What makes moving to Ireland worth it for people in the STEM industry?
What is it exactly that makes Ireland an attractive location to move to? Of course, it’s all pretty subjective. It really depends on your own priorities and experiences.
For Sonali Mandar Bendre, a senior software engineer at Dun & Bradstreet, verdant Irish landscapes and a friendly, vibrant, international community helped alleviate the difficulty of relocating from her home of Pune, India.
Where are you from and what’s it like there?
I’m from a city called Pune, which is in the western part of India. It is a beautiful but busy city known for its educational facilities, having more than a hundred educational institutes and population of around 6m.
Pune is the city to be if you are a cultural enthusiast. There is theatre, music, literature, various sports, trekking groups, recreational groups, NGOs and other numerous activities which you can join. The people there are usually broad-minded, looking for friends, so you won’t feel lonely for too long. In my opinion, Pune has the best street food, which I have missed since my move to Ireland.
How long have you been in Ireland?
I moved to Ireland two and a half years ago.
What prompted your decision to move here?
Ireland is the only English-speaking country in Europe after the UK and holds tremendous growth opportunity. I always wanted to get an international experience and get to work with people from diverse backgrounds.
As India is offshore of the world, you always get to speak to people from different nationalities over a teleconference, whereas it’s a totally different experience when you get to work with them, which I got to experience here in Dublin.
What’s your role in Dun & Bradstreet?
I work as a big-data senior software engineer. In general, I work on design, development and product support. This can be very demanding and requires a wide range of skills and years of experience to be successful. In addition to this, I mentor junior team members.
How would you describe your working environment?
It is a diverse, positive and fun environment. The open-door policy makes it easier and more approachable. When you are surrounded by people from different technical backgrounds with years of experience, you get to learn a lot.
What do you like most about your job?
I am very happy that I am working on the latest in-demand technology of big data. In this age of our interconnected world, big-data technology is used almost everywhere. At the end of the day, it gives a feeling of job satisfaction. The creative and innovative part of my job is very important to me.
Was it difficult to adjust to living and working in Ireland?
In the beginning, yes. I moved here with my husband and daughter. Finding a house, a job and crèche for my daughter was challenging. However, it all got easy with time. Friendly people and plenty of Indian restaurants around made me feel at home.
What surprised you about moving to Ireland, if anything?
Irish weather and the way Irish names are pronounced.
How does your working life help to make you feel at home here?
When you have a good team to work with, half of the job is done. Plus, I am not the only Indian working in Dun & Bradstreet, which helps bring a bit of home to work.
What do you like most about your adopted home?
In my opinion, the people, Guinness and green landscape make Ireland a unique place to stay. Irish folks are very welcoming by nature and, when it comes to planning a weekend, you have endless good spots which you can visit with your family.
