We Talk Reggae and Catching Waves with Exaxe’s Finest
March 4, 2022
It can seem like an impossible mission – finding a job that challenges and excites you, but that also allows time to pursue your passions outside of the office. But when it comes to having a great work/life balance, look no further! Here in Ireland, you have the chance to work on projects that break new ground in technology and still have the time to pursue your own personal hobbies. Read on as we get a glimpse into how Filip and Ricardo – part of the team in Exaxe, an award-winning SaaS solutions provider – make the most of their life in and out of the office.
“One of the Best Choices I’ve Made”
Originally from Slovakia, Filip loves the challenges that his role in the company offer him. He tells us: “I work at solving problems using logic. I only graduated last year and I started working full-time here in Ireland. I’ve always worked as a software developer.” Moving here is a decision he’s happy to have made. Filip enthuses: “People here are so kind and everything is so easy to resolve. I don’t have any problems here. It was very easy to move over!”
In the case of Ricardo, who hails from Portugal, Ireland wasn’t originally on his list of chosen countries. He recalls: “I had a cousin living here and I came to visit her. I mentioned that I was thinking of moving over from Portugal and she told me there were several opportunities in the IT industry in Ireland. Back at home, I wasn’t aware that IT was a big industry here.”
Keeping Busy
Both guys love the chance to spend their free time on their passions. Even when it’s raining outside, Ricardo keeps a summery outlook thanks to his taste in music. After work, he swaps his computer keyboard for the musical kind and spends his evenings jamming with his reggae band. He says: “The guys in the band are a mixture of Irish people, one person from Mauritius, and another person from Nigeria.” The band is fairly new, but are already well acquainted with Dublin’s thriving music scene and have gigged in a few pubs around the city. Ricardo laughs: “We’re still finding a name!”
In contrast, Filip prefers to escape to the coast. In fact, he has just returned from a weekend surfing on the Northwest coast of Ireland. With a host of surf-friendly beaches along Ireland’s coastline, Filip has grown increasingly passionate about the sport. He explains: “I started surfing here in Ireland and since then I’ve become a bit of a surfing addict!” Now, he dons his wetsuit around twice a month.
Culture of Innovation
As well as enjoying the surfing, Filip also relishes the innovative work on offer in Ireland’s tech scene. He explains: “Here in Ireland you meet a lot of tech people with a lot of ideas – a lot of good ideas. For instance, I met a guy in my old job who worked in social media and he introduced me to that area.” Being immersed in this world has inspired him to work on some personal projects also. He adds: “One project I’m working on is around scheduling Instagram posts. It’s great to meet with other tech people and share ideas.”
In Ricardo’s case, he was surprised how quickly job offers started to roll in once he made the decision to move to Ireland. He says: “When I came back from Portugal after the holidays, I just signed up to a jobs website and after a couple of days, some recruitment agents started to call and send emails. The process was very quick.” He found his feet in Ireland pretty quickly too. He says: “I find it very easy to live here. I’m an easy-going person, so I don’t have any problems.”
Final Advice
When it comes to moving to a new country, Ricardo advises newcomers to take a practical approach. He says: “I think no matter what country you choose to live in, nowadays we have all the information available. Look around at other people’s reviews, at costs of living and that type of thing. Then take all those inputs and balance them to see if it’s worth moving.”
Filip has one important pearl of wisdom for his fellow Slovakians. He laughs: “The first thing I’d tell them is that it doesn’t always rain in Ireland. That’s a very important message! You get sunny days here as well. The second thing is that you’ll earn twice as much here for the same job you are doing in Slovakia.”
Want to Make the Move to Ireland?
There are thousands of tech jobs waiting to be filled. You can find out more about moving to Ireland here.