Flávio Abrão, an electrical engineer from Goiânia, Brazil, secured a position with a multinational company based in Singapore following an unconventional interview. The opportunity arose in April 2014 while he was working in Recife. A recruitment agency from Singapore contacted him via email, seeking electrical engineers.
Initially skeptical, Flávio thought the outreach was a prank or spam. The agency scheduled a phone call for 10 PM the next evening. True to their word, the call came at exactly 10 PM while he was at a party and had consumed alcohol. Despite his doubts, he answered and conducted the interview from a quieter spot at the event.
The following day, sober, he met the recruiters in person at his hotel in Recife. During a subsequent dinner, he asked why they chose him over more experienced candidates. The recruiters explained that his ability to communicate clearly in English while at a noisy party and intoxicated was decisive. They had contacted other engineers with stronger resumes, but none could hold a conversation.
Flávio credits his language skills for the career breakthrough. He learned English by interacting with international colleagues during his early career, which involved working as a laborer on construction sites across Brazil. His curiosity and willingness to absorb the language proved invaluable.
Since that pivotal hire, Flávio has lived and worked across the globe. His international experience includes stints in Singapore, South Korea, Australia, Canada, and work in countries like China, India, and Thailand. He has visited at least 40 countries throughout his career.
Today, Flávio is self-employed, providing technical services to companies in Canada, China, and other nations. His expertise is primarily in the offshore sector, focusing on oil platforms. His work involves adapting foreign platforms to Brazilian safety standards, conducting inspections in explosive atmospheres, and performing maintenance on offshore equipment like elevators and cranes.
He is now settled in Goiânia with his Filipino wife and their two children, who hold dual Canadian citizenship. The family's return to Brazil was prompted by a positive perception of safety and quality of life in the city, which his wife compared favorably to challenges faced in some first-world countries.
Based on reporting from g1.