Cynthia Alfonsin, Spanish National, Living and Working in Scotland
Hola, my name is Cynthia. I decided to move to Scotland as I've enjoyed many holidays here and always felt welcome.
There are lots of opportunities in the IT sector in Scotland and I enjoy the different approach to working life compared with Spain.
Why work in Scotland?
I came over to Scotland from Spain in September 2012 to study for an MSc in Information Management at the University of Strathclyde. I had come to Scotland on holidays and fell in love with the country, so was delighted to have the opportunity to come to study in Glasgow and now stay on to work.
Glasgow is a wonderfully diverse and multi-cultural city. My colleagues are from all over the world including Italy, China, Romania and India and it's great to work and live in a place that is so welcoming to different nationalities.
I enjoy being in Glasgow because compared to cities such as Madrid, there is no stress. It's a calmer and more relaxed way of life here.
Working at ThinkAnalytics
ThinkAnalytics provides a real-time personalised content recommendations engine for TV companies so that viewers stay engaged with relevant content and maintain their subscriptions to paid platforms and channels.
I have been with the company since February 2014 and find it rewarding to work for a medium-sized firm where ideas are welcomed and you don't feel like you're just a number. I can talk to anyone from the CEO right through to new graduates to ask for help or exchange ideas.
I work as a Lead Information Scientist and analyse large amounts of data to decide how to use it in the best way. I feel I wouldn't have had the same chances if I'd remained working in Spain.
Everyone at the company goes out of their way to be helpful, such as when I had to file my first UK tax return and didn't know how to complete it.
I am also an ambassador for TalentScotland and regularly speak to people in Spain to help them understand the quality of life they can expect when relocating to Scotland.
Living in Scotland
I love the Scottish culture and how passionate people are about traditions such as Christmas and New Year.
In my spare time I enjoy going mountain biking at Glentress and travelling to the islands such as Oban to marvel at the scenery – we don't have views like those in Spain.
My advice for anyone looking to move to Scotland is to be brave. If you don't try it, you'll miss out on great opportunities and an incredible way of life.
ThinkAnalytics