site.btaCareer Forum in Munich Connects Bulgarians Abroad with Opportunities at Home

More than 800 people attended the Bulgaria Wants You career forum in Munich on Sunday, where hosts Andrey Arnaudov and Desislava Stoyanova invited Bulgarians working in Germany to explore job prospects back home.

“The Bulgaria Wants You events started right here in Munich, and since then we have travelled to many places,” Arnaudov told the audience. “On Monday I exchanged messages with a man who, after living in Germany for 20 years, moved back to Bulgaria following our event in Munich three years ago.”

Arnaudov said living standards in Bulgaria are rising while those in Western Europe are slipping but stressed that the team does not urge anyone to return. “It is most important for Bulgarians around the world to stay connected. We hope to contribute to that,” he added.

“In Bulgaria today, we are witnessing something remarkable. Over the past five years, many people have been returning for good, more than those leaving the country. The Bulgarian nation is no longer shrinking at the significant rates seen over the last 35 years,” he said.

Journalist and publicist Desislava Stoyanova told Andrey Arnaudov that “Fame has never been a motivator for me. It has never been a factor—neither when I joined television nor when I decided to leave it.”

“Security matters to everyone, but what actually is security? When your security depends on other people, what kind of security is that?” Stoyanova asked. Fear should not take decisions for us, she argued. “I decided I would like myself less if I did not take the risk,” she added.

The discussion then turned to Kaloyan Velichkov, founder and head of Sunotec, the forum’s main sponsor. Velichkov, who first arrived in Germany with his family as a political emigrant, said his career success came from “always working on what interests me, what excites me.” “Whatever people do, they should do it with passion,” Velichkov said.

Consul General Stefan Ionkov welcomed participants: "It makes me happy to share the Bulgaria Wants You experience with you today. Emotions played a role in bringing you to Germany. But today, those same feelings could be the reason you decide to come back to Bulgaria, where friends and family are waiting for us with a smile. Bulgaria is moving forward and developing. I believe there is no greater success than reaching your goals in a place where you truly feel at home."

Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov told the forum that the experience he gained in Germany could now be put to use in Bulgaria. “Bulgaria needs many nuclear engineers; we need mathematicians, financiers, chefs—practically every profession. For example, 100,000 people will work on the Kozloduy NPP site,” Stankov said.

“We are looking for young, educated people with experience, and we will continue to train them in the energy sector so it can keep advancing here,” he added.

“I know many of you are debating whether to return to Bulgaria. I would ask you—why not? Until now the trend was a ‘brain gain’. We must now build a community that will help the country keep developing,” Stankov noted.

“You can count on Bulgaria,” he said.

World rhythmic-gymnastics champion Maria Petrova told the audience her first trip abroad had been to Leipzig and that she later claimed her maiden world title in Stuttgart. “As a child I trained on the carpet and did sit-ups on a footstool,” she recalled. Sport, she said, gives discipline and purpose: “Sport taught me that you must first learn to obey before you can become a leader,” Petrova added, thanking coach Neshka Robeva, who “broke my stubbornness”.

Although she now travels frequently, Petrova has chosen to stay in Bulgaria. “When you travel you can be yourself,” she said. “Bulgaria wants you for your dreams and your voice. We can build a better place where our roots are.”

Other speakers included entrepreneur Andrey Bachvarov, Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov and actor-producer Julian Kostov. Three discussion panels examined doing business in Bulgaria, progress in healthcare and regional development.

An expo area with 30 employer stands allowed attendees to discuss vacancies and receive career offers throughout the afternoon.