Watch: 3 Years in Ireland Before Returning to India - Career & Life Balance

4:09 Years old when I when I just you know I I started looking for master degree so the best thing about Ireland is that they provide one year master's degree to everyone and after one year of master degree you they provide you two years of post work visa and and you also get a chance to you know get a sponsorship from the company and then you know get a PR later on so fortunately I got an opportunity to study with one of the top ranking universities in the world which is National University of Ireland gway so I went to Ireland in 2019 in September batch and it was a one year of one year course so after like in 2020 I just you know worked hard I started looking for jobs so there's one thing about to study studying in

5:09 Abroad is that if you are a fresher it will be a little bit difficult for you for someone who you know who doesn't have any experience they usually prefer people who have experience at least two or three years of experience but that doesn't mean that freshes do not get a job in Western countries so I got my job because of my experience in India and so before getting my job I got to learn a lot of things in my Master's Degree there there was a mixed crowd there were people from you know Germany there were people from Ireland there even people from USA in my course so I have learned a lot of things from them how do they talk to each other how if we are just making a group project with them how what what kind of what kind of conversation do

6:09 They you know do with the with their batchmates with their project mates and overall it was a great experience so when I you know started looking for a job initially it was I got so many interviews first first thing first but you know I was not able to you know just track the interviews I don't know why because I think I was lacking in some of the things and I like during the earlier phase of my interviews I didn't get that that what what things need to be done here but you know after that I talk to my seniors and those who are who has already fed jobs in you know in other companies so there were some of the things that I thought you know I got to know that which are very important the first thing is CV for an example I lived in Ireland so

7:10 Irish cies they they play a very important role to apply for a job and they are very different from Indian CV so I you know prepared my CV very well and then I you know got a lot of interview again and finally I got a job in Ireland so till that time you know I I worked in Ireland for three years around three years more than three years till that time I was very happy you know I never thought that I will be coming back to India soon but there was a mixed emotion as well what happened in Ireland basically you know I'm a I'm very Foody to be honest and when I started exploring things in that country I found that there are less food options that's the major factor for that

8:10 Was the major factor for me there there was you know a lack of social life according to me because if you are you know going on like if you are going outside you will you will not you will not find people very easy who will talk to you not even Indians to be honest because you have your friends that's the different thing but in India if you will go outside your neighbor will start talking to you your you know your friends will will be easily will will get easily connected to you if you will just ring them they will they will come to meet you if they are free but that's not the situation in Western countries everyone is busy in their life with their wife and with their children and and but I am a kind of person who who just you know always like to interact with other people I can't just you know keep living in in Us in my own

9:12 Room and do nothing and don't talk to anyone and just keep watching TV all the time I I like to explore things I like to talk to people so like I said I am I'm like very I'm a very big foodie so whenever I used to go outside I felt depressed because you know there was same restaurants same food everything was same and how come someone eat either burger or pizza every second day or just Masala DOA that's not you know my cup of tea so these small things you know they they made me started feeling that that you know this is not for me this country is not for me I'm okay living here for like next four or five years but I know that I will be I will be still you know regretting living here so I will I

10:13 Will be still you know feeling lonely and depressed might so at the same time what happened that my mother got sick we we have a family know medical condition in my family so I made my decision that I will definitely want to you know come back to India at any cost so earlier you know initially I applied for some jobs in India but you won't believe that I was getting at least five interview calls in from Ireland but I wasn't getting a sing Single interview call from India from my own country and that's when very unfortunate and I got around 6 years of experience till that time and you know I got an international exposure International experience so I was very happy while while applying for

11:14 A job for jobs in India I thought that they will you know just welcome me from both from both the hands but that's that was not the situation the reality was something else when and you won't believe I was not even asking for a huge package some some there are some people who just you know when they are trying to come back to India they ask for un you know like they they they ask the employer to provide them a huge package like they want 40 lakhs perom package which is very difficult to get in India I know it's not impossible but it's difficult to get so but you know I don't know why I was not getting any call from India so now in in October 2023 last year my I decided that if I'm not getting any job in India that should not stop

12:16 Me going back to India because you know my mother and my parents need me back in India so you know there's a saying that you know if you believe in something God will you know do that for you you just have should have faith in God so without thinking twice I don't know I still remember that day because you know not even you know 10% people in this in this world will have courage to do that do this because I have I met so many people in Ireland they just you know they just die they can just die to get a vis Visa sponsorship in Ireland land and I already got the sponsorship in Ireland and in 20 in 2024 I would have you know receive my PR as well if I would have stayed but I didn't think about PR because I never wanted to live there and so I

13:17 Talked to my manager I I explained him my situation that my there's a medical condition in my family and so he a really nice person he always helped me during my three years of experience in Ireland when I was not not getting my Visa sponsorship and I was only on contract position he helped me to get you know get my Visa from the company which is a very big thing and he always you know supported me so he he said that I really appreciate that you shared your your you shared about this thing to me and he said he the very first thing he told me is to you know just forget about everything and just think about your family if I would be at your place I would never think about and I would not think twice and just go back to India to my country and support your

14:17 Parents so that you know that gave me a confidence and you know that really made me feel happy that even if now I if I will leave unfortunately if I will just you know I will have to quit my job I I I will not regret because at least I you know shared each and everything with my manager so he talked to the Senior Management people in in his company and then I got to know about this thing that there is a child company of that company so my company's name is Clen William health and they have a Child Company in India and just because my performance was very good according to my manager and I was doing good in my project so he didn't want me to you know just leave the leave this role quit this role so he gave me an opportunity to keep working

15:19 Under him in the same project same company but he he told me that he can just relocate me to India and I will be an employe of that company in India so but I will keep so that was that was a you know very big achievement for me because that's what I always wanted to do in my life and so right now I'm working in that company in India the only two things that have been change for me is just the payroll and the location and location is my home because I'm working in UK shift from 2:30 p.m. to 10 10:30 p.m. so there's no point for me to go to their office so they have allowed me to keep working full-time remotely for for for that role and so I thanked him a lot

16:20 Because it just you know this was only possible because of my manager and right now I'm just working from my home from the same company H the most important thing for me while that you know helped me to you know stay happy in India right till now touchwood is that I'm still working in the same company that I used to do so I never wanted to you know come back to India and work for an Indian company because of the poor work life balance that was the main reason why I went to Ireland so I'm very happy that I'm still working in a European company and Europe is known as having the best work life balance in the world because I have heard I don't know actually but I have heard that even people who are

17:22 Working in us they have to do a lot of work and the work like balance is not that good as compared to companies in India in Europe so now I'm working with the under same manager same project same company and just you know I just came back to India and I'm I'm also you know supporting my family I also get support from my family because you know sometimes when you you feel very lonely in Western countries there's no one to talk to you you either you are just cooking food you are just EI or you are just you know watching TV or doing some work so also there one more thing I missed maybe we can come back to that sorry for then thanks a lot for such a detailed overview and you know the details I think you covered pretty much most of your journey in your

18:24 Update so thank you for so in a summary I think you know you have worked in India for a few years I think you are not so happy with the work life balance so you wanted to explore abroad which you know there is a strategic decision that you made why you want to go to Ireland and definitely has a lot of opportunity to learn like while doing the Masters and got the job and then you know have the flexibility you know first of all thanks for confessing a lot of people might not say on like a show like you know that they one of the reasons they want to move is the food right I mean again you know it's one of the reason but it's not like but you know not like you know a lot of people confess that but thanks for sharing that and in terms of like having the flexibility to move as an interc company transfer you know which is awesome and able to work on the same project with the same manager after the move which is which is which is fantastic right and you also get an opportunity to spend time with your family you can have the best of the Both Worlds like you know which you

19:24 Didn't like before which is like the traffic the work life balance of working in indan company and where you are so you know thanks I just quickly summarizing that and U you know if you can I think you mentioned about you know the things right like you had like a difficulty like when you started applying for jobs while you in Ireland you know to move or like apply for a job in India just maybe for the sake of audience again you know this is based on the conversation that I heard from other people is if you put like an Indian phone number that typically could help you know so that people think that they can reach and also people don't believe until you actually move because there are a lot of people who might be applying and they might not know so sure if you are serious to move back to India but one thing that could help is like having an Indian number and then once you move I mean I think there is definitely a lot of opportunities is what I heard talking to a lot of people who have done that

20:25 Before just something that I want to add on there yeah yeah so yeah do you want me to provide my number Indian number on the call right no no no no I'm just mentioning that people who have been applying to for Indian jobs living abroad they have a much better chance of you know getting a call back like the interview or anything so what should they do right yeah like I think they providing an Indian number on the resume or on the you know that help is what I heard from talking to the other people so I'm just sharing my thought to that point that you mentioned earlier so yeah you are right you know what I used to do in my CV I used to provide both the numbers Ireland and Indian number as well but you know somehow I felt that I I got two or three calls from India from some companies the very first thing the very first question they used to ask me why do you want to come back and when I was telling them that there is a medical condition and I want you to come

21:26 Back for my parents they never believed me and instead of just taking at least taking my interview and you know just judging judging me by my capabilities they used to judge me earlier and not even they were not even taking my interview they were thinking that this person will come will come back to India will work with us for just one year and will that will again go back because they might have seen such kind of people they might have faced some such kind of people and you know to be honest coming back to India from from a Western Country if not that easy to be honest I had I I got this kind of opportunity which was a win andwin situation for me that's why it made me very easy to come back to India but it's not at all easy for someone who is doing a really very good job a great job in any other country like us

22:28 Australia or Germany Ireland or UK and they can't you know come back to India very easily because they will have so many things in their mind that what will happen if when I will come back to India will I will I will will will I work in under some that kind of manager who will be rude and who will not treat me treat me properly will and will I have to work for more than 8 because these are the things that you know that's very that are very good in Western countries they can't you know tell you to work for more than eight hours so easily or even if they want more work from you they will politely request you that can you even if even my manager you know when whenever he wants me to do some work he just ping me and he tell me he just politely request me that can can you do that but on the

23:29 Other hand in India what I have faved earlier is that if my manager wants me to do anything he he will just make me feel he will make me you know realize feel that he owns If he if he's paying some kind of salary to me he owns me he he I I'm his labor and because I'm very straightforward to be you know I and that's what I faved in India it was a small company and there were so many QA testers and it's an independent software testing company in NOA I w't name it but you know how you won't believe how how I got that job first they asked 50,000 Rupees for a training and in the name of job so I got I just paid them the amount and then I got the job they were only paying me 12,000 rupees for they paid me that amount for around one year before I got the appr appraisal and in that one year of time they were they were

24:31 Treating their employee very poorly very badly they used to think that if they are paying them 12 12,000 rupees they can ask anything they they can ask the employer to do anything which is not good at all yeah so so why I just you know touch that point is because it's not at all easy for someone to come back to India until and unless until unless they they are just you know getting same kind of opportunity like me or if they are getting a very good job in India in a big tech company like Google Microsoft now if I will if if I will talk there's there one more thing which plays a ma major role here is the salary so what what I felt is if you have your own own house in India if if your parents have your own house and you don't have to pay the rent then according to

25:37 Countries and even if if you have your own house you don't have to pay rent you can you know live a lavish life in India according to me irland was very expensive I was paying 40% tax in Ireland and the salary was not that good as compared to us yeah that's that the same situation in EUR Europe so and it's getting expensive day by day so if someone is according to me someone is getting around one something somewhere between 1 lakh to 1.5 lak per month in India it's far better than getting a 50 50 60 lakhs perom package in Ireland that's what I felt because people are paying €2,000 rent a month and you know they can't even save just a good amount of money you know from their salary so the only

26:38 Thing that will make you feel there if you if you are husband and wife you know there two people living and both working well both earning well then you know my salary is going towards my expense to all the expenses and my wife can save you know her salary that by that way you know we can just live happily in Western Country otherwise very difficult and same thing happened with me I forgot to mention about my wife I am married and we we are happily married for last one and a half year so earlier I used to live alone in Ireland then we got married I met my wife in Ireland so we were paying a rent of ,800 per per month and there were other other you you know expenses as well like car Emi and everything so I was just you know not I was not even saving a single penny from my salary it was my wife's salary which

27:40 We used to save and then we you know so it's very difficult for a single person to you know live a levish life in Western countries according to me so yeah if someone is applying yeah no no yeah no thanks for sharing such a specific detailed you know from your experience from your perspective in terms of style maybe just a curious yeah I know you have moved I mean I think sounds like you have still a lot of positives about you know abroad right like you know the work life balance in terms of work culture in terms of you know the yeah the maybe cost of living is a like a depending depending on that so just curious do you have any plans to move back abroad maybe after certain years right you know after you know maybe family is doing good you know maybe do you have any

28:40 Plans just curious I mean if you're okay to share if not then we can pun that question and we can go on to something else no definitely that's a great question and I would definitely love to share my views on that I I think I will now I will never ever go back to any other country because you know I was very sure I W I I took this decision after thinking a lot and coming back from Ireland to India was a very difficult part of my life because the I we were living there for 3 years and we bought each and everything for our house and that was the very most important thing you you know invested a lot of money in buying those things for the house for an example small small things like study table chair P mattresses utensils

29:41 Each and everything so it's very difficult to make a house in any part of the world I didn't bought the house but even if you are living in a rented apartment you buy things and you know you have your emotions attached to those things so it it was a very difficult thing for me difficult decision for me I didn't even sell half of the things I just left them in the partment so at the at at the time when I was coming from Ireland I just you know I I took I made the decision that I will never ever come back I will I will never ever go back to any other country from India now because you know I know that sometimes the life is full of struggle in India for some people but there is a saying in Hindi that dur do you understand Hindi not much not much yeah yeah but if some of your

30:42 Viewers they understand Hindi it's it's a saying that it means you know if if you will look if you will if if you haven't you know experienced a life in overseas in in other countries you will always feel that wow they are living a levish life and they the their life is you know full of you know happiness and all but that's not true there are pros and cons in every country India has its own pros and cons Western countries have its own pros and cons if you are living in Western Country you will you know feel you might you might be roaming around in West in other country very easily but at the same time you will live far away from your parents you will live far away from your friends in India you will you will not get to you know you will not eat good

31:44 Food as compared to what you were eating in India and also you will you will not get much chanes to attend weddings family functions but at the same time if you living in India you are getting these things very easily but somehow some people will you know will be feeling that I'm not earning well in this job so I also want to get rich why the politician why only the politicians and actors they are getting richer and richer why why I'm if I'm working hard why why I'm not being paid well why I can't buy a BMW and why someone who who has a business they can only you know just have a BMW or a but on the other hand in Western countries even a middle class person they can afford a BMW very quick easily so I think it's a there are two things the first thing is money which makes a huge difference the second thing is the mindset i u so like I said every country

32:47 Has pros and cons yeah also the mindset is quietly different in India and as compared to the people in Western World the the people in Western world even if they are pay earning less they just you know buy each and everything on loan on mortgage but that's not the case in India in India people you know spend wisely because there are some responsibilities as well on them they they from from a very younger age they start you know they started thinking about their children on for their marriages for school so but yeah let's come back to your question I will never think about you know going back to to any other country but the reason why I'm saying it because right now I'm very tou what I very happy with my current job in case if if I will if there will some scenario

33:49 Or some situation will come that I will have to quit this job then I might I I might you know think about starting my own business or any kind of business you know or something because I I don't want to you know do a job in a normal MNC in normal company in India after working here that's not what I have you know I that's not why I came back from Ireland I came back from Ireland just for just just to you know keeping in mind that I'm getting this kind of opportunity but in case if I will not have this opportunity in future I will I might I will just think about any business opportunity or you know any similar things but but thinking about working in any other company in India it it will be a very difficult DEC decision for me okay no

34:52 Thanks for sharing that I'm just being mindful of the time because of that it's not too long podcast so is there anything that we haven't covered that you would like to you know mention that you want to bring up yes I think I I know that there are so many people who just you know who are in this dilemma you know they they they take a lot of time to think to even think about coming back to India and it's not easy at all for so many people but you know I I can just only tell them that you know you should set your priorities what you want in your life there are some people who are not very attached to their families when when they were even living in India and if you are that kind of guy or girl and you can you can you know you do not want that kind of social life you don't

35:53 Mind living alone in a saturated envir and if you are running well and if you want to think about your children that they will you know study in good good school from from you know from a younger age and all and if you don't want to spend a lot of money on that education because you know education is somehow free in countries like Ireland then definitely you can you know you can take your decision to keep living in overse so it depends upon your priority what you want in your life everyone have different mindset different situation my situation was my family condition and also I was not even happy in Ireland but if I think it's it's the the power of taking decision is only within your hands and never ever give anyone else to take Power to take that decision for you and also

36:57 Just one more thing I forgot to mention it's according to me it's very diff it's very important to go it's very important for each and everyone if they get a chance to I would say that if they get a chance to move overseas for at least two years they should definitely go there because you know they will just change the whole perspective in your mind and you will get to know how people are living in overseas in Western countries and their mindset is different their way of living is different their way of speaking is different how do they treat each each other for an example if you are just closing the if if you if if someone is you know going in front of you and they can hold they will hold a door for you they will say sorry they will say thank you for small things it makes you know these small things just makes a huge difference and

37:59 That's what I have learned there and I still do those small things in India I still hold doors for others I I still just you know empathize them so these things you know you will they will be there for your whole life and if you will keep living in India you will never ever learn those things and you will you see how you will see how the traffic works you know if here in India people youve Dipper just to tell other that I want to go first but in those countries people use Dipper you know to to just let you go first so that's the major difference in our country and those countries so yeah if you get a chance to go there you should definitely just visit and you know stay there for some time and then it's your decision if you want to come back on or not yeah for sure I mean I think you know it's always these

39:00 Experiences right living abroad spending time in different cultures you know different aspects it just broadens your own experiences your maturity and how you see things and perspectives definitely and at the end of the day it's the priorities as you said that makes U you know the decision process so yeah thank you very much gagan for your time and sharing your journey you know really appreciate it and being very candid about your reasons and the conversations you know it's not easy for somebody you know to admit about like you know food like you know talk about you know their work life balance in India or in abroad so thanks for being very candid and sharing your thoughts once again thanks a lot you're welcome and it was a great experience for me as well talking to you I hope your channel grows really fast soon and you know it will help other people you know making their decisions while going

40:03 From India and while coming back to India as well and you know I know it's not a very easy decision for everyone for and hopefully it will help people yeah thanks a lot I appreciate it have a good day everyone thank you thank you all for joining us on this insightful journey of da return if you enjoyed this episode and want to explore more stories and expert advice make sure to subscribe and hit the notification Bell don't forget to leave a comment below with your thoughts and experiences by the way check out the links in the description below for our Facebook group and social media for updates and engaging discussions as well as connecting with fellow the wrers thank you once again and until next time may your D journey be filled with joy growth and endless possibilities