"In the evening, when I walk back home and cross the University Bridge, I like to stop there for a moment to catch a glimpse of the sunset over Wroclaw. There is water on both sides on the bridge and I can even forget about the city's hustle and bustle, even though the trams crossing the bridge remind me of the fact that the city centre is very near", this is how Jenny described the gorgeous part of the city where she returns in her thoughts to Gran Canaria, her home island.
Her father comes from Hong Kong and her mother - from Shanghai, but Jenny rather defines herself as a Spaniard. She studied in the United Kingdom and worked at the logistics and sales department of IKEA. The fact that Gran Canaria is more than beaches and resorts is confirmed by the fact that the Startup Weekend is conducted in that tourist destination, too. Startup weekend is a 54-hours long event during which the participants, assisted by experienced mentors, can work on their ideas, develop their business model, and create prototypes of services or products. Among the islanders willing to work as a team to create a potential new technologies business was a resident of Wroclaw.
Recruitment via a chat line
"He said that Google was looking for new candidates for work in its offices in his city. I had only an online interview and in May 2013 I arrived in Wroclaw. I had never made a business trip to Poland. I had no expectations or stereotypical images that my friends had - they found it hard to accept my decision to go to Poland given the typical image of Poland. I, on the other hand, considered to be an opportunity and I do not regret it at all", said Jenny.
Open Coffee and jazz
After her arrival in Wroclaw, she quickly became involved in the cultural life. She is the head organized of Open Coffee, a series of meetings addressed, among others, to beginner entrepreneurs, IT specialists, and originators of various projects. "In the informal atmosphere of the meeting, the participants share valuable tips and observations in the fields of technology, marketing, and crowdfunding. In the group of 30-35 participants, one can learn how to effectively present one's own project and how to make contacts. While the Wroclaw labour market has plenty of talented people, the sales skills are lacking", explained Jenny. In her opinion, one must learn from one's mistakes and look for benefits to one's own development by interacting with others as often as possible.
She uses this simple rule in her daily life.
"When asked if they speak English, people most often say that they don't. Then I ask them right away in English where, for example, I can find a product on a store shelf. No one has ever declined to help me! In this regard, Wroclaw is a very friendly city to foreigners.
You can run into Jenny 'Yen' Siu not only in Google's offices as she is involved in jazz festivals and electronic music projects (she is a fan of this genre). Most importantly, you know who you should talk to if you are planning a trip to Gran Canaria! Marcello Murgia
