Want to save yourself the stress of securing employment and money to pay the bills? Landing a job before you travel to Ireland is the most convenient way to give yourself the security of an expected income. Some employers even provide relocation packages, meaning that they pay your flight to Ireland and provide accommodation for a few weeks to enable you to find an apartment or a room.
However, sometimes recruiters are reluctant to hire people currently living outside of the country. They are often nervous that you may change your mind about moving. For this reason, it is often easier to find a job once you have moved to Ireland.
In general, it is easier to get a job from your home country, which requires high or specialized skills. These professions are for example:
- IT of any kind
- Call center staff requiring special language skills
- Financial jobs
- Medical jobs, like nurses, doctors, etc
You can find loads of jobs on several Irish job sites. Register your CV on several jobsites, and while you are looking for a job recruiters will have a chance to look at your profile and contact you directly if they feel that you would be a good match for one of their requirements. This means that while you pursue your own job opportunities, someone else is looking out for potential positions for which you might be qualified.
Some people leap into contract positions, attracted by the high income. The problem is that they offer little or no job security. A lower-paying permanent position would give an employee security and career options.
The IT industry is a prime example of this. While in a permanent position you can earn around €2000-3000/month gross, as a contractor you can make the same income in a week not to mention that you have more flexible taxation options. For this reason, it is important to carefully weigh your options and consider whether it is more important to secure a higher salary or a career opportunity.
One of the most important things to remember when embarking on your job quest is to have a good CV. Gone are the days of long, “story of my life” CV’s. Keep your CV concise and compact. Highlighting your experiences for that particular position is your best strategy. The CV should be filled with a list of experience and facts arranged so that a recruiter can easily browse or skim it. If your CV looks too complicated or not reader-friendly, there is a good chance it will fall between the cracks. You could miss out on a great job, losing the position to someone with lesser skills. Never forget that a recruiter looks at a CV for an average of no more than three minutes.
After you apply for a position, your first callback will be from the recruitment consultant. This is not the company for whom you will actually be working. In actuality, this person selects CV’s and forwards them to a client. The client is the company where you will be working. Although this seems like a complicated process, it is very typical. Most companies use recruitment agencies to fill vacant positions. If the position is a contract position, you will have to negotiate an acceptable wage with the recruitment consultant.
If things go well and you pass this stage, your CV is forwarded to the actual client. The client will then choose which applicants he or she wants to interview. Don’t worry if it takes a few days to hear from the client. This is normal. If you are selected for an interview, the recruitment consultant will contact you via phone or email. The next step will be either a phone interview or face-to-face interview with the client.
If you are still living out of the country and are lucky enough to secure a job interview, the good news is that, in most cases, your flight and hostel accommodations will be paid by the client.
Whether or not your client interview is a success, it still usually takes a couple of days to hear back from your recruitment consultant. He or she will usually call to provide feedback on your interview. If several days pass, and you have not heard from your consultant, it is likely that the client does not intend to make you a job offer. Sometimes, it is best to contact your recruitment consultant a couple of days after your interview for an update.
What if you get the job? Request that they send you the contract immediately so that you can quickly sign it and fax it back, reassured with the knowledge that you do actually have the job. After a signed contract is in place, you can begin your travel plans and provide a notice of resignation to your current employer.
What if you didn’t get the job? Don’t be discouraged. Although it may feel that way at the time, it is not the end of the world. There are many jobs on the horizon, and if you were a desirable enough candidate to get a job interview with one client, another company will most likely select you for interview. Try to be patient.
The following are links to jobsites in Ireland:
Finding a Job 
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