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This chapter will detail Andrea Gardiman’s experience as an Italian software engineer who moved to Ireland, focusing on the professional and cultural differences he found, particularly in the valuation of his skills.

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Chapter 5: The Value Proposition—Why the IT World Moves to Dublin

The Call and The Crossroads

Andrea Gardiman, a software engineer from Italy, represents the growing wave of European tech professionals seeking better opportunities abroad. Although he was working a good job in Padua, Italy, after completing his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Computer Science, he was eventually contacted via LinkedIn for a position in Dublin.

This contact wasn’t a sudden impulse; it was the culmination of a long-term goal. Andrea had always known he wanted to work abroad, partially to improve his English and because he knew the IT industry was more highly valued outside of Italy.

The Difficult Decision

The choice to leave was complex. Andrea was happy in his Italian job—he had a lot of responsibility, was learning constantly, and had a good social life. He was enjoying life and felt conflicted.

However, he noticed a lack of challenging progression in his Italian role and began actively checking LinkedIn for better opportunities. This time, he received messages from major companies: Google, Amazon, and Facebook.

“I received three special calls… those three companies were the right companies to work for”.

He saw this as a chance to follow his dream of working for Google and, more importantly, to pursue a technical career growth that he felt was not possible in Italy.

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The Unspoken Difference: Professional Value

The primary difference Andrea found wasn’t in the job description but in how his professional efforts were acknowledged and rewarded.

The Italian Context (Not Valued)

Andrea’s experience in Italy showed him that the role of a software engineer was not highly valued.

• Low Compensation: He felt companies would “try to pay you less” because they did not recognize the deep knowledge, hard work, and strong mathematical background required for the job.
• The Management Hurdle: Andrea felt that in Italy, if an engineer did not become a manager after a certain time, it meant they were “not good enough as a software engineer”.

“I don’t want to be a manager. I just want to be a technical [engineer]… Here, you can grow as much as you want [as a technical professional]”.

The Dublin Context (Rewarded)

In Ireland, Andrea found the reward he was seeking:

• Fairer Pay: “I see that in the money that I’m making”.
• Clear Progression: He earned a promotion after his first year and found that the career path was more transparent. The company clearly communicated that effort and value production would be acknowledged.
• The Technical Track: He can pursue his ideal career—a technical growth track—without being forced into a management role, which he had no desire for.

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Cultural Immersion and Social Survival

Andrea’s move was challenging, even after his previous Erasmus experience in Amsterdam.

The Language Barrier

Despite his studies and seven months in the Netherlands, the first week in Dublin was “really hard,” especially working with a team composed mostly of native Irish speakers.

“Irish is so difficult… it’s another level”.

He acknowledges that he still has difficulties but sees steady improvement in his English.

The Need for Connection

The first two months were lonely. Andrea initially felt isolated and “forced” himself to go out and connect with people. He was lucky to eventually find his footing:

• Random Acts of Kindness: He recounts getting completely drunk with a random Irish guy in a pub who bought a whole bottle of Sambuca, demonstrating the sociable (and sometimes intense) nature of the Irish.
• Finding the Tribe: After three weeks, he discovered via Facebook that a friend was visiting Dublin. That friend introduced him to another Italian he knew from a previous trip to Spain, who became his first close friend in Ireland.

He advises future expats not to expect life to be like home but to “completely force yourself” to overcome the initial loneliness because it’s completely normal. He stresses that in Dublin, you will always find people to connect with—it’s full of people who also need friends.

“Failure isn’t fatal, but failure to change might be.” —John Wooden