In our latest SouJava Sessions, we had the pleasure of hosting Thiago Bomfim, who shared valuable insights on how to build a career in the international technology market.
The topic was especially interesting because Thiago has firsthand experience living and working abroad. To make the discussion even richer, Wellington Cunha joined as co-host. Having lived in both Portugal and Canada, Wellington brought additional perspectives that made the conversation incredibly insightful.
As a result, the discussion went far beyond careers, salaries, and job opportunities. We also talked about cultural differences, food, quality of life, infrastructure, family adaptation, and many other aspects that are often overlooked when people think about moving abroad.
How Can You Stand Out in the International Market?
If I had to summarize the main message of the session in a single sentence, it would be:
Make your work visible.
It sounds simple, but it’s something many professionals fail to do.
Throughout the conversation, several practical suggestions emerged:
Share what you know on GitHub.
Publish projects you’re building while learning.
Write articles about technologies you’re studying.
Create content about meetups, conferences, and events you’ve attended.
Share your learning journey on LinkedIn.
Participate in technical communities.
Build genuine networking relationships.
The international market doesn’t know who you are.
Recruiters can’t guess your experience, dedication, or problem-solving skills. However, they can see all of those qualities through your GitHub repositories, LinkedIn profile, technical articles, and community contributions.
Your work should speak for you.
Salary Is Relative to Where You Live
One of the moments I enjoyed most during the discussion was when Wellington shared a simple but powerful observation:
Minimum wage is called “minimum” for a reason.
When considering opportunities abroad, many people make the mistake of converting salaries directly into their local currency and imagining how much money that would represent back home.
The reality is different.
If you live in Portugal, Canada, the United States, or any other country, your expenses will be paid in that country’s currency. Rent, groceries, transportation, taxes, healthcare, and leisure activities will all be based on local costs.
Because of that, the most important factor isn’t converting the salary to your home currency. It’s understanding the local cost of living.
Thiago Bomfim and Leonardo Segala expanded on this point by discussing how taxes and living expenses can vary significantly depending on your employment model and the region where you choose to live.
My Perspective
One thing I’ve noticed is that almost every experienced professional who joins SouJava Sessions repeats the same advice:
Share knowledge.
I’ll be honest: it took me some time to fully understand the value of that recommendation.
After spending most of 2025 away from personal projects and structured learning, I returned at the end of the year determined to rebuild my study routine and continue growing as a developer.
Since then, I’ve realized that creating content isn’t just about demonstrating what you know.
In many ways, you’re the first person to benefit from it.
Whenever you write an article, create a LinkedIn post, or summarize what you’ve learned from a conference or meetup, you’re forced to organize your thoughts.
Concepts that seemed clear become more structured.
Topics you didn’t fully understand require deeper study.
Knowledge that was once superficial starts becoming part of your foundation.
But there’s an even greater benefit: helping others.
Many people couldn’t attend the same event you attended. Others may have participated but walked away with completely different insights.
By sharing your perspective, you’re extending the reach of that knowledge and helping other professionals learn alongside you.
And that’s incredibly rewarding.
Today, as a Java Developer and Coordinator/Speaker at SouJava Brasília, I’ve been actively trying to put this into practice. I’m still far from where I want to be, but I can already see the positive impact it has had on both my professional growth and the community around me.
If there’s one lesson I took away from Sessions #006, it’s this:
Building an international career doesn’t start when you receive a job offer from abroad.
It starts much earlier.
It starts when you learn.
It starts when you share.
It starts when you contribute.
And most importantly, it starts when you choose to be visible.
Watch the full episode and follow the next SouJava Sessions.
See you in the next article!
Borges