Which is what happened to one Dublin man in 2009, and now has him working in France with the Enterprise car rental company.
Dan Flaherty was a DIT graduate in Auctioneering and Valuation, and while studying in London for a further qualification in Real Estate Management, he rented cars from Enterprise because their unique pick-up and drop-off service suited his needs.
"I got to know some of their employees, and they told me about the company and the opportunities that existed within Enterprise," he recalls. "When I returned to Ireland in late 2009, the property market had started to decline and jobs in the sector were thin on the ground. I then decided to change tack and looked elsewhere for work. That’s when I saw an opening for a Management Trainee position within Enterprise."
His interview was successful, and he began working at the Finglas branch ... which, to a Northsider from Baldoyle, was almost a coming home.
Through the company's Management Training Programme, he studied the various facets of the company, eventually working his way through to a successful application as Assistant Manager at the Dublin Airport branch.
"During the summer, Dublin Airport would have the largest amount of vehicles of any Enterprise branch in Europe. I really enjoyed this experience and learnt a lot more about how the business works."
In 2014, Dan moved into the position of Vehicle Repair Supervisor in Ireland, managing the repairs, maintenance, and safety status of the fleet. In 2017, taking advantage of the global opportunities which Enterprise offers its employees, he was appointed to the National Vehicle Repair Manager position in France that he holds today.
"I like a challenge, so when I was offered an unmissable opportunity to relocate to Paris, I couldn’t turn it down. Enterprise had bought a rental company there five years earlier, and I truly believed I could make a big impact to the business."
Dan has ten people on his team, looking after several hundred vehicles in for body and mechanical work at any one time. "We have to manage these vehicles to ensure they are repaired as quickly as possible and are back out on the road for our customers. I also handle nationwide contracts with third party suppliers, including breakdown assistance companies, tyre and servicing vendors and body shop companies."
He has moved fast and far within Enterprise, which isn't uncommon, and is something which he really appreciates. "The great thing about this company is that you can apply for any job, anywhere in the world. From day one I’ve been encouraged by seeing many hardworking colleagues move up within the organisation. While I am really enjoying my time in France, if a Vehicle Repair opportunity came up in Florida or Hawaii, I’d seriously consider dusting off my Speedos and throwing my beret in the ring."
Ehh ... wouldn't we all?
