Why Vancouver Island?
People from all around the world are choosing Vancouver Island and the local tech sector as where they want to live, work and play. Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in the world, highly skilled workers are realizing that they can not only enjoy a balanced lifestyle but can also find challenging opportunities with innovative companies of all sizes throughout our thriving local economy. Below you will find various profiles of people like you that have chosen to join our $1.948 billion dollar industry and the 20,000 other skilled workers that call the island home.
- Richard Davies - AbeBooks.com
- Matt Mello - AbeBooks.com
If you are interested in the Vancouver Island tech sector, please visit our job board and if you have questions
If you have already come to the island from abroad and you would like to see you and your company featured on this page please contact our Executive Director.
Case Studies: Why I Chose Vancouver Island
Richard Davies
PR & Publicity Manager – AbeBooks.com
Victoria, BC
Left a UK PR consultancy in December 2004 to join Vancouver Island-based AbeBooks.com - the world’s largest online marketplace for new and used books
“When my family and I decided to move to British Columbia, we thought Vancouver Island looked wonderful but we didn’t expect to find work on the Island. We had practically ruled it out and thought we’d end up in Vancouver.
“I had heard of AbeBooks.com in the UK but didn’t know they were located in Victoria. When the PR manager position came up, I jumped at the chance to work for a company that was leading its sector. After a couple of phone interviews, I flew from London to the Frankfurt Book Fair to meet senior staff. My work visa arrived two days after the job offer and we started to pack for the massive move.
“In the UK, I had been a sports journalist for six years, spent two years doing PR for the National Football League’s London franchise in its NFL Europe league and spent another five years at a top 50 PR consultancy promoting national brands in a wide variety of sectors, including telecoms and wireless technology. However, the world of Internet bookselling was a brand new challenge.
“Once in Victoria, I discovered AbeBooks is just one of many thriving tech companies on the Island. Moving thousands of miles to start a new life is quite a challenge but many people are doing it. When I arrived, I discovered fellow employees from the US, Brazil, Germany, France, and Colombia. Abebooks is thoroughly experienced in helping new recruits move to and settle on the Island and the HR department made our move quite painless.
“Career-wise, I have a challenging position where I am dealing with North America’s major newspapers and broadcasters on a daily basis. Journalists are always eager to hear how such a popular website is run from Vancouver Island.
“We love our life on the Island. We visit the beach almost every weekend during the summer. My four-year daughter adores the parks and the outdoor lifestyle that we’ve adopted, while my second daughter was born here so it’s been easy to settle down.”
Matt Mello
Software Engineer - AbeBooks Inc.
Victoria, B.C.
In June 2006, software engineer Matt Mello was lured away from his home state of Texas to the greener pastures of British Columbia by AbeBooks.com - the world's largest online marketplace for new and used books.
"I knew I wanted to live in British Columbia, I had vacationed here in 2000 and loved it. So I did some initial research into jobs in Vancouver and on the Island. At first I figured that I would end up in Vancouver, as the pay seemed a bit higher there, and I wasn't aware of the tech industry on the Island. However after spending a little more time online, I began to notice postings for the tech industry in Victoria. This was a definite plus over Vancouver because I grew up in a town of 20,000 people, so the idea of being able to work and live in a smaller city really appealed to me. It was then I happened to come across the AbeBooks job listing. I knew the company from having ordered books through them in the past, and they were exactly the kind of company I desired. It turns out they were looking for a developer, and my skill sets were a good match. A few emails and phone calls later, and I was flying up for an interview.
The move to AbeBooks allowed me to achieve my career goals of returning to software development, which was very important for me. The job has been great, and one of the main perks is that AbeBooks has such an open environment when it comes to collaborative development. It makes the whole design process so much easier, and I believe we get a better product in the end. It's just nice when a company's philosophy melds with your own. There is a real energy and excitement about the work we do, which makes it really enjoyable coming in each day. The only downer on the whole experience would have been dealing with all the visas and paperwork, which were so much more work than I had expected or anticipated. But AbeBooks HR manager, Judy Hamza and her team were amazing. I couldn't have, or rather wouldn't have, done it without them.
The Island has been almost everything I had hoped for. I may be a geek, but I love the outdoors, and here I can get anywhere I need on my bike, on foot, or if absolutely necessary, by bus. I don't even own a car. The ocean, work or the grocery store are just 10 minutes away. Even the downtown core feels like it was designed for pedestrians, which is a big change from Austin where I was previously. After so many years living in the desert, it's nice to live somewhere green. There's a lot less snow than I expected too, and that's definitely not something I'm going to complain about."
