I’m originally from Shanghai, China’s largest city, and this is my 11th year in Ireland. Growing up, I think I wanted to be a singer – that was the ‘big dream’, and I still have an interest in music and singing. But it was the financial world that I was drawn to.
I suppose the turning point was when I came to Ireland in 1999. I was 24, and career-wise I was still searching for what I wanted to do. I had a computer science degree from China, but IT was not my cup of tea. Before leaving China I had been working for a transportation company with lots of international clients, and I realised I needed to improve my English. I thought, ‘Why not think outside the box and get another qualification?’
So I came to Ireland, and enrolled in English classes for half a year. Settling in was hard – looking for apartments, trying to make new friends, picking up the different accents. But the school I attended had a very good language exchange programme; we would meet in the library, talk and make friends.
In terms of work, that time was incredible. Within three days of searching, I got a job in a pub in Temple Bar – if you wanted to work, you could get it.
Later I started an MA in international business at the Dublin Business School. It was a very condensed course with 13 modules, involving assignments, individual and group presentations. You would work with different groups and make sure you were all on the same page. There were 13 students in the course, and five of us were from China.
After graduation, my first job was with Tax World, a taxation consultancy company that publishes books such as Tax Magic by expert Alan Moore. I worked with him for five years, and was based in the marketing department. It was a smaller-sized company, so each of us did a little bit of everything. Anything you could do, you did it. It was a very interesting job, and in a small company you learn a lot about different areas.
Then four years ago, I landed my current job as a financial advisor with Bank of Ireland. I’m one of the first Chinese working at managing level. My work involves looking after small and medium-sized businesses.
During this financial crisis, they are struggling, so we are struggling as well – it’s a vicious circle. But my job is to face the recession and to work together with the customer to help them out.
It’s tough for everyone in Ireland, but I believe it’s all a cycle – it can’t be boom or bare forever. If we have faith to do our best and have hope, we will pass the test, and even do better when it’s over.
My parents are proud of me, and how I’ve done in Ireland – which is my home, for the foreseeable future. I met my wife here 10 years ago, she is from Hong Kong, and we have a six-year-old son, Joshua. When we ask him if he’s Chinese or Irish, he says Irish! He has a very Dublin accent but can also speak Mandarin. My parents come over quite often to visit us, usually in the summer when Josh is off school. But they also love their life in China, their friends, food and culture.
Aside from family and work life, I’m vice president of the Shanghai Association Ireland and a director of the Association of Chinese Professionals in Ireland. On Sundays with my family, I attend the Chinese Gospel Church on Abbey Street, which attracts up to 500 people. I also like to read books, and play table tennis with friends – it’s very popular in China.
Chang Fei Li is a financial advisor living in Dublin
