How to Find a Job in Ireland When You Don't Live There

Feb 19, 2010

In July of 2007 I responded to a request, in the request section of HubPages, asking for advice on how to go about emigrating from India to Ireland.

At the time I wrote the article the world economy in general and the Irish economy in particular were both booming. Ireland had also changed from what had historically been a nation that people emigrated from (left) in order better themselves economically to a nation that people were moving to in order to find better jobs.

Ireland at that time had a growing foreign-born, non-Irish, population that included a large Indian community. So the question as to how to go about emigrating from India to Ireland was a good one.

Of course a big attraction of Ireland at the time I wrote the Hub was the job opportunities and, the best way to qualify for permanent residency or citizenship in any nation is to get a job in that nation and getting a job in Ireland was one of the options that I suggested that this gentleman from India who made the request look into.

That particular Hub has been well received and I have received a number of comments some of which have been asking for specific information about how to find a job in Ireland in order to be able to move there and gain residency or citizenship status.

So, I have decided to write another Hub on how people living in other nations can go about looking for a job in Ireland.  The focus is on mid-level office and professional jobs including positions in skilled trades.  It is not for unskilled people looking for manual labor or people looking for senior executive or administrative positions.

Before you decide to move to another city, another state or province or another country to work you should first make sure you have enough money to complete your plan. At some point you will almost certainly have to make one or more trips to where you want to work in order to interview for a position.

Unless you have training or skills that are in short supply which would force prospective employers to mount a national or international search which would mean they would most likely be willing to pay your expenses to travel for an interview, you will have to pay your own travel expenses.

Then there are moving expenses if you are offered and accept a job in the new location. Again, for many average jobs, especially in these tough economic times, you would be responsible for paying your own moving expenses.

Also, if you move to another country you may have to pay for the work visa and other expenses required to work in a foreign nation.

Finally, if the job doesn't work out you will need an emergency fund to tide you over in the event you either lose your job or change you mind about your decision to relocate and decide to return to your home country.

Once you determine what you will need for the above expenses and either have that amount saved or have a plan to save it before you move, your next step is to obtain information about the area you plan to look for work in and move to.

You want to first learn about the local economy and local economic conditions and then identify the employers in that area that you are equipped to wok for. The web has a wealth of information and you will be able to find most of what you need from this point on with intelligent searches.

Ireland today, like much of the rest of the world, is still reeling from the 2008 global recession and Ireland has been hit much harder than other nations. So the economic situation in Ireland is not good at the moment.

Here are two videos that I found on YouTube.com by typing things like Ireland economy, Ireland economy 2010, Irish economic outlook, etc. in the search bar on YouTube. You can also do similar searches on Google or other search engines using similar terms.

As you narrow your job search to a particular city you should also narrow your information search to that city or region and start searching for and reading newspapers for the local area.  Concentrate on the business news as that will give you and idea of the job prospects in the area.  In the Links module on the right are links to two Irish newspapers with business news that were found using the word Irish business news.

When you find a couple of good local newspapers you can either bookmark them and refer to them daily or connect to their RSS feed to your browser home page.  Also, most browsers have news feeds that you can add to them so check their offerings and add this feature to your browser.

When applying for positions in Ireland you will need to prepare a Curriculum Vitae or CV (similar to a Resume in the United States but different enough that you should research it before writing one). In the Link module on the righ is a link to one site with information about CVs and how to prepare and use them You can find additional information on these by typing curriculum vitae in the your favorite search bar.

Next, you will want to post your CV on job boards and other job posting sites where Irish employers will be looking for people to hire.

Increasing numbers of employers are relying on the web to find employees and there are numerous services that provide people looking for work to post their CVs/resumes and other information for employers to look at. In most cases these sites do not charge job seekers to access and post on the site relying instead on charging employers for this service.

In the Links module at the right you will find links to some sites that I found using search terms such as Irish job boards, Irish job sites, Irish employment postings, etc. Some of these site also offer additional services such as resume or curriculum viate reviews or assistance with writing them, interview tips and/or coaching, etc.

Some of these additional services are free which there are charges for others.

The companies that I have linked to in the Links module on the right are merely ones that I found using a quick Internet search and I am neither endorsing them nor commenting on them further as I have had no experience with them.

Networking involves seeking assistance from friends and work acquaintances in your job search.  While they often won't be able to find you a job, they can be a great source of information that will help you including possibly introducing you to potential employers.

Networking services are appearing on the Internet and are becoming increasing popular as aids in seeking employment.  Sites like Linkedin.com and Facebook.com are being used by job seekers and professionals to maintain contact with people they have worked with or met in the line of work.  These contacts can be very helpful in a job search as they can give you valuable information and leads.

Also, people in Human Resource departments will often contact people in their network to ask if they know anyone they can refer for positions they are trying to fill.  So, it is a good idea to create a presence on these (Facebook is free while Linkedin has both a a free level and a higher level for a fee.

Only you can get yourself a job.

The information above should help you develop a job search strategy.  However, it is up to you to do the research and go out and search for and land the job you are seeking.