Working away from home has many opportunities

In an increasingly interconnected world, young people are seizing opportunities to live, work, and study abroad, gaining invaluable experiences that shape their personal and professional lives.

Working abroad isn’t just about career advancement; it’s a chance to develop resilience, adaptability, and a deeper appreciation for the diversity of human experience.

Two recent graduates curious about exploring life outside of Ireland and immersing themselves in different cultures are Joe Cuddihy, a primary school teacher working in Vietnam and Cian Murphy, an agricultural science graduate based in Canada. Both have lived abroad for the last two years.

Joe Cuddihy, Vietnam

Growing up in Knocktopher in south Kilkenny, Joe always had a big interest in sports and played with his local club, Ballyhale Shamrocks. Graduating in 2020 as a primary school teacher from Mary Immaculate College in Limerick, he took up a position teaching in Kildare. Wanting to see the world and take advantage of job opportunities abroad he moved to Vietnam in July 2023 with his girlfriend Niamh Keating, who is also a teacher.

“The main reason we decided to leave Ireland was probably opportunities. We wanted to see the world and go to places we hadn’t seen before, so Vietnam was definitely a strange one.

“When I finished college, I went straight into teaching but I was looking at other people travelling and I wanted to experience it for myself,” he says.

Another key factor for Joe was the cost of living in Ireland as he was paying rent in Kildare.

“You don’t have a lot left over for savings. As well as wanting to see the world, I was impressed by the packages for teachers abroad in international schools – they are a lot more attractive than in Ireland,” he says.

Originally, Joe and Niamh planned on staying in Vietnam for six months to do a block of teaching and then move on to Australia.

“We fell in love with the culture and the atmosphere here and didn’t want to leave. We have signed on for next year, which is our third year over here,” says Joe.

The biggest learning curve for Joe was the difference between the two cultures as he had very little experience travelling before.

“I was very happy at home and lived in a small community with a circle of friends around the GAA so I didn’t need to leave my comfort zone.

“The lifestyle over here is very different, you’re trying new foods, at the minute I am driving a motorbike instead of a car because that’s what’s done in the city,” says Joe.

Teaching is also quite different in Vietnam as there are periods allocated during the day to get planning and admin work done, which results in a lighter workload.

“You’re also teaching children from all around the world so there is a lot of diversity in the class, which takes a bit of getting used to but is very interesting,” says Joe.

Joe’s family love Christmas, so he finds it tough to be away from home at this time of the year.

“I feel for my mother this year as she has children scattered all over the world, my sister is in America, my brother is in Dubai and she has one son in Ireland.

“My plans this year are very different compared to any other Christmas. I am travelling Sri Lamla by tuk-tuk so I don’t know what Christmas dinner will be like, but I can’t imagine it being ham, turkey and gravy,” he says, laughing.

Cian Murphy, Canada

Born and raised on a dairy farm in Kilmuckridge, Co Wexford, Cian grew up surrounded by animals as they also had a sheep and suckler herd.

“Throughout my teens and into my 20s, I worked at a neighbour’s farm year-round and for a local contracting company throughout the summer months.

“The more exposure I got on different farms, the more intrigued I became as to how farmers optimise their business profits,” he says.

Cian graduated from UCD in 2021, with a degree in Food and Agribusiness Management.

Visiting friends in Vancouver during the summer of 2019, Cian worked very little and spent all the money he had.

“Once I went back to college in September, I decided that I was going to return to Canada after fourth year. Fast forward two years, after a global pandemic, I was back on a plane to British Columbia with my two best friends,” he says.

The biggest learning curve for Cian, when he moved, was the quality of food in Ireland compared to North America.

“There’s a lot of people to feed, but what you get for the price you pay could be labelled as extortionate.

“Things are made with a longer shelf life, compared to products at home. It’s expensive to buy fresh produce in Vancouver, you end up buying bread that doesn’t go stale for a week or two in some of the bigger shops,” he says.

I didn’t cover many modules on nutrition or animal science in college, I have been thrown in at the deep end and I’m loving the challenge

Cian has worked for Grand Valley Fortifiers, a nutrition company since September 2023. Founded in 1960, they specialise in the formulation, manufacture and sale of high mineral premixes for swine, dairy, beef and poultry producers.

“I work as a ruminant nutrition consultant, working with dairy farmers to maximise their cow’s performance while maintaining cow health through adequate nutrition and business consultancy,” he says.

During his time in Canada, Cian has learned a lot about the dairy industry and how it has changed over the years.

“I didn’t cover many modules on nutrition or animal science in college, I have been thrown in at the deep end and I’m loving the challenge.

“There are many ways to feed an animal to get the numbers the farmer wants to see, but understanding rumen function and how nutrition plays a key role in it has been an excellent learning experience,” he says.

Cian loves Christmas at home because the cows are dry, the days are short and it’s a relaxing time to spend with his family. This year though, he will be flying to Mexico on 26 December and is looking forward to doing something different.

“A lot of Irish head home over the holidays, but there are a small few of my core group staying here. We will have a full dinner and enjoy ourselves as we would at home,” he says.