Ireland
Like most countries Ireland has been affected by the global financial crisis of 2008-2010 and this has had an ongoing impact on the job market which remains somewhat depressed. Some of the hardest hit employment sectors are construction, wholesale and retail, industry and agriculture (Forfas, 2010).
Recent figures suggest that things are gradually beginning to improve, and records show that those who have attained a good educational level generally find it easier to secure employment.
Generally Irish employers remain positive about employing EU Nationals and foreign applicants where suitable vacancies exist, provided they speak fluent English.
The recruitment patterns of Irish graduate employers are very similar to those of their UK counterparts. Many employers concentrate their recruitment activities on campus visits between October and March. As in the UK some choose to recruit at certain times of the year, whilst others advertise as vacancies arise. You do not need to be in the country to apply for jobs or secure a job before you go. However, do bear in mind any visa/work permit and residency requirements which may apply to you. There are two main methods of applying for jobs in Ireland: CV and covering letter or through an employer application form.
A good CV will be tailored to the job and will include all the key points, as outlined in CVs and covering letters. Further guidance can be obtained from Grad Ireland and CV Ireland . Your CV should be no longer than two pages and should summarise the key points of your education and career history to date. Always include name, address, telephone and email address, but not religious belief, marital status or ethnicity. When sending a CV to an Irish employer, you should always attach a covering letter, highlighting the main points and emphasising your interest in the job and in the company.
Most selection procedures for new graduates will involve two interviews. The first screening interview is normally about 30 minutes long and is often held on campus. If successful, you will be called for a second interview. This will normally be held at the company’s offices. This is a more intensive interview and can be quite lengthy. Some Irish employers use psychometric testing either in the preliminary stage or during the final assessment. Have a look at and psychometric tests and Psytech for further information. For more detailed advice on applications and interviews visit Grad Ireland. Some university careers services also have useful hints and tips, e.g. University College Cork Careers Service .
If you wish to compare your professional, vocational or technical qualifications with Irish qualifications, you can consult the UK NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom) website. In order to gain employment or undertake further studies in Ireland, your foreign qualifications can be assessed in Ireland by Qualifications Recognition Ireland .
In Ireland, you will need to obtain a personal public service (PPS) number, available online at Revenue - Irish Tax and Customs . You will be taxed under the Pay As You Earn (PAYE) system. If you are planning to live and work in Ireland, check your UK tax and National Insurance position with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) to ensure that you are not losing any UK pension rights.
Information on graduate and internship positions and careers fairs is available on Gradireland . The Grad Ireland directory contains full profiles of the main graduate employers as well as details of their immediate vacancies.
Speculative applications can be made through recruitment agencies such as Jobs.ie . You need to research your applications carefully in advance and be clear on how closely you meet the needs of your chosen employer.
Try an Irish careers service first. Exploit your contacts and network; it is also useful to contact your institution’s alumni. Enterprise Ireland provides two-year overseas internships. Export Orientation Programme (IBEC) allows Irish exporting companies to provide graduates with experience of international business. FÁS Overseas Graduate Programme provides overseas placements.
AIESEC (Association Internationale des Etudiants en Sciences Economiques et Commerciales) is a student-run organisation offering placements for business and economics students.
IAESTE (The International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) organises course-related placements for science, technology and engineering students.
The Leonardo da Vinci Programme promotes and supports work placements within the European Economic Area (EEA). The Leonardo network can assist in both identifying potential placements and in granting financial assistance in the case of less well-paid placements. More information is available from the Leargas - The Exchange Bureau .
Macra na Feirme (Sons of the Land) arranges exchange programmes with similar organisations throughout Europe for young people already in farming. Exchanges are for a minimum of three months and you receive pocket money, board and lodging. To join a programme, contact Macra na Feirme to register with the relevant organisation in your home country.
Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES) placements are available through National Training and Employment Authority (FAS).
Vinspired.com offers voluntary work for 16-25 year olds and Volunteer Abroad has a comprehensive directory of volunteering and work experience opportunities in Ireland.
Casual work is often seasonal and related to the tourist industry. You can approach employers direct or employment agencies such as Trovit, Farm Relief Service and Manpower Ireland .
For a range of short-term work opportunities including outdoor activity assistant and fruit picking jobs look at Transitions Abroad. Try this also for short-term nursing work since there is a shortage of nurses in Ireland. Work and Travel in Ireland has lots of links for jobs.
Adventure Ireland offers sports programmes, cultural trips, study exchanges and customer designed courses. gradireland has an area dedicated to work experience and advice on gap years. iGapyear lists gap year projects around the world. Have a look at Gap Year for more general gap year advice.
There are nine universities, 14 institutes of technology and a number of independent third-level colleges in Ireland offering postgraduate study. Check Universities Ireland and Universities Worldwide for further information. The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) was introduced in 2003. This is a ten level system capturing all learning, aimed at increasing the mobility of EU citizens and which allows learners to compare international qualifications. The Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) promotes full access to third level education for disabled students in Ireland.
Irish universities and most institutes of technology offer a range of postgraduate qualifications at PhD, Masters and diploma levels. Postgraduate certificates/diplomas usually last one to two years. Normally these are taught courses. Masters degrees last one to two years and these can be taught or research courses. PhDs are by research for a minimum of three years (Education Ireland). A searchable up-to-date and detailed listing of taught courses offered by higher education institutions in Ireland is available on postgradireland. Qualifax is Ireland’s National Learner’s Database, providing the most comprehensive information on courses available.
For a listing of all higher education institutions and their websites, see Higher Education Authority Ireland and Universities Worldwide . Official rankings can be found at Top Universities and Times Online .
Each college has specific entry requirements, similar to UK requirements. A general guideline is at least a 2:2 honours undergraduate degree in a relevant subject. Some institutions may require 2:1 or higher. A certain level of research experience is usually required for PhD programmes. Requirements are always subject to availability, level of knowledge and expertise. Refer to individual institutions for further information on specific entrance requirements.
Postgraduate courses can be applied to throughout the year. Closing dates vary for different courses. Some courses accept applicants during the year and hold some places until results are announced.
Most applications are made via the university’s official application form. You may be able to download a form from the institution’s website. An increasing number of institutions are accepting online applications via the Postgraduate Applicatons Centre (PAC). You can apply to each institution separately, so you can get offers from all five and then decide.
The Statement of Interest is of vital importance, as it communicates your motivation, personal experience, enthusiasm for the course, reasons you feel you are qualified and what you hope to gain from the experience. You will need to submit academic references. Choose those with whom you have built up a good relationship and who will remember specific details about your achievements.
Postgraduate applicants will typically be required to submit the following: application form, application fee of €45 (approx £38), copy of birth certificate, your CV, transcript of academic results, statement of interest, academic references, research proposal (for research courses) and evidence of English competency - TOEFL or IELTS results.
Course fees average €5,000 (approx £4,200) per year for EU students. Fees for non-EU students are double that. Further information is available at Student Finance Ireland.
For Higher Education Authority Grants, apply to your local county council and check the deadlines at the Department of Education and Science Ireland. If you are a European Union (EU) national you may be entitled to a local authority grant, however, you will have to satisfy stringent residency requirements.
Further sources of funding and scholarships:
UK students on undergraduate degree programmes or postgraduate Masters and some PhD programmes may be interested in spending time studying in Ireland through Erasmus. This programme is open to all subject areas but check with your institution’s Erasmus coordinator first (usually in the international office) to see which countries they have links with and in what subject areas.
If you wish to compare your professional, vocational or technical qualifications with Irish qualifications, you can consult the UK NARIC (National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom) website.
Most EU nationals do not need a visa or work permit but citizens of non-EU countries may be required to have these documents.
There is no legal requirement to register with the immigration authorities even if you are staying in Ireland for a longer period of time. Some people choose to register in order to have documentary evidence of their stay when returning to their home country.
In December 2008, the Irish Government announced that from 1 January 2009 it would continue to restrict access to the Irish labour market for nationals of Bulgaria and Romania. Full details on the situation of employment permits for these countries can be found at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation.
Non-EU nationals will require a visa or work permit, and may need to apply for a residence permit. Further information can be obtained from the Irish embassy in your country.
There are several different types of visa and further information as well as online application forms, can be found at Department of Foreign Affairs Ireland.
Most EU nationals do not need a visa or work permit. Non-EU nationals will need to obtain a visa and/or work permit. If you are not a UK national, contact the Irish embassy in the country where you are currently residing about how to obtain visas and work permits. If you are living in the UK, go to Embassy of Ireland.
You might also find it helpful to contact your ministry of foreign affairs (or your own embassy if you are not living in your home country) to ask whether there are any issues to be taken into account when considering working in Ireland.
If there is no Irish embassy/high commission available near you, or to download an application form, contact the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation for Ireland (DETI) .
Non EEA-nationals can apply for permanent residency once they have been a legal resident in Ireland for five years on work permit conditions. An application needs to be made to Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) with a copy of your work permit, certificate of registration (GNIB card), and passport including all endorsements. Current processing time is 14 months.
The National Training and Employment Authority (FAS) is the state training and employment agency in Ireland. It provides a range of services including job placement, training, vacancy bulletins and guidance to jobseekers from every background. They will place a small number of graduates annually. FAS publish a quarterly magazine called Jobs Ireland, which is distributed at job fairs and through Irish embassies as well as by Irish companies recruiting overseas. If you are a European Union (EU) citizen, you are entitled to make use of any FAS services free of charge. It is worth noting that the careers section of the FAS website is very useful.
FAS is part of EURES - European Job Mobility Portal. This website provides useful information on working and living conditions in Ireland.
Other useful websites are European Researchers Mobility Portal (Euraxess), Executive Selection Consultancies Association and Just Landed .
All Irish universities and the Dublin Institute of Technology provide a formal and comprehensive range of careers services to their students and graduates including careers information and advice, employers’ programmes, careers seminars and vacancy notification.
Graduate Careers Ireland (GCI) is the professional body for careers advisers working in higher education in Ireland. GCI works closely with the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Any graduate from a UK university living in Ireland may be able to make limited use of the careers advisory services at an Irish university. It is important to contact the university in advance to check the level of assistance available.
Careers services to overseas students and graduates are available at Grad Ireland and Careers4Graduates free of charge.
All Irish universities and the Dublin Institute of Technology provide a formal and comprehensive range of careers services to their students and graduates including careers information and advice, employers’ programmes, careers seminars and vacancy notification.
Graduate Careers Ireland (GCI) is the professional body for careers advisers working in higher education in Ireland. GCI works closely with the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) in Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Any graduate from a UK university living in Ireland may be able to make limited use of the careers advisory services at an Irish university. It is important to contact the university in advance to check the level of assistance available.
Careers services to overseas students and graduates are available at Grad Ireland and Careers4Graduates free of charge.
The Form E111 is no longer valid. You should obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before leaving the UK. The EHIC is not a substitute for medical and travel insurance, but entitles you to emergency medical treatment on the same terms as Irish nationals. It also does not cover you for medical repatriation, on-going medical treatment or treatment of a non-urgent nature.
Find the latest travel advice and a traveller’s checklist on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website.
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