Continuing TCN’s look at life in the Croatian diaspora, a great guest blog and sucess story from Natali Klaric on May 15, 2016.
First of all, there is to be discussed what success actually is. For each one of us there are different things that success represents. For me, it is waking up in the morning and getting blinded by the early northern sky’s glow, knowing that the day is going to be even more beautiful than it was the day before. Why? Because I know why I’m here, even though I may not have known that the day I first arrived.
Ireland is indeed a beautiful country, it offers many different possibilities, if one is sharp-eyed enough to notice them. In the world of business, there is nothing more appreciated here than hard work. Not necessarily hard in terms of being exhausting, but fully committed to what you are doing could be the thing that will get you to where you want to be. Unlike in my home country, Croatia, where your hard work can be appreciated, but probably nothing more than that. While here, if you want to make sandwiches, and you want to make them well, and you are making them the best you can, be prepared because soon enough you won’t be making sandwiches anymore. It is easy to climb the ladder of success when you give the whole You into whatever it is you are doing.
I would like to look at one fact that is, if not the first, than the second most important if you are planning on moving your life to Ireland. The glorious money. To be able to plan a (for a certain time) a one-way ticket to this beautiful island, you have to have a decent amount of money.
And when I say decent, I mean much more than you can put aside in 3 months working for an average salary in Croatia. That is, of course, if you want at least the same standard of living you had at home, and not knowing yet whether you will find a job that suits you, or a place to stay decent enough. There are a lot of Internet sites where you can search for an apartment or a room, whichever it is to your liking, and you have to scroll through them a lot, send as many inquiries as possible, present yourself in the best light, because finding what you need could be quite a race. Most of the landlords want a reference from your previous landlord, so it could be handy to have someone that can recommend you as a reliable person. And all of them ask for a deposit as well as the rent being paid in advance, so if you are planning to get yourself settled for a month until you get a job in that time, be sure you have enough money for at least three months of expenses. The rents are up to 4 times higher than they are in Croatia and that is something you have to be aware of.
Finding a job quickly enough depends on you and you only. If you are young and have a bubbly personality, be sure you won’t have any problems in doing that. Going through the job ads can be done before you even buy a plane ticket, and that’s the best way to get started, but even if you start doing that when you get here, there is a great possibility you’ll have an employer soon enough to start a new life. That is, of course, if you want to work. There are a lot of opportunities for older people as well, regardless of what one might say you might hear, and not speaking perfect English shouldn’t represent a big problem if your experience is highlighted, and for jobs like caring, cleaning or housekeeping, there is a vast sea of them to choose between. Everything else comes along. You learn the language as days go by, absorb the culture quickly when you’re a part of its everyday flow, and once you get the intimidations set by generally unhappy people out of your head, well than there’s nothing that can stop you from achieving even the smallest success in Ireland.
For me, every little part of all the decisions was a lottery. From finding an apartment while I was still in Croatia to getting to the point where I am now. Back there, I was used to doing all kinds of jobs just to get through the month, like the great majority of our country does. Without any diploma that could guarantee you a steady career in the years to come, there aren’t many prospects of living in Croatia, sadly, when it could be such a gorgeous place to live for all of us. But in Ireland, you don’t need a diploma to get you higher. You can start at the bottom and earn your diploma while you work, either a fictive one called effort, which is as much as valuable, either a certificate, which shouldn’t be a problem once the income starts to flow.
My first job in Dublin was as a waitress in a hotel. I got that job almost immediately after coming here. After that I got a job in a deli at a university complex. I was making sandwiches for a month, until they transferred me to a different deli and there I started cooking. The bosses loved me, I was doing the best I could and enjoying every second of my work, though I never did it before. At some point, I felt there was more to life for me than serving food. So I quit. Six months later, here I am, building a career in the stocktaking business. Why? Because I know I can.
I’ve heard quite a few stories on how easy it is to come to Ireland with almost no money, find a place to stay (most probably sharing a room with at least one stranger), get a job and live happily ever after. I’ve also heard stories on how everything goes down for people thinking it is as easy as that. The fact is, you have to be prepared for all kind of scenarios that may come along when moving to another country. Leave your home country’s mentality at home.
If you want to succeed in Ireland, know its advantages and know its flaws, think in advance and most importantly, have a clear goal in your head on what you want to achieve.
