For me, coming to work in Ireland is one of the greatest decisions in my life. I not only made a big step forward in my career but also am having a really nice experience with Irish culture and lovely landscapes in Ireland.
What motivated me to come to work in Ireland?
Besides many opportunities for a French girl to work in Ireland, I also take this chance to improve my English by working and living in an international environment. So far, I am proud of understanding many different English accents of speakers from around the world.
As William Butler Yeats, a famous Irish poet introduced his country: “There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met”. “Exactement!”. I’m so eager to discover the beautiful landscapes and great culture in this Emerald Isle and be around friendly and supportive locals, especially my colleagues.
What are the differences in living and working style between France and Ireland?
As compared with recruitment vacancies in France, there are more opportunities and well-paid jobs for a recruiter to move further in their career. I prefer the requirements and challenges for recruiters working in Ireland. Besides certificates and experience, we focus more on soft skills to become an active team player and a trustful friend for my candidates to support their career development and deliver the best quality services from e-Frontiers.
In my spare time, I love to learn more about the Irish culture with lovely songs, vibrant dance and great beer. However, the downside of living in Dublin is the challenge of getting accommodation and the general expensive living costs.
What are the differences in living and working style between France and Ireland?
As compared with recruitment vacancies in France, there are more opportunities and well-paid jobs for a recruiter to move further in their career. I prefer the requirements and challenges for recruiters working in Ireland. Besides certificates and experience, we focus more on soft skills to become an active team player and a trustful friend for my candidates to support their career development and deliver the best quality services from e-Frontiers.
In my spare time, I love to learn more about the Irish culture with lovely songs, vibrant dance and great beer. However, the downside of living in Dublin is the challenge of getting accommodation and the general expensive living costs.
How could I overcome the obstacle of living and working in Ireland?
The language and different lifestyle could be considered as tough obstacles. However, all were solved quickly as I learned to be more patient and open-minded to accept and integrate myself into a new life which is definitely a big change from my previous life in France. My efforts are paid off. I have really settled into the Irish lifestyle now (though I will always be French!) while enjoying working at e-Frontiers.
In the business battle among B2B technology companies today, Customer Success Manager is one of the major keys to hook and maintain a relationship with clients. How much do you know about this interesting position?
What exactly is Customer Success Manager?
This is a very new and recent title that has only existed the past 7-8 years and many people might not know exactly what a Customer Success Manager (CSM) does or what skills are required to do this job.
Many SAAS companies have created a separate function in their business dedicated specifically on managing the client/customer relationship and ensuring that the clients and vendors goals using their software has a beneficial outcome. This client/customer relationship is managed by the CSM.
What does Customer Success Manager do?
A CSM’s main goal is to create strong and long-lasting relationships with their clients/customers and to make them as successful as possible. The CSM will be the primary contact person for the onboarding of the client/customer, provide the training of platform end user onsite or via online video platforms, identifying opportunities and act as a client advocate and collaborate closely with other teams such as Sales and Technical support.
Which skills are expected in a Customer Success Manager?
The main skills that I believe a CSM needs is excellent communication skills and relationship building skills, empathy and a positive attitude and desire to help clients/customers reach their goals. These soft skills are key factors when trying to reach a successful outcome and a long-lasting, proactive relationship between the parties involved. Other skillsets and experience that are also very useful to have in order to succeed as a CSM, are strong analytical skills, experience, and knowledge in the SAAS or the software industry, Account Management experience, etc.
Customer Success is a title that continues to develop mainly in the SAAS and software industry, and I believe will quickly grow into other industries as well. Although the technical and analytical skills are crucial to have in this role, I do believe that your mindset, positive attitude and drive to help to find the right solution is everything when being a successful Customer Success Manager.
I am happy to listen to your career story and discuss further Customer Success opportunities. Please forward your CV to jehona.jashari@e-frontiers.ie.
Being back in New York means a lot for me, not just from a professional standpoint, but also from a personal standpoint as well. Spending a year living in Ireland is an experience that will impact me for the rest of my days. I believe everyone has a turning point or event that impacts him or her to narrow down their path in life and helps push their journey to a faster start. My decision to buy a one-way ticket to Ireland after graduating from college influenced who I am today had helped lead to my career in recruitment.
I was on the hunt for a job and ended up working in an area that interested me – HR. I had in fact applied for a different job and ended up working for the agency that I went through, which turned out to be a great opportunity for me. It was a chance I took and an unconventional way of getting into something I enjoyed doing- working with people. I enjoyed the hustle, the ups and downs, and the feeling of making a placement after a long process and knowing that there were people who valued my efforts, candidates and clients. I knew it was a career path that I wanted to drive on.
My decision to move back to New York and continue my career in recruitment came at a perfect time as I struck gold covered in orange: e-Frontiers. Before setting upon my solo euro trip I met with Brendan Carroll (CEO of e-Frontiers) about what he was envisioning for a New York based operation.
Right away I knew that I wanted to be part of this unique opportunity. In my mind, I’d be working part of an international startup with a strong and promising blueprint. The potential is strong as I’ve joined a great team and we share the same goals. It means a lot to me to work for e-Frontiers because like the company itself, I’ve got a good story to tell. Anyone can join a well-established firm and continue to coast- but it takes a special kind of person to build something from nothing and that’s what separates my colleague and I from the rest of the pack.
Like e-Frontiers, I pride myself on being personable, honest, and being able to build value for all parties involved- because after all, I did start out as a candidate on the other side of the fence. Living abroad taught me how to step outside of my comfort zone and taught me skills that would help build the foundation of a new office such as empathy, ability to build relationships, ability to adapt, eagerness to learn and develop, and developing communication skills. The challenge this far is what keeps us hungry and motivated as we continue to see the light at the end of the tunnel. It’s not easy but it’s forcing us to learn and grow bigger and faster.
I set out on this journey to continue to create opportunities, take chances, and build connections. We are at the start of our journey here in New York and will continue to build our success just as all e-Frontiers operations have succeeded in doing. Working for e-Frontiers – an Irish company in New York gives me the best of both worlds and I hope to continue to put our name on the map.
May 2019
Malachy Fallon
Here are 5 reasons for you to say that you love your job.
1. Work-life balance
Do you love what you are doing? Do you rest enough before going back to work? The contentment of working productively and having a healthy lifestyle will drive you to more success. If you feel negatively stressed about your work-life balance, tell yourself that it’s time to change and find a job you love.
2. Opportunities
Besides the promotion opportunities, you should consider your personal growth. It is important to have a self-development plan for yourself in the next five years. You may need some advice to upgrade yourself by learning new knowledge and improving your soft skills. The more opportunities that come to you, the more you love your job.
3. Challenge
Why should you love your job which could bring you challenges? Challenging work is considered as a motivation for you to strive and not rest on your laurels. Don’t be afraid of challenges and failure. Be innovative. If it doesn’t work out, experience it and try it again. Remember that failure is the seed of growth and success.
4. Reward
Does your company or your supervisor recognise your efforts? Rewards and encouragement could be tangible or invisible but they are necessary to drive employees to show their best at work. If this is the reason why you don’t love your job, talk to your boss before you make a job change decision.
5. Great place to work
The last reason to make you love your job is your workplace because it is where you will spend 8-9 hours every day. You can recognise whether it is a great place to work by asking some basic questions. Do you feel safe and comfortable with your working environment? Do you get a proper salary and compensation? Does your company appreciate your performance and create chances for your personal growth? Are you working in a supportive team?
If it’s time for you to look for a new job, the e-Frontiers team will be delighted to help you find a job you love and support you throughout the application process.
In 2006, my husband received a job offer in Ireland. Although we knew a relocation decision was never easy, we still decided to go for it and got this amazing experience of living in Ireland. Don’t miss out on these opportunities because of lack of information, e-Frontiers and I are here to help along the way.
The Fear of the Unknown
Moving to Ireland is a new unknown experience that brings you out of your comfort zone. You do all the research just to make sure you’re making the best decision and yet only by living in Ireland you actually get all the answers. That’s why I prefer to work with recruiters who will support us to relocate and adapt to the new life that you can overcome the fear.
Accommodation
One of the biggest problems of living in Ireland is expensive accommodation. Renting an apartment or a house can be from 1,200 euro upwards (www.daft.ie is a very reliable housing website). We came across trustworthy landlords and we were very happy with the houses we stayed in. Agreements are transparent and adhered to by both the landlord and the person renting.
Cost of Living in Ireland
The cost of living in Ireland is seen as quite high compared to other European countries but compares reasonably with that of Romania. Everything from clothes, shoes, perfumes and 80% of food prices are lower in Ireland.
One of the challenges, when living in Ireland, was that we had a habit of converting prices from euro to our own currency, at first everything seemed outrageously expensive but we soon realised after the conversions were done that we could actually purchase more and our money was going further.
Children’s medical care
When moving to Ireland with our 2-year-old son, education and access to the medical system were a priority at that time. The Irish medical system works differently. You should register with a local GP (General Practitioner) who will be your first point of call with regard to health care. GP visits can vary and are usually around €60 euro per visit. Children under 6 years old have free access to the medical system.
Children’s Education
We chose to send our child to an “Educate Together” school. Everything was so natural about the school and we were made to feel very welcome. Our child was very happy there and learnt so much, his English is so good and he acquired a very cool accent!
Irish people
What we loved most about living in Ireland was the people. Irish are friendly and willing to help everybody with smiles. We lived in the suburbs and soon got to know lots of people and Irish habits. It was common to greet people as you pass by on the street, with a simple “Hello” or “Lovely Day” and usually a reference to the weather was made!
We also learnt about the “craic”, the pub culture and about socialising. A pub is a place where you go with your family to have a nice meal, where you bring your Mum on Mother’s Day and also a lively place where you meet your friends in the evening. I like to call it a home away from home.
The Weather
Weather is always included in conversation in Ireland. This country does not have the greatest weather in Europe but the air is so fresh and clear! Highest temperatures during summer will reach 24 degrees and it often rains a lot. However, winter never gets too cold because of Ireland’s position along the gulf stream with lowest temperatures of 3 degrees at its coldest. Resulting in the beautiful green grass and plants grow in Ireland all year around.
Travel within Europe
With one of the largest aviation industries and it’s quite close to other European countries which is easy to travel within Europe. I remember how crazy the idea of travelling to the Canary Islands in January sounded to me back then and how natural it then became. Living in Ireland made me understand that you can have many breaks during the year making it easy to spend a weekend or taking longer holidays around European countries. Having this on our doorstep allowed us to travel more and made me realise that the more you travel the more you discover yourself and learn new things.
There are direct flights from Romania to the Dublin airport 4 times a week and prices are reasonable if you book in advance.
We made a “grand” decision of moving and living in Ireland. We knew that we could adapt anywhere and we were not afraid of any new adventures. We hope to pass this confidence to other people who are not sure they could make it.
April 2019
The difference between a Customer Success Manager and a Customer Support representative can often cause confusion as it can seem to be the same role as the main core to the role is to satisfy clients and customers with solutions and services. However, missions and requirements for these two roles are different but they are crucial to a business and should work well together to achieve success for their clients and company as well.
What do they do?
The role of a Customer Success Manager has a more proactive approach, providing continuous support to clients in order for them to achieve their business goals, whereas a Customer Support Representative, primarily supports inbound calls related to an issue or a problem.
As a Customer Success Manager, the aim is to create strong and long-lasting relationships with their clients and make them as successful as possible. The focus of a CSM is also to make sure they reach out to the client with any issues they are detecting, before the client reaches out to them with the problem, this way, they build trust and a strong relationship. KPI’s of a Customer Success Manager are mainly based on the positive influence on their clients’ purchases, retention rates or upsell rates.
Meanwhile, Customer Support Representative is often reached out by clients or customers firstly as he or she will be in charge of providing resolutions for products or services. Their main mission is to drive satisfaction and aim to maintain the relationships with their clients or customers. The speed and quality of support interactions are the metrics for a Customer Support Representative.
What are employers looking for?
Employers’ expectations for those roles are similar with excellent communication skills, good vision and positive attitude to satisfy their key clients or customers. They both must understand well about their company, products and services.
Recruiters often look for a Customer Success Manager with great experience, deep knowledge in their realm, relationship building skills and empathy. These skills are believed to be the key factor to reach a successful outcome and a long-lasting, proactive relationship between the parties involved.
The crucial skills of a good Customer Support Representative are patience, problem-solving and emotional intelligence skills to deal with issues or problems from clients or customers. Those personalities can help him or her overcome the challenges or obstacles which he or she is going to face every day. Positive motivation and trust are the bonus points for him or her to earn loyalty and maintain their relationships with their clients.
The choice of moving from permanent to contract working is becoming a popular option and has its benefits.
We have seen an increase of people moving from permanent to contracted working. This type of working can suit a range of careers including Business Analysts, Project Managers, Technical Support, Software Development and Database Analysts. Contracting offers more felixibility and can be a more lucrative option to permanent.
Here are three reasons why making the change to contracting can be a good option:
Flexibility
This can suit those that want to take some time out between contracts. Some for travelling or those with families taking time off during summer months, making this a good option for full-time working parents.
Lucrative
With different contracting options available you can decide whether having your own company or working under an umbrella company gives you more control over pay and benefits.
Using the Irish Euro tax calculator* will give you an approximation of your monthly take home pay.
* The calculator forms information from a third-party and should be used as a guide only. e-Frontiers are not responsible for the accuracy of the information within.
Exposure to variety of industry sectors
Working in a variety of industry sectors provides the contractor with building on their expertise and exposure to a wide choice of projects and technologies.
Contracting Options
Our guide provides information on options available for working as a contractor, whether you prefer to work as your own limited company or to work under an umbrella company.
Also included is information on our trusted financial partners who will guide you and take care of all your contracting needs.
Download our brochure to find out more.
Contact one of our recruitment consultants for all contracting jobs.
Trish Lynch specialises in Project Managers, Business Analysts, Test Analysts, Test leads, Test managers, Java and Technical Architects.
Anca Antonica Database Development, Test Automation, .Net and Front-end.
John Ryan specialises in System Support, Security Consultants, Virtualisation Specialists, Infrastructure Consultants, Cloud Automation Specialists
Alexandra Pop Contractor and Customer Success Manager
Estamos asistiendo a una situación sin precedentes. Debido a la falta de demanda, de la noche a la mañana hemos visto como determinados sectores están colapsando y con ello la imposibilidad de retener el talento en esas empresas. Muchas organizaciones tienen miedo de afrontar nuevas contrataciones y, mientras esperan la llegada de tiempos mejores, sus competidores se adelantan y se atreven a invertir en ese talento ahora sin proyecto.
Un ejemplo de ello nos lo ofrece HP a finales de los años 40. Tras la segunda guerra mundial, su negocio decayó al mismo tiempo que numerosos ingenieros que trabajaban en la industria militar se quedaron en la calle. No se lo pensaron dos veces y aprovecharon la situación para la incorporar ese talento a sus filas, lo que les ayudó a crecer en los años venideros y convertirse en una de las mayores empresas del mundo. Esto fue posible debido principalmente a dos factores: porque podían y porque se atrevieron. Actualmente, por desgracia no todas las empresas pueden. Pero las que si tienen esa posibilidad de invertir en talento, depende exclusivamente de ellas decidir si salir de la crisis por delante de sus competidores o no.
Por otro lado, por parte de los candidatos que cuentan con trabajo estable existe cierta incertidumbre a la hora de buscar una nueva oportunidad. Si hace unos meses eran más proclives a aceptar una oferta interesante, ahora muchos prefieren mantenerse en su puesto aunque no cumpla con sus expectativas. Es especialmente importante en estos casos mostrar un proyecto consolidado, con un desarrollo profesional claro y eliminando todos los obstáculos innecesarios del proceso de selección.
Y vosotros que pensáis, ¿es un un buen momento para invertir en el futuro con nuevo talento y para redefinir los procesos de selección?
Spanish team
June 2020
Hemos detectado la dificultad de muchos candidatos para superar las entrevistas de selección, ya sea porque el CV no es adecuado, no saben como buscar empleo o cometen errores imperdonables en sus entrevistas. Por aquí os dejamos algunos tips que os ayudarán a tener éxito en vuestros procesos
¿Cuáles son los tips básicos para la creación de un CV atractivo?
Creo que la creatividad y ser uno mismo en la clave para darle personalidad a un CV. A mi no me gusta dar tips de lo que hay que hacer para no sesgar la parte de «ser uno mismo», pero si me gusta comentar lo que no hay que hacer. Por ejemplo, incluir demasiados detalles personales como DNI, estado civil, la dirección de casa… los considero aspectos privados, no relevantes y que ocupan espacio. Extendernos demasiado en el CV, genera cierta pesadez en la persona que lo tiene que leer, 2 – 3 páginas (a lo sumo, si tienes más de veinte años de experiencia), podría valer. Para experiencias laborales muy antiguas, no es necesario extendernos porque ya han dejado de ser relevantes y en el mundo IT las tecnologías van a estar obsoletas. A nivel general, no debemos perder de vista aspectos importantes como la claridad, la buena impresión de conjunto y evitar incluir demasiados colores o imágenes para no desviar la atención.
¿Cuáles crees que son los errores más comunes que un candidato suele cometer en el proceso de selección?
Un comentario frecuente con el que nos encontramos es que los candidatos hace más referencia a lo que no saben (por miedo o inseguridad) que a todo lo que pueden aportar al puesto de trabajo. Otro error frecuente es no ser concisos en las respuestas. El hecho de querer contar mucha información hace que finalmente no se responda a lo que se pregunta.
Si tuvieras que darle un consejo a alguien que va a realizar su primera entrevista, ¿qué le dirías?
Suena a tópico pero lo primero es tranquilizarse, respirar hondo y pensar que todo va a salir bien. Si le transmitimos a nuestro cerebro mensajes como: «me va a salir mal», «no se que decir», «no soy capaz», ¿cómo van a ser tus respuestas? Negativas, poco acertadas e inseguras; todo lo contrario a nuestro propósito. Por tanto, considero imprescindible afrontar el reto con una actitud positiva, segura y siendo conscientes de que de podemos hacer y además, hacerlo bien.
Bajo tu punto de vista, ¿cuáles son los puntos clave para garantizar el éxito en un proceso de selección?
Un proceso de selección puede constar de varias entrevistas y puede ser largo y tedioso. Creo que la clave está en ser paciente, preparar cada una de las entrevistas y mostrarse flexible durante todo el proceso. Con esto último me refiero a facilitar llegar a un acuerdo para agendar una entrevista, por ejemplo. Estas suelen ser en horarios cuando los candidatos tienen obligaciones (laborales o familiares) y es frecuente una respuesta de: «no puedo a esa hora y ese día» y esperan a que el entrevistador vuelva a ofrecer una nueva fecha y hora para, probablemente, dar la misma respuesta. Esa actitud da mucha sensación de falta de interés que no beneficia a ser el candidato elegido.
¿Qué crees que es aquello que en una primera entrevista puede hacer al candidato marcar la diferencia respecto al resto?
Creo que la clave está preparar un guión de lo que quieres hablar, haberlo practicado (un par de veces delante del espejo) para que no se olvide nada y ser conciso en las respuestas; saber escuchar también es fundamental, muchas veces los nervios juegan malas pasadas. La persona que tenemos enfrente lo único que quiere es conocernos y ver si nuestras habilidades hacen match con el puesto, no hay que tener miedo, ¡tomémoslo como una charla con un amigo al que acabamos de conocer!
June 2020
Virginia Dueñas
Don’t you believe that the information you leave behind on the internet could help you make a great move in your career. Some employers and recruiters prefer to target your digital footprint during the hiring process, especially in the offer decision. In the technology era, your online activities could be a part of the first impressions for your network.
Pros and Cons of your digital footprint
Your online portfolio is more attractive to recruiters and employers than your CV as it tells us more about yourself. Besides your working timeline and achievements, your virtual profile also reveals your practical experience, sided projects, visible research and wide knowledge. We can base on that information to connect you with big companies, offer you your dream job or support you to reach a higher level in your career.
However, your cyber footprint can be a double-edged knife for your career. Be aware that some of your posts may stay on the internet permanently and the others can approach them from a simple search on the browser. Therefore, you should think carefully before sharing something with your network.
How to improve your digital footprint
On point of view, you can take advantages of the benefits of the virtual world to build up your personal brand as an expert in your realm. Joining the forum to discuss or share your experience or knowledge will help you expend not only your networking but also your career opportunity. I am sure that it will be a big competitive advantage for you to stand out among the talent pool.
It’s an ideal idea If you want to change your profession, it’s an ideal idea to post your research your projects on the new realm to prove your ability. I have heard some stories of successful changing profession from my candidates. You can be the next one.
What do you think? Share with me your opinions.
February 2020
Cristina Rafael
