10 / TalentScotland
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Two people tell us how life has never been better since they relocated to Scotland with their families
Joanna Stanko-Krakowiak
Joanna Stanko-Krakowiak and her husband Maciej are among an increasing number of people born in Poland who are making a life for themselves in Scotland. The couple are happily settled in Aberdeenshire with their young daughter Lilly.
What attracted you to living and working in Scotland? Scotland is a very beautiful country with a very interesting history. I came here for a holiday in 2006 and realised it’s a great place to live. People respect you for who you are and what you do. There are a lot of opportunities in the oil and gas industry in Aberdeen. I’ve worked in the industry for six-and-a-half years and enjoy every single day. Can you tell us about the company you work for and your role Aker Solutions provides oilfield products, systems and services for customers across the world. The company employs around 28,000 people in more than 30 countries. I work as a Project Quality Manager and I’m responsible for three departments:
Quality Assurance Engineering, Mechanical Completion and Quality Surveillance. My team helps ensure the right quality in every phase of a project. By the right quality I mean that we are meeting customers’ needs and exceeding their expectations, getting things right first time and every time. Was it easy to find a place to live, and was the choice of accommodation suitable? At first I rented a lovely flat in Aberdeen city centre through an agency, who were very professional. Three years later, my husband and I decided to buy. We got help to arrange a mortgage and, in 2009, we got the keys to our new home. In 2011, we became happy parents to a beautiful daughter, Lilly. How does your husband like life in Scotland? Has he found work? Luckily, my husband’s job was transferred from Poland. After a year, he moved to a new company and is now responsible for technical service support in Europe for a leading firm that supplies the paper industry. He says living in Scotland is a great experience and believes there’s still a lot to discover.
Have you found it easy it to organise childcare? Our house is in a new development so many people here have young kids. Although the nursery had a waiting list my neighbour recommended her childminder, who offered our daughter Lilly a place. My employer was great. I was able to
work from home two days a week for a year. And the flexible working system allowed me to change my working pattern to suit everyone’s needs. Do you have lots of leisure opportunities? We are quite active and my daughter and husband love cycling. There are lots of lovely parks close by. We also visit the Beach Boulevard in Aberdeen where there are lots of different activities to enjoy, such as bowling and mini golf. What do you like about living in Scotland? People are more relaxed here and enjoy life. You don’t have to worry about difficult subjects such as politics and religion. Back in Poland, it seems like these are often the only topics in media. Have you noticed any significant cultural differences? There are no major differences between Poland and Scotland. That is one of the main reasons we feel so at home here.
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Hear more about why people chose to make Scotland their new home
www.talent
scotland.com
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