My story short : I recently moved to Berlin without knowing German. I was hired 2 weeks after I started to search for a job and I had enough offers to choose the job I want ( I've graduated law, but programming is what I've been doing my whole life ). Before this I was freelancing successfully in Bulgaria for awhile and had pretty decent amount of income anyway. I moved here, because of personal wishes ( I really like the spirit here ).
Nowadays is really easy to change country inside EU, but anyway I don't believe that Bulgarian economy is unstable especially for IT. You can also check out a lot of positions in Sofia and around the country that are in extreme need for specialists ( my friends still keep complaining they can't find people, because most of them are abroad ).
Whatever your father is doing if he really knows English ( working level ) he will be offered with a job here or if the position allows he can even work remotely from BG.
If you think I can help you personally contact me.
That being said I think you can help your father in many ways:
Support him by telling him he is doing a great job of being a father and caring for his family and profession.
You can help with the CV - I recently read an article on HN about an older guy in US in a similar position and basically it turned out that his CV was just not adjusted to the new realities of the IT world.
Be active in communities like HN and you might get unexpected help.
Checkout the portfolios of startup hubs - e.g. http://launchub.com/portfolio/ - perfection and attention to detail do mean a lot there. Contact directly, be creative -e.g. ask if they would like to have someone helping them with networking for free one month and they can then decide if they would like to hire.
If you are more adventurous try a small project on indiegogo https://www.indiegogo.com/ - I believe enough people from HN will back it. If it is a nice idea I know I will.
If it is not about the work itself but looking urgently for money - try mechanical turk or something like that to make ends meet for the time being..
Hope it helps, I wish you luck
It's not as much fun as building a huge network, so you have to replace that part of the experience with the people - get to know the people there, and enjoy having them appreciate you (i.e. quality of interaction instead of quantity).
What things has he tried? Sending out speculative letters? Taking unpaid placements (if possible) to get a foot in the door?
I've done a few other things like this with good results:
http://jacquesmattheij.com/journeyman-project-trip-1-united-...
And I'm doing a few more as we speak.
My email address is jacques@mattheij.com
Some people got together nearby, got a government grant and setup a building to do just that. Charge a monthly fee to members and BAM! He's a business owner doing what he loves.
Bulgaria is not the most rich place in the world and government grants are reserved mostly for those with connections.
You can however be supportive. In part that means putting aside what you think he should do because it's not your call. Provide love without being asked. Provide advice only when.
Don't expect him to suddenly stop acting in ways in which he takes pride. He would work without pay again if the circumstances were the same. Accept him for who he is. Doing the right things will be hard because it is about him not you.
Good luck.
Can you help get overseas projects?
Can you setup a profile on eLance/etc where he can get projects?
Can you get an investment from Kiva or another crowd-funding site?
At first I thought this was wholly unfair. I know have come to think it's more an unfortunate fact of life. That said, it's not as if our ability to do go work just vanishes as we get older. For sure we aren't as sharp; but I don't see this as a deal breaker.
I'd like to think when I reach his age there will still be a meaningful role for me to fill?!
So even if there are no legal restrictions there are plenty of barriers.
Quite often in that situation being part of a community and being useful can do wonders to your mentality and self-assurance. But networking is just as important.
Why not go visit http://11.me/ and http://launchub.com/ and http://www.betahaus.bg/ and others?
A small business, something that he can be independent, owner.
I've heard that these can sometimes lead to ongoing arrangements.
Is this actually true? Seems like a kneejerk generalisation. If it is true, then surely this is a huge opportunity.
Political correctness' "diversity that is disguised homogeneity where every really just agrees with me deep down inside, whether they know it or not, and all cultures are the same except for the superficial trivialities of what songs they sing, what clothes they wear, and what holidays they celebrate" is not an accurate picture of the world, and really quite provincial and imperialist (imposing your view on the whole world) on its own, despites its pretenses to sophistication and worldliness.
Knowing the loopholes and exploiting them means you're the smart one among a sea of clueless idiots. People get "secret" respect for being corrupted. Former Soviet block countries are one example of this mentality.
There's a reason certain countries can't make quick progress, while others can. Culture is the operating system of the mind, it affects how we perceive the world, how we make decisions, and ultimately where we're dragging the entire society with us.
There seemed to be three option, either actively start a movement to change the system, or position yourself to profit from the system, or leave the system. Just going around "the system is against me" is one of those victim positions that make yourself feel good but won't make any difference for anyone.
He is an adult. I assume, because he is a IT professional he has a good education.
I bet he knows that there are countries where he can get a better pay job. But for his own reasons, he has decided not to pursue this endeavor. I bet he made a choice of staying where he is now consciously. Maybe it's not his cup of tea moving between countries.
Of course no harm talking to him and reiterating the above. But I bet he knows and made up his mind already.
