Wow, what an incredible week. After a semi-hectic plane ride to DUB airport, I finally landed and caught a taxi from the airport to University College Dublin, where I am staying for the next 8 weeks. I quickly met up with the rest of the Pitt students who are also travelling with me, and we all unpacked our belongings and tried the city buses for the first time together for groceries.
Naturally, we were headed in the wrong direction; however, we immediately noticed how helpful the bus drivers and locals in general were. After we got our groceries, we went to Center City to grab a bite at a cafe called The Bailey. The food was amazing, despite what the stereotype is in Ireland, and we all got really close as a group. As we walked around Center City, there were many groups of friends or coworkers out on the streets enjoying themselves and chatting in any and every alleyway we strolled down. Seeing this on a Monday, I was quite surprised. Typically in the United States, many parents or workers tend to drive home on a Monday night, cook dinner, and sleep early to get ready for the next work day. However, that was not the case in this city. It made me reflect on how the Irish seem to really enjoy life and conversing even after their days at work, a day that most people dread.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, we held our orientation and introduction to Gaelic Games. During our orientation, we all became informed on the general work culture of Ireland, and what may be different to us that is normal for them. Something that stood out to me was how strongly the Irish dislike hierarchy in any context, even in the workplace. We were told that CEO’s, supervisors, and rank is something that is often overlooked, and calling our supervisors by their professional names makes many cringe. This is due to how the Irish broke free from British rule, which makes concepts of any rank or hierarchy unfavorable. Not acknowledging rank is very different from what I know American work culture to be. We value a lot of personal advancement in the workplace and, in general, like to be referred to by our “deserved” titles, such as Dr. __ or Professor __. Here, they may call anyone by their first name, despite their role in their respective industry.
Later on Wednesday night, we traveled to Howth Cliff by bus and train, which took about an hour and a half. The transportation here is much more reliable and easier to navigate than in Pittsburgh. Howth Cliff was absolutely beautiful, offering the most scenic views I had ever witnessed.
Friday was our excursion day, where we traveled about two hours from the city to Glendalough and Kilkenny. Glendalough was a short trail we hiked where we could see stunning mountains and a large lake. On our bus ride, our driver gave us the most in-depth history lesson about Ireland’s origins in one of the funniest and best storytelling ways I have ever heard. I find the Irish quite humorous overall and somewhat unserious in serious situations. I really enjoy this kind of communication style as it naturally lightens the mood in situations.
As I prepare for my first day on Tuesday, I am feeling very excited, yet nervous. I will be working for a recruitment company, Excel Recruitment, as an Executive Assistant and Project Intern. Excel Recruitment is a recruitment company that screens, sources, and matches candidates with companies hiring across all departments. Some of these departments include retail, hospitality, healthcare, technology, and other industries.
A couple of strengths that I think will be very important to have as an Executive Assistant and Project Intern are communication. I will be preparing meetings, summarizing data, and communicating with multiple teams under my supervisor’s supervision; therefore, being able to communicate quickly is essential, as it drives almost all operations. Being able to use Excel and other databases is also going to be important in this industry, as almost everything is based on data we collect from potential employees to companies.
A skill that I think will be useful and specific to Ireland is adaptability as it will take time to adjust to a new place with new people and a different way of life. This week exposed me to the touristy bits of Ireland, but I can not wait to begin our internships and go all in into experiencing what it is like to live as a Dubliner.