Working Abroad Q&A: Each week, Irish Times Abroad meets an Irish person working in an interesting job overseas. This week, Nikki Symmons, from Dublin, on her work with the International Hockey Federation (FIH), in Lausanne.
When did you leave Ireland, and what were your reasons for leaving?
I left Ireland in September 2013 after finishing my career as an athlete in August. I saw a super opportunity to do a Sports Management Masters in Lausanne, Switzerland and jumped on it. I was accepted on the athlete scholarship programme, which helped a lot considering it was going to be expensive to do it.
Did you travel to Switzerland alone or with others?
I travelled over alone. A new relationship had just started. We are still together.
Tell us about your hockey career?
I was an international hockey player for Ireland for 13 years and have 208 caps. Sport is a massive part of my life. I played tennis from a very young age and always wanted to play professionally. Then, as I got more and more into hockey, I preferred it. I also played cricket for Ireland for a while.
What does the International Hockey Federation do and what does your day-to-day work involve?
The purpose of the FIH is to raise the global status and popularity of hockey. Set up in 1924, the FIH is the governing body for the sport throughout the world. We are based in Lausanne. My role as digital manager is to lead the FIH digital and social media strategy.
Does the job involve a lot of travel?
I travel a lot, which is one of the major assets to the role as it allowed me to continue the travelling that I had become very used to as an athlete. Last year, I travelled about 30 per cent of the year and it will be more this year as we have two World Cups, one in London for the women and they other in India for the men. I also travel to meetings and conferences throughout the year. In April, I will be speaking at the Sport Accord conference in Bangkok.
Are there any particular challenges you face in your work?
The sports world can be challenging at times, especially within the Olympic movement as a lot of politics and diplomacy come into play. My focus as a retired athlete is to promote the sport. That is what keeps my drive and ambition alive.
Do you think working abroad has offered you greater opportunities?
To work in this international sports industry you almost have to work abroad as there are not as many opportunities in Ireland. Great working conditions and good salaries do help a lot too. I also know that working abroad has broadened my mind and encouraged me to be more open to opportunities that come my way.
What advice would you give to someone interested in pursuing a career abroad?
Go for it, don’t be afraid. It is a big move, but I find speaking to many expats that if you think too much about it, it raises issues and doubts. The other advice would be to be very open minded to the country that you are moving to.
It will most likely be quite different to your own country. Join clubs and try to integrate as much as you can. For example, we are members of the LGBTQ group here in Lausanne which helps us to keep up to date with all the changes in laws for our community here.
Another great way to consider moving abroad is to go to university. This has been the best thing for me here. I instantly had 40 people to hang out with.
Are there any other Irish people in your business/social circles in Switzerland?
Yes, there are many. Most are spread across many sports organisations and we try to meet up every now and again, but due to the nature of our business we are all travelling a lot ,so it can be difficult to get everyone here at the same time.
We have had a few gatherings at our place though, the best one was for the marriage referendum. We held a party to show our support from here as we were unable to vote. It was very important to me to show support as a member of the LGBTQ community. The Irish Business Network is another group that is very active here.
What is it like living there in terms of accommodation, transport, social life and so on?
Switzerland is expensive, but it is all relative to the salaries. Accommodation can be difficult to find here, you could be visiting a place with hundreds of people. We live in the city of Lausanne, which is highly sought after.
I would say it is a different lifestyle – going to the mountains at the weekend, then dinner at friends’ or to our place. We love to entertain too, so our home is a very important part of our lives here.
Lausanne is a pretty good place as far as social life is concerned. It is a university city. Sometimes you need to know where to go though, as they tend not to be amazing at promoting events here. As long as you are prepared to be adventurous and search around, you have many options.
In winter, social life is up the mountains during the day on the slopes and in summer down by the lake. Summer is amazing, the weather is generally good and after work everyone goes to the lake to swim, play beach volleyball and chill at nice barbecues. Easy access to other countries is also a huge benefit. We can drive to many places.
Where do you see your future?
I see myself staying here. I am very happy and comfortable in Switzerland. The lifestyle suits me and every time I come back from travelling I feel like this is the place for me. My plan is to continue pursuing my career in the sports business, developing into a leader in the business, following my career as an elite athlete.
Is there anything you miss about living and working in Ireland?
I miss my family, but they understand. They have always been amazing at supporting me in my goals as an athlete and this has not changed in my drive to be a leader in the sports business world. Regarding living in Ireland, I don’t miss it that much as I had a hectic life as elite athlete and working at the same time.
The ability to go to the mountains or the lake at the weekend and surround myself with top sports professionals to support my career here is something I would not want to give up anytime soon.
If you work in an interesting job overseas and would like to share your experience, email abroad@irishtimes.com with a little information about yourself and what you do.
