Iarla O’Domhnaill ” Moving Down Under”

Iarla O’Domhnaill ” Moving Down Under”

I’m Iarla, I graduated from Global Business (Spain) in 2019, and have been living in Melbourne, Australia since October 2022.

Having worked with DCU Language Services after graduating, I began my career in technology sales with LinkedIn in Dublin.

Being the Tech hub that it is, Dublin offered so much opportunity in this field. Although I always knew I wanted to live abroad again, it was the perfect place to get started in Tech and get my feet off the ground career-wise.

As part of my degree, I completed two Sales internships; with Miele in Dublin, and with GVAM in Madrid. These internships gave me a great insight into what I wanted to do moving forward, and proved invaluable in interviews for roles that required a certain level of prospecting experience.

While other universities in Ireland shy away from internships, DCU’s focus on real-world experience and Intra’s support in finding placements was second to none.

Moving Down Under can be daunting. It’s a minimum 24hr journey from Dublin to Melbourne, and the time zones make it tricky to stay in touch with family and friends. Having said that, you never feel too far from home with flocks of Irish arriving every day. You’d be forgiven for thinking you’re actually in Ireland when strolling through St Kilda or Coogee, with sunburned GAA jersey-wearing compatriots only ever a stone’s throw away.

Australia has always been a popular destination for us Irish to move, but with Covid and the housing crisis back home, the Irish community is growing exponentially, and I understand why. Most people have heard that the work-life balance is much better here in Australia for healthcare professionals, but I’ve found the same to be true in the business world as well.  Now for the practicalities. There are a couple of options when it comes to visas – 417 Working Holiday, being the most popular. Other options include the 500 Student Visa if you wish to continue your studies, the 407 Training Visa, or the 482 Temporary Skills Shortage Visa – a great option if your skills match the criteria, or if like me, your significant other does, and you qualify for a partner visa!

Most apartments in Melbourne/ Sydney and Perth come unfurnished, so the more savings you come over with the better. Join Facebook groups to look for short-term accommodation, furniture, job opportunities and friends.

My top tip when applying for roles here in Australia would be to reach out to anyone in your network; DCU alumni, mutual LinkedIn connections, family friends, former employers, literally anyone that could help. You never know what’s out there unless you ask.

I’m now working in Business Development for Acoustic – a marketing technology company that spun out of IBM a few years ago. It’s a fast-paced start-up environment, that’s helping me develop totally new skills, and build on what I learnt at LinkedIn.

By no coincidence, the Head of Acoustic in APAC is a DCU alum in Software Engineering, and the other member of our Business Development team graduated the same year as me from Global Business DCU.

No matter how far from home you are, you’re only a couple degrees of separation from your community.

Author: Iarla O’Domhnaill, Enterprise Business Development Representative at Acoustic