How Romance Sparked a Move to Kerry
January 10, 2022
Originally from Romania, Gheorghe has been living in Ireland since 2013. He’s now working in FEXCO’s Co. Kerry headquarters as a senior software engineer – a job he’s really enjoying. Love nature and interested in the great outdoors? Then Kerry is the place for you. Located in the south-west of Ireland, it’s quieter than Dublin and very picturesque. Gheorghe explains: “There are lots of things to do here especially if you enjoy nature. There are lots of places to visit and good food.”
A New Adventure
It was Gheorghe’s girlfriend who first triggered their move to Ireland. He explains: “Both me and my girlfriend were working as software engineers in Romania and the company my girlfriend was working with brought her to Dublin for a couple of weeks. She fell in love with Ireland.” After that, he contacted a recruitment agency who recommended FEXCO. The move itself was very easy. Gheorghe says: “FEXCO helped a lot with the move over. They gave me accommodation in the first two weeks to allow us time to find somewhere to rent.”
The Work Environment
One of the main differences he’s discovered about working in Ireland is in the work environment. He explains: “I like the close interpersonal communication between management and employees. Here, you are closer to the managers. They are people you can talk with.” He’s also enjoying the chance to flex his skills on exciting projects. Although it’s relaxed, he appreciates the care that people put into their jobs: “My favourite part of the job is being able to work with people who care about the company and care about doing a good job.”
Upskilling the Next Generation
CoderDojo is a movement set up in Ireland where volunteers teach young people between the ages of 7 and 17 how to code, develop websites and explore technology. Gheorghe volunteers his time with the local group. He explains: “It’s really exciting to see. They are so creative and so eager to learn. It’s amazing and I enjoy it a lot. A group of developers in the area go to a community centre, everyone is invited and there are about 20-30 kids. We do this once a week.”
The Challenge of Moving
Although the move over was very smooth, Gheorghe said the main challenge was getting to grips with the language. He explains: “Initially the main problem was that my English is not that great. At the start, I understood about 70% of what people were saying.” Speaking with him now, his English is nearly perfect. He explains: “FEXCO helped us a lot, they organised some English courses for us so that was very beneficial. So right now I’m comfortable speaking English.”
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