Taking a Byte out of Ireland’s Tech Industry

When Xiuyuan first set foot in Ireland, she noticed one distinctive feature. Arriving from her home in South China, she laughs: “I thought Galway was very cold! In my city, it was around 30-40 degrees Celsius from April until September. When I arrived, it was much colder. But the air was very fresh, it tasted almost sweet to me.” Originally part of an exchange programme with GMIT where she studied IT with business, she says that from her first day in Ireland the experience has been a very positive one. Xiuyuan enthuses: “It was my first time abroad when I arrived. I wanted to give myself the chance to experience a different place. Now I’ve been here for 5 years and I really like it.”

Starting out in the Tech Industry

Inspired to continue her studies in Ireland after her time in the exchange programme, Xiuyuan went onto UCD where she studied digital applications and forensic computing. She says: “When I graduated, I decided to stay here as there are so many opportunities in IT and it wasn’t too difficult to get a visa with my qualifications as I have critical skills needed for the tech sector. Ward Solutions is my first company and my first job.”
She adds: ”I’ve been here for over 2 years. I started in security analysis – in information security. It’s busy but I really enjoy it. We work with a lot of different clients and my role is very technical. I work with rapid application forensics as well as penetration testing to test clients’ systems.”

Opportunities in the Tech Industry

With her sights set on progressing in her career, Xiuyuan says: “I think Ireland is very innovative, as there are so many different tech HQs here. And there’s a lot of opportunity for people from different backgrounds. For instance, Facebook are always looking for people who can speak Mandarin.”
A student when she first arrived, she adds: “The education system is very different in Ireland. In China, everything is taught. Here, there is a lot more emphasis on self-learning. So you attend lectures but are responsible for studying in your own time. That was a really useful skill for me to learn. And I think there is a lot of opportunity for progression. I’ve been working in my role for two years and I think there is a lot of opportunity to progress and to improve my communication skills.”

Enjoying Irish Culture

Along with gaining experience in the tech sector, Xiuyuan says that Ireland offers a good quality of life. She notes: “The lifestyle is really good. It’s more relaxed than at home, and a lot less high pressured. My friends in China work a lot longer, generally until 9 or 10 at night. Whereas everyone here enjoys their life. I go out with my Irish colleagues and we have a Chinese IT group online. We exchange ideas and tell everyone if there are any opportunities in our companies.”
She adds: “At weekends, we like to do different things. Sometimes we go hiking, and we also travel around Ireland. We’ve gone to Kerry, Galway and Wicklow. It’s really beautiful. I think it’s quite different to the Chinese countryside. In China, we have more lakes whereas here there are a lot more mountains.”
“It’s a lot more temperate than at home.” She jokes: “I’m getting used to the temperature now!”

Planning for the Future

Happily settled in Dublin, Xiuyuan and her boyfriend plan on staying in Ireland as long as possible. She says: “We came over together as part of the exchange programme and started dating afterwards. He works in IT as well. I’d like to stay here for another 4-5 years. But eventually, we have to go home. In China, there is a single-child policy and we’re both the only child in our families. We’ll go home and look after our parents in the future, that’s the tradition for our culture. I would love my parents to visit Ireland before then.”
For anyone considering a move over, she adds: “I would advise anyone coming to learn about Irish people and Irish culture before you arrive. And if you’re moving here from China, I would advise people to improve their English first. Irish people are very friendly so I think it’s an easy place to come to. They’re very patient so will take time to listen to you, and talk to you – even when your English isn’t very strong initially.”

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