Working in the tech industry is not for everyone, either you hate it or you love it. But if you love it, you never want to go back. That is what happened to Peter Andersen who is currently taking a 6-month internship with Google at their European headquarters in Dublin. Peter, a 25-year old Danish student, studying an MSc. in Finance and Strategic Management at Copenhagen Business School, packed his bags within a week of his job offer and moved to Dublin.

Why go?

“My motivation to work within tech was a no-brainer” explains Peter. He had previously had experience in the tech industry through a student job, which had opened his eyes and built his passion for the opportunities and what the tech industry had to offer.

Peter observes that when you cluster all of the largest and most influential technology companies within a 1-kilometer radius, a pool of knowledge, creativity and innovation is inevitably going to spill over and new industry changing solutions spontaneously emerge. If you want to be part of that exciting environment, you have to live in it. “So when the opportunity presented itself, I didn’t hesitate one minute to be part of the European equivalent to the Silicon Valley, the city within the city ‘Silicon Docks’ here in Dublin.”

How to get a job in tech in Dublin

The best way to get a job in Dublin is to do some research and keep yourself updated with the employers you are interested in. And there are many ways to do that, such as checking their job postings every now and then, following them on LinkedIn and other job sites, or attending events where the company will be present. Luckily for Peter he had a good network, which was how he got to know about the job posting. The way he heard about this: a friend told Peter about several business internships in Google. There is a lot of material out there to research the city, job and employer beforehand, and after having done that Peter did not hesitate to send in his CV. After a rigorous and structured interview programme, Peter could pack his bags and move into the Google quarters in Dublin.

Starting at a new job in a new city

It is not easy to start over completely, and everybody gets nervous. But always remember that you are not the only one, everyone at the company was new at some point, and they are often more than happy to help out - especially in a city as friendly as Dublin.
But in Google's case, they take the “new” employees to a whole new level - they become Nooglers! “Noogler is Google-speak for “new Googler”. You take on the first couple of weeks as a Noogler with people from all over the world. I started with people from literally all over, from New Zealand to Italy, Lebanon to Germany and of course other fellow Scandinavians. The whole idea of a Noogler group is to give you a social network from the get-go. This way you are never alone!” says Peter who stills talks to people from his Noogle group every day, with whom he often gets together on weekend trips to explore Ireland.

What do you actually do in Google?

Google, as many other giant global conglomerates, might seem very overwhelming, so much that one might ask: What do you actually do? Peter works as an intern in the Global Customer Experience Nordics-team and he says no two days are the same and that he enjoys all the perks of being a Google employee. But no matter which perks there might be, the most important thing is that the intern position is respected by all in the company, and it allows the interns to think outside of the box and try to new ways to solve problems. So even though you might be an intern, you are not supposed to get your superiors coffee, but to gain actual experience.

Living in Dublin

Dublin is a vibrant capital with a population of 1.1 million, and it has that big city feel to it whilst cherishing it’s proud Irish heritage and customs at the same time. In many ways living in Dublin is not very different from living in other European capitals. Whenever the sun is out people walk through the main shopping streets, brunch at trendy cafés, or relax in one of the many green parks. Because the Irish are very open and friendly, you often find yourself meeting new people who will let you in on how to find small hidden gems around the city.

What Dublin is most known for is their people, Peter Andersen elaborates: “When living away from home and friends, I find that everyday life can become a little lonely. Not in Dublin! Because so many people are here for the same reason as you - to work. So you make a lot of new acquaintances and build relationships with people from all over the world. Everybody, including the Irish, are very open so there is never a dull moment in Dublin; somebody is always inviting you to do something”.

3 things you need to know about Ireland

1. Don’t try to use an umbrella when it rains in Ireland

    

   • No matter how robust your umbrella might be, it will not hold to the strong Irish winds that accompany the showers.

2. Learn a bit of rugby

    

   • It is a big thing in Ireland, so if you want to have a decent conversation in an Irish pub - brush up on the rules in this sport

3. The Irish friendliness

    

   • The Irish people are super friendly, open and ready to take a stranger into his local pub. They are interested in getting to know you and help you get the best experience while in their home country. You quickly make friends and meet new people that always makes for new and interesting experiences!