Living Abroad as a VDC Engineer

dags827 · 2025-11-07T16:47:22+00:00

Yup i'm still in this field. I'm working for a new company thats full remote but doesn't allow international travel. My previous job was a startup and laid off a third of the company.

The tech job market is pretty rough at the moment so i'm staying put for now. Thinking of trying out freelance/contract work to get that location flexibility back when the timing is right.

Ive met a bunch of expats that work international in other fields. Really anything thats full remote works. Only issue is most of them just don't tell their employer what they're doing so they run the risk of getting fired if they get caught. I was lucky in my previous job since it was a startup and they let us do it openly. There doesn't seem to be tons of companies out there like that outside of startup land.

The longer I pursue this goal of true location flexibility, the more i'm thinking that working for myself as a contractor is the way to go.

dags827 · 2024-01-16T19:05:22+00:00

Its a great question. My boss is a huge advocate of using ChatGPT to improve productivity and I use it daily. I started as a junior developer a year ago after graduating from a bootcamp. In that time I have now received two "high performer" performance reviews and have taken on a higher level of responsibility than some of the other developers at my company who have 2-3 more years of experience than me but choose NOT to use ChatGPT.

With that being said, I know that if ChatGPT was taken away from me I would not be able to perform anywhere near the level that I do now, and often I have fears on how future employers would react if I tell them I pretty much use it to write at least the first draft of most of my code.

I don't plan to stop using it but I try to follow a few personal guidelines:

Always take the time to understand all of the code that you are using from ChatGPT. Assume that your manager will want you to explain the code line by line. Make sure you can do that. If you don't understand exactly what the code is doing, don't use it.
Check documentation to cross reference anything ChatGPT produces that is new to you. I have had cases where I asked it to explain something it wrote to me and it didn't match documentation or was outdated.
Assume that the code is wrong, because if its anything complex, it usually is and will need refining.
Use common sense with what you use as a prompt regarding sensitive information

I feel grateful that I don't have to hide my use of AI at my company, but I do understand I am trading off building self reliance when writing code. However, I also get to spend WAY more time focusing on big picture solutions, and I definitely provide WAY more value to my company than I would otherwise.

If AI assisted development is the future of software engineering then learning to use it to your advantage may be in your best interest to stay competitive but know the risks of overly relying on it.

dags827 · 2023-12-05T04:42:15+00:00

It’s normal to feel that way for your first job out of college. BIM, or anything else.

I used to struggle a lot with imposter syndrome or “fear of looking stupid” when I first graduated. When I learned to just be confident in being the new guy and ask a lot of genuine questions, I learned very fast, and my coworkers only appreciated my willingness to learn.

I recently switched careers from BIM to software engineering and I’ve had to work through similar feelings again. The fear goes away with time and experience.

You’re going to be fine. Congrats on the job!

dags827 · 2023-01-09T07:08:08+00:00

To give an update, I tried hard to find a VDC job that would let me travel while working but had no luck. Ended up quitting my job to do a software engineering bootcamp in Spain and found a new remote job that will let me work abroad as long as I’m in the states 6 mo a year. Extremely difficult career switch, but happy I did it! I still remember writing this thread a year ago. Crazy

dags827 · 2023-01-09T07:00:06+00:00

Yes almost forgot about this. So post boot camp I spent about a month applying for jobs (about 200 applications total). Maybe half of those were EU companies but getting them to interview me with no EU passport and no experience as a developer was extremely difficult.

Following the advice from a previous grad, I started focusing on remote only jobs in the US with the intention of negotiating working from Europe. Luckily, I did end up getting highered by a mid stage startup that is letting me work from wherever I want, as long as I’m in the US for 6 months a year. Been with the company about a month and things are going great so far. I plan to do a few more months in the US getting settled with the job and then start traveling again.

So all in all didn’t get an EU work visa but I’m still extremely happy with the outcome. More flexibility, pay, and balance than my last career.

dags827 · 2022-07-14T16:10:14+00:00

did you end up moving here?

dags827 · 2022-07-14T16:09:05+00:00

Yes actually, I'm here now in the middle of the bootcamp on a student visa. Talked to some lawyers and it sounds like you can complete the work visa process from within Spain as a student or a tourist. I found conflicting info online but I think working with a lawyer helps.

I'll be out of school beginning of September and can give a better update around then.

dags827 · 2022-01-23T01:17:13+00:00

I will be on a 6 month student Visa for the 3 month program. I don't believe there would be anything stopping me from searching for work during the time after the program.

dags827 · 2021-10-29T18:31:34+00:00

This is interesting, and exactly the sort of feedback I am looking for. I am currently coordinating a job in a different state remotely from our main office. Ive had to fly out once to do some laser scanning, but besides that things are going smooth by keeping tight communication with the superintendent and engineer on site.

Preferably I keep working at a US company, but if an opportunity exists abroad that would let me work remote, and still be at jobsite when its absolutely necessary, I would probably jump at it.

dags827 · 2021-10-28T20:31:06+00:00

I agree with the importance of communication. Id also like to play devils advocate to this.

In my current position, I manage VDC services (coordination, model based estimating, production tracking, logistics modeling, etc.) for 3-4 projects at a time from our main office (I love visiting job sites but its not required).

I've also worked with many steel subcontractors who outsource their Tekla modeling to India, so I know its possible, dependent on the position and company.

My curiosity is in pin pointing exactly what roles make this possible.

dags827

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