Na Ning

It’s not just the academic qualifications that can boost the success of your stay in Ireland; other skills and talents can prove very useful also. Back in his home city of Dalian, Na was a professional table tennis player.

His passion for table tennis has helped him feel at home in Ireland: coaching the game to youngsters, winning regional championships, and even representing Ireland at international level. Na’s skills also helped him secure a sport scholarship with his course provider, the National College of Ireland (NCI), which provided funding and expert athletic support.

Na enjoyed the academic aspect of NCI also. The small class sizes meant he received lots of personal attention from lecturing staff, and good career advice (such as interview tips, etc) was also of great benefit. 
 
The main NCI campus is located in Dublin’s IFSC (International Financial Services Centre), which hosts many of the world’s leading financial companies. The close ties developed between the college and surrounding businesses is of great benefit to students.

Na for example, benefited from a summer internship in PricewaterhouseCoopers. They were evidently happy with his performance, as they recruited him once he had completed his degree in Accountancy and Human Resource Management. He is very happy with his current role and finds the job to be challenging, but also a constant learning experience.

So having succeeded so spectacularly, what is Na’s advice for anyone thinking of blazing a similar trail? ‘Get yourself organised, know what you aim to do before arriving in Ireland,’ he says. ‘Businesses in Ireland are recruiting people of a very high standard, so you need to focus on your goals and your study.’