During my internship in Dublin, I had the chance to experience how another culture approaches work, success, and communication on a day-to-day level. One of the biggest things I noticed is that in Ireland, “success” in a professional setting isn’t only about delivering results or hitting KPIs, it’s also about being easy to work with, building relationships, and contributing to a positive team environment. People care about the energy you bring into a space just as much as the skills you bring to the table.
At Sweete.ie, being a successful employee meant being adaptable, collaborative, and proactive. While I was working on the backend gift card system in C#, I wasn’t just expected to code in isolation. I needed to communicate across departments, understand the marketing team’s needs, and make sure what I was building actually aligned with the customer experience goals. Asking questions, being flexible with feedback, and jumping into group problem-solving sessions were just as important as getting my logic right. It was clear that success meant being a team player and showing you cared about the bigger picture, not just your individual task list.
That differed a bit from what I’m used to in the U.S., where in a lot of tech spaces, there can be more of a focus on individual productivity, personal achievement, and efficiency. Of course, teamwork is still important back home, but I think there’s more emphasis on being self-driven and “owning” your work. In Ireland, I saw more value placed on shared wins and keeping things collaborative even in fast-paced settings. I think that’s part of why the work environment felt a little more relaxed yet still productive, it wasn’t about constantly pushing to be the best, but more about helping each other succeed.
Looking back on my time in Dublin, I can already see how much I’ve grown, personally, academically, and professionally. Personally, I’ve become more independent and confident navigating unfamiliar spaces. Living abroad, even for just two months, taught me how to adapt quickly, ask for help when I need it, and figure things out on the fly. I also gained a better sense of cultural awareness, which helped me learn how to connect with people who have different ways of thinking or communicating than I’m used to.
Academically, I think the experience made my classroom learning feel more relevant and real. I was applying what I’ve learned in my CS courses in a real-world setting, working with live data, user logic, and backend tools, and it pushed me to look at my coding through a user-focused lens. Now when I’m learning new concepts, I think more about how they might apply outside of class, not just in theoretical assignments.
Professionally, this internship gave me more clarity about what kind of work I enjoy and how I want to show up in future roles. I learned that I really like being the bridge between technical and non-technical teams, explaining code to marketing people, translating needs into features, and seeing the real-world impact of what I build. I also learned that success isn’t just about how smart you are or how fast you can code, but how well you communicate, collaborate, and stay open to learning.
As I head back to Pitt, I’m excited to bring these takeaways with me. I want to approach group projects and classwork with more awareness of how team dynamics affect outcomes, and I’m also planning to be more intentional about seeking internships or roles where I can build both my technical and soft skills. Long-term, I know this experience will help me in my career, not just because of the coding experience, but because I’ve now had the chance to grow in a global, cross-cultural environment. It gave me a broader perspective, and I think that’s something I’ll carry with me in every space I step into next.
