Second Time Lucky: Stefania on Her Time in Ireland and Tech
January 7, 2019
For Stefania and Ireland, the second time really has been a charm. Now a Solutions Consultant in DocuSign, she first came to the country after graduating but returned this year with her husband whom she met the first time around. “I did some research on Ireland and tech online and found that there were a lot of companies in Ireland that were looking for international people. I stayed until 2015, and then I came back this year in January.”
A Warm Welcome
Her first glimpse of Ireland may not have been encouraging on the weather front, but Stefania says she soon found a warm welcome. “My honest first impression was that it was raining and it was cold,” she laughs. “But it was actually really good, because I had some friends here. The ex-pat community is really big, there a lot of people around and a lot of things being organized, Ireland is very welcoming.”
A Thriving Tech Scene
Before arriving here, Stefania was relatively unfamiliar with the country’s tech scene, but she soon discovered a thriving community encompassing companies large and small. “I didn’t really know that there was such a big tech industry here,” she says. “Until you’re actually here you don’t know that there are so many international people from all over the world. There are so many big companies here, as well as a lot of start-ups, so there’s something for every skillset.”
Working at DocuSign
And that sense of community extends to DocuSign too, where Stefania enjoys the team spirit in and out of the office. “It’s really cool because although the company is growing really fast, I think the environment is still really personal. I like the work, but I also like the fact that you do activities with your team outside of work. So I enjoy that social side too.”
In her day-to-day role, Stefania works closely with her own team, but also spends much of her time providing innovative business cloud solutions and interacting with customers, which is an aspect of the job she really enjoys. “I work a lot with the account executives, but I’m more responsible for the functional and technical evaluation of the products,” she says. “Depending on how busy the day is, I could be doing product demonstrations, attending some technical calls, or working on solution designs.” And the working culture in DocuSign means communication between various levels is easily achieved. “You’re actually in touch with a lot of the senior management and you can be part of creating the process and making decisions,” she explains. “It’s a very open culture and I enjoy that very much.”
Career Growth
Developing her career is something Stefania is also passionate about, and she feels the opportunities for advancement and education in Ireland are huge. “I’ve signed up for a lot of courses and diplomas, where you end up meeting many tech people so that’s great,” she says. “And we have mentor programmes within DocuSign so you always have people who are helping or supporting you.”
She thinks it’s that chance to evolve your career which really marks out the tech scene in Ireland as different from the norm. “There are numerous different companies and sectors, which means there are great opportunities available,” she notes. “So when you start in one role it doesn’t mean you have to stay there you can develop into other departments which makes it interesting and exciting. That grows your potential for not just moving up, but also moving sideways into different areas.”
Exploring Ireland
When she’s not working at DocuSign, Stefania loves the great outdoors, and as a keen photographer, has leapt at the chance to visit some of Ireland’s most famous sights. “I’ve done all the classic spots like Galway, Cliffs of Moher, and Dingle,”
And if you’re thinking of moving to Ireland, she’s sure you’ll find a warm welcome and a fantastic lifestyle. “I think the culture is very friendly,” she says. “My mom was always super impressed when bus drivers would say thank you when you got off the bus! It’s those kinds of little things where you actually just feel like people are being really nice, not because they have to, but because they want to.”
Thinking of Making the Move?
Ireland and tech go hand in hand. There are hundreds of amazing tech companies here looking for employees like you. Visit our careers page to explore the endless opportunities available here.