With people from all over the world choosing Ireland as a place to live and work, we speak to those that have put down roots in the country. This time, we talk to Sabria Noshin, performance testing lead with Fidelity Investments.
Where are you from?
I’m from a small French village called Sainte-Julie, located halfway between Lyon in France and Geneva in Switzerland. There are less than 1,000 inhabitants – and that is even with the population having doubled in the last 10 to 15 years – so it has a primarily young profile. Most of the people work for Électricité de France, in the Plaine de l’Ain industrial park, or in Lyon.
Around the villages, fields cover the land. As children, we used to say there were at least five cows per inhabitant. From my parents’ house, we have a really nice view of the Alps. Growing up, my parents had to drive me everywhere as there were no amenities in the village. A bus would pick us up for comprehensive and high school located in the nearby towns.
It was nice growing up there, where you knew everyone in the village, and just had to take your bike to see your friends or go to the river in the summer.
How long have you been in Ireland?
I arrived in Ireland in May 2008, so over five and a half years ago.
Why did you move here?
My husband and I met studying in Finland. Towards the end of our studies, we were discussing coming to Ireland mainly because we speak English with each other. We weren’t inclined on going to the UK and Ireland was way more appealing, with people known to be extremely friendly, and the beautiful scenery and countryside were also attractive to us.
My husband came directly after university while I went back to work in France. After three years working in Paris, I found the right job in Ireland that matched my technical skills and I made the move.
What work do you do?
I am a performance testing lead at Fidelity Investments. I manage a team of four and we ensure that Fidelity Investments’ internal applications are performing as expected. This ensures that each employee’s experience is pleasant and they can do their job efficiently with a great user experience.
How would you describe your working environment?
Fidelity Investments is the best company to work for! Employees are respected by the upper management and everyone knows each other. Innovation is a big part of our culture and it is nice to have access to new technologies to play with and be creative with for our day-to-day work.
Fidelity provides a flexible work environment, great benefits, a great work-life balance (which is brilliant for family life) and a great social club. Fidelity also offers a multicultural environment with colleagues located in China, India and the US, which might be challenging at times but, overall, contributes to our collective and individual success. From Ireland’s perspective, we actually benefit from being the bridge between east and west.
What do you like most about your job?
I’ve been a performance tester for the last seven years. At Fidelity, I provide a service similar to a consultant supporting a wide range of projects across my group. That service-providing perspective is actually one of the aspects of my job I like the most. Each day is different; chatting with different people across the globe, testing different applications and technologies, and still doing the exact same job. It is challenging at times and very rewarding when performance issues are found and solved before going into production.
Was it difficult to adjust to living and working in Ireland?
Being European, I would say no. The way of thinking remains the same as on the continent. The food is the same and people are so lovely, helpful and welcoming. Driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the road and the various collections of accents took a bit more time to adapt to, but we were grand after a few months. And, in fairness, some Irish people did (and I’m sure still do!) slow down when talking with me.
What surprised you about moving to Ireland?
I thought, as everybody does, that it is always raining in Ireland. It is not! This is the only country where you’ll see the sun on a rainy day and often at the same time.
I also like the socialising taking place in pubs. Back in France, it happens at home – so that explains the large numbers of pubs in Ireland, and that’s great!
How does your working life help to make you feel at home here?
I’ve met great people at work. My manager is great and understands when I have some family needs and we find ways to make it work by either working during a different time zone and/or working from home.
What do you like most about your adopted home?
I love Dublin – the fact that you can walk from one end to the other. Of course, Grafton Street and Trinity College and its history. I love the fact that you can take your car for a weekend away without much planning and visit Galway, Cork, Kerry or even go up to Donegal. I really enjoy the scenery Ireland has to offer, even on the greyest rainy day. And, once more, the Irish people. The best of all!
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