Blerina Berisha’s father is a software developer. Already as a small child, she wanted to follow in his footsteps. After finishing school, she enrolled in an IT and engineering program in her home country, Kosovo. Her original plan was to complete her undergraduate studies and then go to Germany to do her master’s. However, she discovered a perfect career opportunity right at home in Kosovo – thanks to the consulting services of the German Information Points for Migration, Vocational Training and Careers Advice (DIMAK) and a local career fair in Pristina. In-depth job application training finally helped her to success.

An interview with Blerina Berisha:

I am a software developer. I would say, programming is a little like preparing a meal together with friends: you work as a team, and everybody contributes what they do best. The result may not always be perfect on the first try and you may need to do some more touching-up – add a little more salt and pepper maybe. But in the end, the result is really good.

After finishing school, I studied IT and engineering. As the universities in Kosovo don’t offer master’s programs in these fields yet, I wanted to go to Germany to continue my studies right after graduation. So, I went to the DIMAK to learn about the options I had.

The counselor at the DIMAK took her time to talk to me. She not only gave me information on graduate programs in Germany, but also told me about career opportunities in Kosovo. Together, we went over my application documents and went on to discuss my work experience, which is the second crucial factor in the IT sector, besides a quality education.
Ultimately, I decided to try applying for a job in Kosovo first. To increase my chances on the job market, the counselor offered me job application training. This helped me put together an attractive résumé, improve my cover letter, and feel more confident when interviewing.

I work for an Austrian IT company with a subsidiary in Pristina. I got to know them at a job fair here in Pristina which was organized by the DIMAK. They immediately caught my eye because their focus is on smartphone app development, an area I am particularly interested in. So, I applied – and they made me an offer.

Right now, Kosovo is becoming increasingly attractive to start-ups, especially in the tech industry. I am still planning to go to Germany to get a master’s degree, but for the time being, I am very happy with where I am and want to continue to work in my home country in the long term. I love being at home and still working in an international environment. It’s definitely the best of both worlds for me. It’s important to me to gain international experiences and study abroad, but it is equally important to share this new knowledge. This is why I would like to eventually become a university professor to pass on my expertise to others.

The Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM) is jointly run by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the International Placement Services (ZAV) of the German Federal Employment Agency (BA). Together, they have been providing development and labour market policy expertise for over 35 years. CIM places experts from the EU and those who have settled in Germany in developing countries and emerging economies. It offers a network for those who have migrated to Germany and who wish to support development in their country of origin, and it advises individuals and decision-makers on migration issues. Our main commissioning party is the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).