Ivan Martincevic, system analyst at FINEOS, tells us why he chose Ireland as a place to live and work, and how the country’s administration was a welcome change.
Where are you from?
I am from Osijek, Croatia – a beautiful country, but seriously damaged by the people ‘running’ it. The mentality is much like the Irish, so adjustment was easy.
How long have you been in Ireland?
Since January 2014.
Why did you move here?
I was thinking about moving to Australia or New Zealand when FINEOS contacted me. After the interview, I tried to find more information about Ireland and life there (or, should I say, here), which brought me to the conclusion that this is the country I could live and work in. I am still to find a reason for second thoughts.
What work do you do?
I’m a system analyst at FINEOS, which involves analysing requests and suggesting architecture solutions for our products.
How would you describe your working environment?
The environment is great and the company really tries to make it even better every day. The atmosphere is exciting and I feel that the work we do has some sense and makes an impact in the bigger picture.
What do you like most about your job?
The best part of my job is the people: open-minded colleagues ready to teach and be taught, equally.
Was it difficult to adjust to living and working in Ireland?
There were some details that were annoying, like finding a house, familiarising myself with public transportation and bits like that. But, in general, it went much easier than I thought it would. FINEOS helped us as much they could with a temporary place to live and a set of instructions for our first few weeks here.
What surprised you about moving to Ireland?
I was surprised by the administration and how well organised some aspects are, such as PPS and Revenue services. I know this is a surprise to Irish people, but public services in Croatia are always missing some papers, tax stamps or anything else that makes you wait endlessly for documents.
How does your working life help to make you feel at home here?
As I said before, the people are those that really make difference and my colleagues made me feel like home. I got assimilated quickly through having a good time with them on and off working hours. I suppose my working life and pleasant experience there helps me to feel at home a lot.
What do you like most about your adopted home?
I like the fact that people don’t seem to mind where you are from, as long as you are not making trouble. I feel as if Ireland is a place of equal opportunities where one can go far by working hard.
