German immigrant finds purpose and community after starting over in New York
Growing up in southern Germany, Andre dreamed of traveling the world, living across different countries, and immersing himself in new cultures. He never suspected that love would be the catalyst for these dreams coming to fruition — though not always in the ways he expected.
Following love across continents — and starting over
After earning both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the Netherlands, Andre began a promising career at Deloitte. But life took an unexpected turn when his partner, originally from Colombia, had to return home during the COVID-19 pandemic. With just a suitcase, no job, and no connections, Andre followed his love to start anew in South America.
“I had to resign and move to Colombia without any of my stuff,” he recalls. “It felt a little bit like fleeing the country.”
Andre soon found work in Colombia, but when his wife’s U.S. green card interview came through, he found himself making another journey for love as he and his wife made the leap to Long Island, New York. The transition to the States was jarring. Despite his advanced degrees and global experience, Andre found himself working at his local Target to make ends meet.
“It was a harsh reality,” he says. “After graduating with a master’s and working for one of the top consultancies in the world, you don’t really think you’re going to work at a supermarket.”
While working at Target, a colleague who had previously worked for Uber and Facebook invited Andre to join Uber as a Brand Ambassador. While it provided a spark of opportunity, it was still a far cry from the stability he once enjoyed. After 400 job applications and only a handful of interviews, love intervened. Andre’s wife introduced him to Upwardly Global.
Finding hope and direction with Upwardly Global
“When we arrived in the U.S., we had different expectations about the job market. We thought it would be much easier to enter the professional workforce here. After months of Andre applying for jobs, without much success, we knew we needed some kind of guidance. I found out about Upwardly Global on social media, did some research about the organization, and encouraged Andre to enroll,” Angellica, Andre’s wife, recalls.
“I could see how he was more motivated with the assigned job coach, and he realised he was not alone in facing the challenges of applying to jobs in a new country. I also saw how Upwardly Global provided valuable resources — from practice interviews and resume improvement, to networking and the possibility for continuous professional learning.”
For Andre, UpGlo was the reason to keep going. “The job coaching, the community, the mentorship — it gave me hope and a path in the right direction,” he says.
With support from his job coach, Bonnie, Andre dove into every opportunity UpGlo offered: resume workshops, interview prep sessions, and even professional development courses through credible institutions like Stony Brook and Cornell University. Andre’s experience with Bonnie made Angellica join UpGlo.
“After witnessing the positive impact it had on Andre, I decided to join Upwardly Global myself. Working with my job coach already provided me with great guidance on how to improve my resume and my LinkedIn profile, and I have been using platforms like Coursera to build new skills and make myself more competitive as a professional here in New York.”
From survival jobs to supporting other immigrants
Eventually, Bonnie sent Andre a job posting for a bilingual analyst role at World Education Services (WES) — a perfect fit for Andre’s multilingual background and analytical skills. Today, he thrives in his role at WES, using his talents to support other immigrants. With his professional identity flourishing, he remains an active member of Upwardly Global’s alumni community.
“Most immigrants have to take survival jobs because of a lack of community and lack of connections,” Andre says. “Upwardly Global helps you build that network. It’s a stepping stone that gets you back on your feet.”
