moved here from Poland when I was 5 with my parents), that I would like to move to Poland, most likely permanently, or at least for a couple of years to get a sample of "the way of life" on the other side - so to speak. If I am unable to adapt after 2-3 years, I would come back to Canada for the remainder in order to preserve PR (Permanent Residency).

I've realized that at the age of 31, even though I do consider it a great country in many ways (speaking as a Canadian Citizen myself), Canada is no longer for me.

This also comes at a time where my father who is retired has decided he would like to live the remainder of his life back in his native country. This does not surprise me.

A bit about me, I've worked in multiple disciplines throughout my life, mostly technical.
I have two college associate degrees in Computer Networking and Business.
I currently run a very small business in software/web development, have over 10+ years experience in computer networking and software development.

M question is; for someone like me who would most likely want to run a small business (or work in a company) in a technical area as per above, what are my best options for residency (I've heard Krakow as one option)? I would be perfectly happy with some sort of stability and demand for my service and do not expect anymore. Also, while I understand and speak relatively well in Polish, reading and writing needs improvement, will I have significant trouble adapting immediately in that regard overall and specifically in my field?

Thank you very much, appreciated!

I think it will be very tough doing it cold turkey, without some sort of connections or another way to introduce you into the market... Hope to be wrong, but best get ready for a big shock in terms of how employees are treated in a typical company... something tells me it won't be long before you'll start missing Canadian bacon and maple syrup ;-)

Kraków is great for a visit, but to live in one of the most polluted cities in EU I would not recommend... you might want to try Warsaw/Wrocław perhaps... good luck and let us know how you are getting on.

Hey,

Thank you.

I'm mostly a vegetarian with the addition of fish, Bacon is definitely not on my menu :)

Wrocław sounds like a great option, will consider.

Just another quick question given what you stated about the difficulties in the job market.

Ideally I would like to run a small business as opposed to working for a company.
I do not have connections (small chance I may from relatives, but very unlikely), but I will not need clients immediately as I will have some money saved and brought over to live off for a bit, say about one year, which at that point will need to start assessing the situation there for the long-run if nothing comes up.

That being said, what are some good options in terms of advertising and getting the word out for your business as a potential starting point?

Here in Canada I use a lot of widely popular classified ad (free and non-free) services such as Kijiji, Craigslist, etc...to attract clients. It's not so easy, but eventually I do manage to catch a client.

Are there equivalent sort of online services available in Poland in terms of popularity/usage where many potential "eyes" will see?

Or would the best option be in other advertising venues such as newspapers etc...?

Thanks in advance once more!

To tookien: I guess your mind is made up then?
Why would a productive 31 year old leave Canada for Poland?
I hope you have not lived in one province for the time you've been there.
There are similar websites like craigslist where you can advertise yourself.
My advice would be to join a forum for developers, ask the right questions and make the right contacts.
You can also make use of company registeries through town or city websites to send your offers.
There is a lot you can do to get the word out there.
That said and done, how is your Polish interms of business contact?
There is potential but expect to survive on the crumbs first before you can
catch the big ones. It should take, give or take up to 5 years to establish yourself if
your Polish is good enough. If not- use the forums to find another developer who is Polish
born and bred. Then there is a way of doing business which might shock you- starting from your company
registration,how you draft the contracts and time of payment to the taxes and insurances you'll be required to pay.

Hey Buggsy,

Thank you for the info.

My mind isn't totally made up, not yet, but I'm really considering this as a likely/probable move.

You're totally right that I've only lived in one province (Ontario), however, my reasoning goes a bit beyond that of jobs and salary. And I have considered other options in Canada, my second option within Canada could be Nova Scotia.

While income is important, I'm already living on minimal income since I work independently so the minimal in Poland shouldn't be a problem for me.

To make it short, I feel that the Canadian lifestyle is socially, morally and culturally bankrupt for various reasons. I do not feel any motivation or purpose beyond doing the bare minimum to survive. The hyper-work-zombie-mentality in Canada has also taken a toll on my mental health, and I feel that by staying it will only get progressively worse.

Thanks for the info once more, appreciated!

Wow. From the age, occupation, age you left to North America (California), situation with parents

you just described my life/plan. I originally planned to make a mid-stop in Germany (Berlin) to gain experience but that dream died this last year with the circus occurring there

Poland is not a vegetarian's paradise - options/variety is quite limited by comparison to the West, but I suppose you know that already. In general, Poles don't really care about balanced and healthy eating - as evidenced by the plague of overweight/obese children and teens in recent years - one of the worst in EU...;-(


If I had any chance of securing some work remotely, which is not uncommon in IT, I would arrange that prior to leaving. This way you will be less exposed to pressure until your business catches on and start generating a liveable income...