In 2018, we at Plum were looking to expand our development team.
Plum is based in Waterloo, Canada, which is a North American hub for AI research and practice. Because of Waterloo's close proximity to Toronto, the Toronto-Waterloo Corridor is often referred to as the "Silicon Valley of Canada," given its density of technology start-ups and scale-ups.
Needless to say, with so many technology companies here in town, the competition for top tech talent is fierce. Given that diversity and innovation are foundational to our team culture here at Plum, it only made sense to expand our search for new developers beyond Waterloo and start looking for talent internationally. As a result, we hired three incredible developers—Shakeel, Leo, and Charles. Learn more about their experience moving to Canada to join Plum by reading our interview with them below!
Home country: Pakistan
Plum start date: March 2018
Q: When searching for a job in Canada, where did you search? Why did you choose Plum?
A: I know some people in Canada, so I asked around my personal network. I also searched through Vanhack, which connects international candidates with businesses looking for tech talent. I worked with one representative at Vanhack who helped me find the right fit. I ended up choosing Plum because I really liked the dev team.
Q: What do you love most about working at Plum?
A: I like working with my team. I think they give me the right amount of challenge and support to grow and feel accomplished.
Q: What do you love most about working/living in Canada?
A: I like that you can meeting people of many cultures in Canada. It's home to people who come from different backgrounds and ideas, and meeting them helps me understand different people and cultures.
Q: What is your favourite thing to do in Waterloo?
A: There's a farmer's market nearby that I visit every Saturday. You can buy fresh produce, have brunch (I recommend the chicken pesto crepe!), buy fresh cake, and enjoy it with coffee. You get exposed to different foods in a friendly and cozy atmosphere at the market.
Home country: Brazil
Plum start date: April 2018
Q: How was the process of coming to Canada? What were the challenges and what did you learn?
A: The paperwork was a bit of a challenge, so I turned to Google and Vanhack a lot for tips. My advice for anyone else moving to Canada for work would be to get all your travel documents ready ahead of time, because there isn't a lot of waiting time once you receive an offer.
Q: What is your favourite thing to do in Waterloo?
A: There are some beautiful parks around town that I like to visit. I also love admiring the landscape and the architecture, which is so different from my country. Plus, I think it's funny that animals like squirrels and geese just walk freely around the city!
Q: Have you travelled to other areas of Canada? What was your favourite Canadian city to visit and why?
A: As a lover of nature, I enjoyed Niagara Falls and the Bird Kingdom exhibit there. I also like Toronto, because there's always so much to do. I also love visiting the Canada's Wonderland theme park—all are a relatively short drive from Waterloo.
Q: Have you received your permanent residency in Canada? Why did you apply?
A: Yes, I received my Canadian permanent residency. It breaks a lot of limits that a work visa imposes on you, like travelling in and out of the country.
Name: Charles
Home country: Nigeria
Plum start date: May 2018
Q: What was the one thing that surprised you most about working/living in Canada?
A: It's very multicultural. You'll find food from every country, people who speak lots of different languages, and everyone gets along really well.
Q: What do you love most about working at Plum?
A: I like working with a friendly, challenging, and honest team. We are not building another iteration of an existing product; we are defining a new category, which makes for an interesting and fun work environment.
Q: What piece of advice would you give to other international candidates interested in working at Plum?
A: When you're applying, be yourself. Plum appreciates what makes you unique. Diversity is very important to us; almost every continent in the world is represented here.
Q: What is your favourite thing to do in Waterloo?
A: I like walking and sight-seeing. Waterloo has more of a nature-feel to it compared to Toronto, and I like to enjoy that. In the winter, there are a lot of fun indoor places that I like to take my family, like rock climbing, museums, and shopping malls.
A: Have you received your permanent residency in Canada? Why did you apply?
Q: Yes. I originally applied for my permanent residency because I wanted better opportunities for my kids to experience a multicultural and advanced country like Canada early in their lives.
After raising $4.2M in venture capital, Plum is once again looking to expand its development team. Want to join us in building a beautiful product that’s preparing organizations for the future of work? Apply to join our team!