Moving to Ireland Forums

Ireland Info · Joined: 21 Oct 2006 Posts: 18 Home Country: ireland

EMPLOYMENT IN IRELAND (Getting a Job)

EMPLOYMENT PROSPECTS

Although Ireland is one of the few countries in the world which is keen to attract new workers from abroad – most countries positively discourage them – that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily easy to find a job there.

Ireland has a relatively small labour market and there’s a lot of competition for the best paid jobs, although in certain industries where skilled staff are in short supply it’s possible to pick and choose from an abundance of vacancies.

However, although some people don’t find it easy to find employment, there are, in fact, relatively few stories of failure and only a small number of new migrants with good job skills fail to find a job (the unemployment rate among skilled migrants is much lower than the national average). Most people who are prepared to work hard and adapt to the Irish way of doing things find that they do better in their job or career there than they would at home. Nevertheless, it’s essential to have a plan of action, do your homework before arrival and (if necessary) be prepared to change your plans as you go along.

Whereas only a few decades ago, many young people sought a ‘job for life’, today people in their 20s and 30s don’t expect to stay with the same employer for much more than two years (though some employers are now offering three and five-year ‘packages’ in an attempt to recoup their investment in recruiting and training new staff).

Ireland has also witnessed a movement away from restricted job definitions to more generalised role descriptions. Most significantly there has been a major shift in the economy away from agriculture towards manufacturing and, especially, service industries. Although many workers have been retrained, not all have been able to make the necessary transition and job vacancies in tele-services, software and electronics manufacturing, nursing and healthcare, pharmaceuticals and medical products, automotive and aerospace engineering, business and financial services, construction and retailing in particular have multiplied in recent years. In fact, in the first four of these areas there’s now a chronic shortage of skilled workers.

Tele-services
Tele-services include technical support for computer and software customers, selling financial and marketing services or other goods, and making reservations (e.g. hotels, flights). Ireland is now the European leader in call centres and employment in this sector is set to rise from 7,000 to 12,000 between 2001 and 2003. Candidates must be fluent in English and at least one other European language (German is preferred, then French, Italian and Spanish). A Diploma in Tele-Services can be taken in Ireland.

Companies in this sector include American Airlines, AOL Bertelsmann, Best Western, Compaq, Corel, Creative Labs, Digital, Dell, Fexco, Gateway 2000, Global Reservations, Hertz, IBM, ICT Eurotel, Iomega, Jetphone, Korean Air, Lafferty Group, McQueen, Oracle, Radisson Hotels, Ryanair, Software Spectrum, UPS and US Robotics.

Software
Ireland is now the world’s largest exporter of software (having recently overtaken the USA!). From a handful of companies a decade ago, there are now over 750 software firms in Ireland employing more than 23,000 people, with a target of 40,000 to be employed by the year 2002. This has created an unprecedented demand for employees with appropriate skills, both in software producing companies and in other organisations who use computers. In 1997 the government introduced an action plan on skills, undertaking to add 1,000 extra places to software degree programmes, although a recent study carried out by FÁS predicts that the shortfall in computing skills will continue even if Irish colleges achieve the target of doubling their annual output of graduates over the next three years.

The key role is in software manufacture is the developer/engineer, who creates new products. A computer-science degree isn’t necessary but maths and languages are useful, as well as technical skills and some sort of technology-related qualification. In particular there’s a huge demand for C++ and Java/DB developers, systems administrators, location software testers and IT analysts. Employment is expected to rise from 15,000 to 25,000 between the years 2000 and 2003.

Companies in this sector include Admiral, Aldiscon, Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting), CBT, Claris, Compufast Software, Corel, Credo Software, Delphi Software, Digital, ESBI Computing, Ericsson, Euristix, Expert Edge Computer Systems, Hitachi, IBM/Lotus, ICL, Iona Technologies, Kindle Banking Systems/Misys, Lendac Data Systems, Microsoft, Oracle, Premier Information Systems, Priority Data, Quay Financial Software, Siemens Nixdorf, Silicon & Software Systems, Statistical Solutions, Vision Computing and Xilinx.

Electronics
Some 7,000 new jobs were created in electronics manufacturing in 2000, bringing the total number employed in this sector to around 62,000. Ireland’s seven universities and 12 institutes of technology have recently increased their student intake in an attempt to cope with the expected demand for people with electrical, mechanical, production, manufacturing and engineering skills and knowledge of metals and plastics. A minimum qualification is Leaving Certificate maths (or the equivalent) and there are opportunities for specialists and multi-skilled workers.

Companies include Alps Electric, American Power Conversion, Analog Devices, Apple Computers, AT&T, Avid Technology, Bootstrap, Courns, Cabletron Creative Labs, Connaught Electronics, Cornel Electronics, Dovatron, EICON, EMC, Ericsson, Europlex Manufacturing, Fujitsu Isotec, General Electric, General Instruments, Hewlett Packard, Hi-Tech Electronics, Hitachi-Koki, Hormann Electronics, IBM, Intel, Irish Printed Circuits, Kostal, Lake Communications, LG Group, Lucent Technologies, Madge Networks, Matsushita Kotobuki, Maxtor, Mentec International, Mitsumi, Mitsubishi Chemical, Motorola, Nortel, Northern Telecom, Philips, Quaestor Analytic, Quantum, SCI, Seagate Technology, Sensormatic, Siemens, Sigma Wireless Technologies, Silicon Systems Design, Stratus, Sun Microsystems, 3Com, Trintech Manufacturing, Westinghouse and Xilinx.

Nursing & Healthcare
Ireland’s nursing shortage is particularly acute in the Dublin area and the government recently announced measures aimed at attracting back nurses who had left the profession (11,000 nurses are registered as ‘inactive’) or work abroad and encouraging those who work part-time to work full time. In other parts of the country, doctors are in short supply and an extra 1,000 consultants are also needed. Specialist nurse training courses are being created in Cork, Waterford and Limerick, and fees for ‘back to nursing’ courses have been abolished.

Pharmaceuticals & Medical Products
Ireland is a major base for the development and manufacture of pharmaceuticals and medical products, where there has been rapid growth in recent years: 2,500 new jobs were created in 1996 and a further 1,500 in 1997. Nine of the world’s top ten pharmaceutical companies and ten of the world’s top 15 medical products’ companies have plants in Ireland.

Pharmaceuticals companies include Akzo Pharma, Bristol-Meyers Squibb, Elan, Eli Lilly, E. Merck, FMC, Forest Laboratories, Fujitsawa, Ivax, Johnson & Johnson, Leo Laboratories, Schering-Plough, SmighKline Beecham, Warner Lambert, Wyeth Medica and Yamanouchi. Medical products companies include Abbott, Allergan, Bausch & Lomb, Baxter, Bayer Diagnostics, Becton Dickinson, Beiersdorf, Boston Scientific, Braun, CF Bard, Hollister, Howmedica, Mallinckrodt, Millipore, Olympus, Organon Teknika, Puritan Bennett, Sherwood Medical, Welch-Allyn American Home Products and Vistakon.

Automotive & Aerospace Engineering
Another growing sector in which designers, engineers and toolmakers are required is automotive and aerospace engineering. Companies include ABB, Alcatel Cable, Alcoa, Fujikura, Allied Signal, AO Smith, Beru, Betatherm, Bijur Lubrication, Bruss, Cooper Industries, Crown Equipment, Dahlstrom, Donnelly Mirrors, Elasto Metall, Emerson Electric, General Monitors, General Motors, General Signal, Groschopp, Henniges, Jacobs Engineering, Kostal, Kromberg & Schubert, Lapple, Legrand, Liebherr, Menvier Swaine, Mitsubishi Belting, Moog, Ohshima, Packo, Pauwels, Pratt & Whitney, Radiac Abrasives, Sifco Turbine, Simon Engineering, Snap-Tite, Thermo King, Trac Tech, Volex, Wavin, Westinghouse, Wilo and Woco.

Financial Services
More than 800 of the world’s leading financial institutions have established operations within Dublin’s International Financial Services Centre, which was founded in 1987. Activities include banking, fund and corporate treasury management, insurance and aircraft leasing. The number of jobs in this sector increased by 5,000 to 50,000 between 1997 and 2000 and there are opportunities for junior fund administrators and fund managers as well as customer service, IT and e-commerce staff.

Construction
The Irish construction industry has been growing steadily since the mid-1990s, reaching a peak of 14 per cent in 1997 and settling to around 7.5 per cent in 2000. Almost one in ten Irish workers are now involved in construction. With planned improvements to roads, railways, airports, water treatment plants as well as an expected continuation of the housing boom, high growth is expected to continue for several more years. Opportunities exist for school-leavers (e.g. plant operators), apprentices (e.g. electricians, joiners, plumbers, carpenters and painters) and graduates (e.g. architects and surveyors). There are vacancies nation-wide in all disciplines.

Retailing
With the continued boom in consumer spending, a record number of new retail outlets are opening and jobs in the retail sector are forecast to rise from the 1998 level of 160,000 to 200,000 by 2003.

Other Sectors
Other areas in which growth is expected in the early part of the century, albeit at a slower rate than those listed above, are consumer products, tourism, agriculture, telecommunications, teaching, accountancy, food production and catering. There is a particular demand for PAs, secretaries and legal secretaries as well as people with accounting experience.

JOB HUNTING

Irish Newspapers
Obtain copies of as many Irish newspapers as possible, all of which contain positions vacant sections. To save money it’s worth checking libraries abroad, as they sometimes have Irish newspapers. If you live near an Irish Consulate or High Commission or an Irish Immigration Service information office, you may find they have a reading room containing recent copies of Irish newspapers. Otherwise most Irish newspapers will mail you a free copy or you can take out a subscription.

Situations vacant are usually advertised on specific days (e.g. The Irish Times on Fridays, the Irish Independent on Thursdays, the Sunday Independent, the Sunday Business Post and Sunday Tribune and the weekly Job News). Most newspapers carry a ‘Situations Wanted’ column, although unless you’re exceptionally well qualified or have a skill that’s in short supply, you cannot expect much of a response when placing an advertisement of this kind. Most also have Internet sites.

Foreign Newspapers
If you’re seeking an executive or professional position, you’ll find that vacancies are sometimes advertised in the national newspapers of other countries. For example, the UK’s Times Higher Education Supplement occasionally carries vacancies for jobs in Ireland. However, local employers usually go to the trouble of advertising jobs abroad only when vacancies are proving hard to fill locally, or when they require unusual or exceptional skills and qualifications.

The Internet
Most of the leading Irish newspapers have websites aimed at jobseekers. These include www.examiner.ie, www.ireland.com (The Irish Times site), www.loadza.com (Irish Independent), www.sbpost.ie (Sunday Business Post) and www.tribune.ie (Sunday Tribune).

You can also look at the websites of the leading Irish job agencies such as CPL Computer Placement, Grafton Recruitment, Hays, Headhunt, Marlborough, NRC, PPG Accountancy, Premier Recruitment, Richmond Recruitment, Skills Group.

Other specialist sites include www.irishjobs.ie, www.stepstone.ie (both of which claim to be Ireland’s number one site), www.monster.ie, www.recruitireland.com, www.topjobs.ie, www.exp.ie, and www.jobfinder.ie, which lists more than 3,000 vacancies, mainly in the IT sector, and also has useful information about working in Ireland. The FÁS website is www.fas.ie.

Online Recruitment
More and more Irish companies, particularly in the IT sector, are recruiting online. Nearly two-thirds of companies are already recruiting graduates using online services and it’s estimated that 95 per cent of companies with more than 50 employees will be using online recruiting by 2003.

Trade Journals
Some trades and professions have their own magazines, journals or newsletters, published independently or by the trade association, in which jobs are advertised. Contact the relevant association(s) listed below or look under ‘Associations & Institutions’ in the Golden Pages. Professional and executive opportunities in Ireland are sometimes also advertised in trade journals in other English-speaking countries, e.g. the UK and the USA.

Employment Offices
Visit your local FÁS office in Ireland. Jobs on offer are mainly non-professional, skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled.

Employment Agencies, Recruitment Specialists & Executive Search Companies
If you’re looking for an executive or professional position, you can apply to recruitment consultancies in Ireland and abroad specialising in the kind of position you’re seeking. (They will usually be pleased to help and advise you, whether or not you have applied for permission to live in Ireland.)

Unlike their UK counterparts, Irish employment agencies and recruitment specialists (listed separately in the Golden Pages) are essentially the same, though some specialise in certain areas of employment. Executive search companies, on the other hand, operate in a different way, being retained by particular clients to recruit staff on their behalf.

Professional Organisations
If you’re a professional, it may be worthwhile contacting relevant professional organisations in Ireland (listed in the Golden Pages under ‘Associations and Institutes’). Although they cannot find you a job, they can often help with advice and provide the names of prospective employers.

Government Departments
If you’re considering a position or career with a government department or another public body, you’ll need to contact the Civil Service Commission (Tel. 01-661 5611 or 01-676 7086), which deals with all government recruitment, including administrative and technical staff of Health Boards and local authorities. All appointments are made by a process of open competition, although current legislation restricts applications to EU citizens.

There are three entry levels to the civil service: clerical officer, administrative office and executive officer. For clerical officer positions no qualifications are required but candidates must take an aptitude test. For administrative officer jobs, you must have at least five honours passes at Leaving Certificate (or the equivalent in other EU countries). Only first class graduates are considered for executive positions. A fourth type of position, that of third secretary in the Diplomatic Service (part of the Department of Foreign Affairs), is equivalent to an executive officer but, since only about a dozen of these posts become available each year, competition is extremely strong.

In addition, the civil service recruits a number of professional and technical staff (e.g. prison and welfare officers, meteorological staff, accountants and legal staff, agricultural, veterinary and engineering inspectors, architects and librarians). When applying for any position, you’ll be asked to state your preference of government department, but may be allocated to a different department by the Commission.

Unsolicited Job Applications
Apply to companies directly in Ireland, whether or not they are advertising vacancies. Needless to say, it’s a hit-and-miss affair, but the big advantage is that you aren’t competing directly with hundreds of other applicants as with an advertised job vacancy. This approach can be particularly successful if you have skills, experience and qualifications which are in short supply in Ireland. When writing from abroad, enclosing an international reply coupon may help elicit a response.

A list of the 30 largest companies in Ireland at the end of 1999 can be found in the Local Ireland Almanac (Local Ireland). Useful addresses can also be obtained from trade directories (such as Kompass Ireland), which are available at major libraries, and from Irish Chambers of Commerce abroad or the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland (Tel. 01-661 2888).

Networking
Networking (which, like so many simple but effective ideas, originated in the USA) is basically making and using business and professional contacts. You should make use of contacts both in Ireland and with any Irish people you come into contact with abroad, including friends, relatives, colleagues, customers, clients and suppliers. If you’re already in Ireland, you can contact or join local expatriate social clubs, churches, societies and professional organisations. Finally don’t forget to ask your friends and acquain¬tances working in Ireland if they know of an employer seeking someone with your experience and qualifications.

CONTRACT & PART TIME JOBS

Contract Jobs
Contract jobs are available through many employment agencies in Ireland which specialise in providing workers for a limited period to companies that employ freelance workers for certain jobs, rather than hire full-time employees.

The contract market has grown enormously over the past five years or so, particularly in the IT and finance sectors, but also in pharmaceuticals, construction and catering. With skill shortages in a number of areas in Ireland, an increasing number of foreigners are being attracted to work in Ireland on short and long-term contracts. In the IT sector, for example, up to a third of contract workers are non-Irish (a large number coming from India) and in the construction industry, UK and German contractors are in turn sub-contracting to labourers from countries such as Poland.

Apart from specialist agencies such as Computer Placement, the best source of contract jobs is the Internet (sites such as www.stepstone.ie and www.irishjobspage.ie), which has displaced magazines such as Freelance Informer and Irish Computer from a job-seeker’s point of view. Agencies will assist with visa or work authorisation applications and provide training where necessary.

Contract workers from EEA countries may either be employed by the company they’re working for on a PAYE basis or establish their own limited companies. Anther option is to set up an offshore company, which means that earnings are tax-free but cannot be used by the employee for subsistence in Ireland; if any money is withdrawn for this purpose, the employee is liable to ‘remittance tax’.

Non-EEA nationals need to obtain a work permit or work authorisation in the normal way and can either set up their own business, provided that they’ve obtained business permission, or become an employee.

In the case of employees, their employer, or the agency which recruited them on the employer’s behalf, acts as a guarantor (also referred to as a ‘sponsor’ or ‘owner’) that they won’t abuse the system by claiming Social Welfare benefits or otherwise becoming a burden on the state. There are recruitment agencies that will find contract work for non-EEA nationals who have established a business without obtaining business permission, but this remains an illegal practice in Ireland.

Part-time Jobs
Part-time jobs (officially defined as jobs in which you work fewer than five days a week, regardless of the number of hours worked) are available in most industries and professions and are common in offices, pubs, shops, factories, cafes and restaurants. Many young foreigners combine part-time work and study, for example improving their English or studying for a trade or professional qualification, although many educational institutions specifically forbid part-time working and study visas aren’t valid for employment.

Most part-time workers are poorly paid, although you should now be assured of at least receiving the national minimum wage. As a part-time employee you’re also entitled to the same bonuses, holidays, etc. as full-time employees, on a pro rata basis. You may, however, have little protection from exploitation by your employer, although some employers give part-time employees the same rights as full-time employees. Some companies operate a job share scheme, where two or more people share the same job.

TEMPING

Temporary, casual and seasonal jobs that last for either a few days, weeks or months are available throughout the year in Ireland.

The tourist industry in particular is busy during the summer, and farms are in need of labourers in spring for sowing and in autumn for harvesting, as well as throughout the year in certain sectors. If you aren’t already an Irish citizen or migrant, it’s important to make sure that you’re eligible to work in Ireland before you arrive.

Opportunities for temporary, casual and seasonal jobs include:

Business: Employment agencies specialise in temporary and casual job vacancies in offices and shops in most parts of the country. It’s obviously an advantage if you have some experience; if you have a qualification in a profession such as banking, finance, insurance, accountancy or law, you might even walk into a well paid job.

Construction: The continuing building boom in Ireland and an acute shortage of construction workers mean that temporary work on building sites is relatively easy to find. The largest agency specialising in construction jobs, temporary and permanent, is Manpower Construction Recruitment (Tel. 01-887 3900), not to be confused with Manpower, the general recruitment agency, who cover all types of building work, from labouring to project management.

Farming: There are thousands of farms in Ireland which usually need help, particularly during busy periods such as at sowing and harvesting times. Work is likely to be hard and the hours long, but in addition to wages you may receive free accommodation and food. Most farms recruit casual labour locally, but placements of three months or more (including permanent positions) are also dealt with by the Farm Relief Service, which has 25 regional offices acting as a recruitment service for local farmers. For a list of offices, see the FRS website (www.frs.ie) or dial 0505-22100. Farming vacancies are also advertised in the weekly Irish Farmers’ Journal, available in some European countries or direct from the number 01-450 1166. The Farm Apprenticeship Board (Tel. 01-450 1980) occasionally offers six month placements to non-EU nationals (particularly from Eastern Europe), although this scheme was on hold in early 2001. An organisation called Macra na Feirme (‘Sons of the Land’) arranges exchange programmes with similar organisations throughout Europe for young people (mostly in their early 20s) already in farming. Exchanges are for a minimum of three months and participants are paid ‘pocket money’ and provided with board and lodging. To join a programme, you need to register with the relevant organisation in your home country. Contact Macra na Feirme for details (Tel. 01-450 8000).

Hotels & Catering: Hotels, restaurants and bars normally have a demand for waiters/waitresses, bar staff, chambermaids, receptionists and handymen throughout the year. Many employment agencies deal with this type of vacancy. If you want to go it alone, there’s nothing to stop you approaching hotels and restaurants directly, although it’s a good idea to telephone and ask about vacancies before travelling to the ‘back of beyond’ looking for work.

Industry: As in most countries, there are often casual jobs available in factories and warehouses such as cleaning, labouring, portering or security. Particularly numerous are casual, temporary and seasonal jobs in some of the many food processing plants. This kind of work is notoriously unreliable: plants that may be working flat out one week stand idle the next, e.g. when there’s a slump in the market or the season is over. Jobs of this kind can be found through employment agencies, in local newspapers or simply by turning up at the factory gate (very early!).

Nursing: Another area in which Ireland is acutely short-staffed is nursing and, provided that you have relevant qualifications and experience, you may be able to find short-term work.

Tourism: Ireland attracts tourists year-round, but particularly during the summer (April to October, peaking during the school holidays from late July to early September). Jobs are available in shops, at tourist attractions, and on boats and beaches throughout the country.

Other: Other types of temporary or casual job include exhibition work (setting up and manning stands), sorting mail during the pre-Christmas period, gardening, market research, modelling (art colleges hire models of all shapes and sizes), security work, newspaper and magazine distribution, driving and courier work.

TRAINING & WORK EXPERIENCE SCHEME

EU citizens are free to come to Ireland and enrol on training schemes run by the national training and employment service.

Ireland is a participant in the international Training and Work Experience Scheme (TWES), which is designed to give young people the opportunity for further education and occupational training, and to enlarge their professional experience and knowledge of other countries. The other participating countries include Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the USA.

Applications for training are considered even if the training is available in the applicant’s home country. Training usually applies to professions or occupations in which the training leads to the acquisition of occupational skills or professional qualifications. Trainees should have relevant qualifications where necessary and must not replace any existing staff.

TWES permits are a specific type of work permit issued by employers (recruitment agencies cannot issue permits) and are not normally issued for training for a qualification which can be obtained on a full-time study basis. In these cases, you should seek permission from the Home Office to come to Ireland as a student. Permits aren’t usually issued for training or work experience in the sports and entertainment sectors.

Trainees must be aged between 18 and 54 and work experience applicants between 18 and 35, who must also be at the start of their careers. The training or work experience must be for a minimum of 30 hours a week and for a fixed length of time. Trainees occupy full-time positions with a normal salary and conditions of employment similar to those for on-the-job training in the area.

Positions are usually granted for one year and can sometimes be extended for a further six months, although in exceptional circumstances it can be extended to two years.

Work experience differs from trainee positions in that it doesn’t usually result in a formal qualification, the worker doesn’t fill a full-time position, and wages are paid in the form of pocket money or a maintenance allowance and are much less than would be paid to an ordinary employee (unless a statutory minimum wage is applicable). Applications are considered even when applicants have no previous employment related to the intended work experience, provided they have relevant qualifications and the work experience is closely related to their future career.

Although the training and work experience scheme is intended to develop applicants’ industrial and commercial experience, a secondary objective is to improve their knowledge of the English language (where applicable), although applicants must have an ‘adequate knowledge’ of English before they’re accepted.

Applicants may not transfer from training or work experience to full employment in Ireland and aren’t permitted to work under the main work permit scheme for at least two years after the completion of their training or work experience. Trainees must sign an undertaking to return to their home countries once they have completed their training or work experience and may not obtain a work permit and remain in Ireland.

Information about the TWES can be obtained from the Department of Employment/Labour (or similar) in participating countries.

On 1st January 2000, the EU launched a seven-year vocational training programme called Leonardo da Vinci. Details of Leonardo projects can be found on www.leonardo.org.uk. At the same time the EU introduced the Europass system, whereby trainees moving from one member state to another can register and record the training they have undertaken. Further information is on www.europass-uk.co.uk.

Science and engineering students who wish to gain experience by working in industry and commerce in Ireland during their holidays can apply to the International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE), which has more than 60 member countries. A good knowledge of English is essential and applicants must be enrolled at a college or university and be studying engineering, science, agriculture, architecture or a related subject. The IAESTE website is www.iaeste.org.uk.

Another organisation, AIESEC, arranges exchanges for students at more than 800 universities in over 85 countries, placing them for up to 18 months in private and public sector employment. Further information is available on the AIESEC website, www.aiesec.org.

USIT ( Union of Students International Travel) runs a Work in Ireland programme, which is open to full-time students. There are 1,000 places for students from the USA, 500 for Canadian students and a small number for students from African, South American and Caribbean countries. American students should contact USIT NOW, New York Student Centre, 895 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10025 (Tel. 0212 663 5435; wii@usitworld.com; www.usitnow.ie) or Council Exchanges, 633 3rd Avenue, New York, NY 10017 (Tel. 0212 822 2692; info@councilexchanges.org; www.ciee.org). Canadian students should contact Travelcuts/ SWAP Ireland, Suite 100, 45 Charles Street East, Toronto, ON M4Y 1S2 (Tel. 0416 966 2887; swapinfo@travelcuts.com; www.swap.ca. Other eligible students should contact USIT in Ireland (Tel. 01-679 8833 or 01-602 1742).

Careers Europe produce information about working, training, studying and living in EU and EEA countries. Details are on www.careerseurope.co.uk.

The Farm Apprenticeship Board (Tel. 01-450 1980) places agricultural students on farms for between one and three years to train in farm management. Virtually all their apprentices are Irish nationals, but if you have experience in areas where there are skill shortages in Ireland (e.g. pig farming), you may be able to get on an FAB programme.

SALARY & WAGE

It isn’t immediately obvious what salary you should command in Ireland, as wages and salaries aren’t usually quoted in job advertisements.

As trade unions are still influential in Ireland, wages are often negotiated on a collective basis and are therefore broadly similar in different industries and areas.

Regional differences in salary are generally smaller than differences between industry sectors. Whereas the best paid sectors used to be mining and the chemical industries, it’s now IT and financial services, which enjoy the highest pay, though chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing is still well rewarded.

Other above average sectors are communications (including telecommunications and transport); food, drink and tobacco processing; medical appliance manufacturing; oil and gas exploration (there’ll be a particularly large bonus for the first person actually to find oil in Ireland!); and construction. Among the worst paid sectors are material manufacturing (including metal, plastics, textiles, rubber, leather, glass and pottery), printing and publishing, electrical and electronic engineering, and distribution.

Bigger companies tend to pay better than smaller ones (which also often expect employees to work longer hours); for a similar job you would expect to earn 30 per cent more in a company with over 500 staff than in a company with fewer than 50 staff. In terms of departments, the best paid managers are those in production and manufacturing, followed by those in IT, administration and marketing or sales, finance and accounting, and finally HR. The best executive jobs tend to be in marketing followed by sales, finance and technical departments.

Non-executive salaries are established by a process of collective bargaining and annual increases determined by national wage agreements, the latest, called Partnership 2000, introducing a series of tax cuts which will effectively increase take-home pay by up to 14 per cent over three years.

WORKING HOUS & OVERTIME

The Irish generally aren’t workaholics; they value their social life too highly for that. They won’t work weekends if something can wait until Monday, nor work long hours or take an evening job unless they have to. The standard Irish office day is from 9am until 5.30pm with an hour for lunch, taken between 12 and 2pm. Many offices, including government departments, are closed between 12.30 and 2pm.

The average Irish working week is 39 hours and the legal maximum 48 hours (note that this is a four-month average, so your actual working hours could fluctuate considerably). Working hours are governed by EU directives, which stipulate that you’re entitled to a minimum of 11 hours’ continuous rest in every 24 hours and at least one rest period in a working day of more than six hours. You’re also entitled to at least 24 hours’ continuous rest every week. Employers are required to compensate staff for Sunday working (i.e. pay them more than their normal daily wage) and night workers are entitled to a free health assessment before starting night work and at regular intervals thereafter.