From Portugal to Lead Design Engineer
“In Portugal, we say: we work to live, not live to work.”
Sometimes, the biggest career move starts with a simple wish: to experience something new.
Filipe had always been interested in working abroad, but had never seriously explored the possibility. When finding a new role in Portugal became increasingly difficult, an opportunity in the Netherlands arrived at exactly the right moment.
It was more than just a vacancy. It was a chance to step outside his comfort zone, enter a new industry and build a career with greater room for development.
Motus People helped Filipe find a position that matched both his experience and his ambition. A role that was challenging enough to help him grow, but also provided the right foundation for a new life in the Netherlands. The support did not stop after signing the contract. Motus also helped him find an apartment and guided him through the practical matters that come with starting over in another country.
The transition was not always easy. Filipe arrived without a local network and began working in the high-tech industry, a field that was new to him after a career in industrial automation. At times, he wondered whether he was ready for the challenge and whether moving to the Netherlands had been the right decision.
Those doubts gradually disappeared.
He found supportive colleagues, adapted to his new environment and continued to develop professionally. Filipe progressed from Project Engineer to Lead Design Engineer, gaining new knowledge, responsibilities and confidence along the way.
When he was ready for another step, Motus People was there again and helped him find his next challenge.
The move has also changed life beyond work. Filipe has discovered a healthier work-life balance and a culture in which, as he puts it, people “work to live, rather than live to work.”
And while Dutch food may never quite compete with Portuguese cooking, the craft beer and bitterballen have certainly helped.
His advice to other engineers considering a move abroad is clear: remain open to the opportunity. A new country and a new industry can feel uncertain at first, but they can also lead to growth that would otherwise never have happened.
For Filipe, taking that first step did not simply result in a new job. It created a new direction for his career and his life.
Managing Director
