Systems Engineer, Caio, Reveals his Dream Tech Job

Arriving fresh from Rio de Janeiro in 2010, Caio took an unusual route into the tech industry. He reveals: “When I first came over, I studied English & Business for three years. I worked in a bar at the time and one of my best friends from there invited me to spend Christmas with his family.” An avid fan of technology since his childhood, Caio’s natural aptitude for solving tech issues prompted an unexpected job offer. He laughs: “I love computers and have always been the repair guy in my family! When I was at my friend’s house, I helped out by fixing their computer. My friend’s brother-in-law was there too. He works for a tech firm and spotted that I could solve tech issues. He asked if I wanted to do an internship with his company, so I went for it.”

Changing Career Paths

Firmly part of the tech industry since then, Caio is now Systems Engineer at Trilogy Technologies. He explains: “My background is in industrial design which was what I graduated from in Brazil. Before I came to Ireland, I had completed a few internships in this field but it wasn’t for me. I’ve always loved computers and once I got the chance to do my internship in the tech company here, I studied for my Microsoft Cert. In one year, I qualified as a Systems Engineer and I’m now a Level 2 Systems Engineer. In design, we look at different ways to solve problems or achieve our aims and that approach definitely helps when it comes to solving tech issues.”

Challenging Work Opportunities in Ireland

A busy role, Caio says each day is varied. “My job involves a lot of trouble-shooting. I often have to think outside of the box to find the solution for my clients,” he explains. “We mostly work with Windows and VMware, setting up new infrastructure for companies and managing it afterwards. I really enjoy it – it’s hard to ever feel bored because there is much to do all the time.”
With a diverse range of tech companies here in Ireland, Caio adds: “Tech develops so quickly, there’s always something new to learn. I think the more companies continue to move to Ireland, the more IT roles and IT departments are needed. I think the market for jobs is really good, it’s easy to come here and find a role.”

Enjoying Dublin’s Social Scene

With a busy career, Caio still makes time to enjoy the social side of the city. While he’s originally from tourist favourite, Rio, he explains: “Rio is a beautiful place to visit. But it’s too chaotic a place to live there. I really like Dublin. It sounds clichéd but people are really friendly. It’s a really welcoming place to move to. It still has that small-town vibe, which means I can cycle everywhere. I don’t need a car!”

He jokes: “The weather isn’t great so you can’t always do outdoors activities! But you adapt by moving a lot of social activities indoors to pubs and other places, which are great fun. And what I love is that places tend to close earlier than in Rio – where nightclubs and bars are open until 6am – so you can get up early the next day and do something in your time off.” Determined to make the most of his time in Ireland, Caio made the effort to mix with locals once he moved. “When I first came over, I decided not to just spend time with other Brazilian people. I knew if I wanted to learn the language properly, I’d have to hang out with the locals. I tried to make friends with Irish people and I did!” He adds: “At home, I’d spend my weekends at the beach because I lived so close to it. Here, we go to the park and walk or jog instead. I’ve been here for over six years and if I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t stay. I love the way Ireland is so close to everywhere in Europe. Whenever you have a few days off, it’s really easy to hop on a plane and go to discover a new place.”

Interested in Moving to Ireland?

Visit our Tech in Ireland page to find out all you need to know about tech roles available and what your life here will look like. You can also follow us on Twitter at @TechLifeIreland.