Ireland is quite simply an incredible country in which to live and work. Since 2001 when it suffered its highest unemployment rates ever the entire economy of the country has literally been transformed.
Today Ireland is one of the most prosperous economies in Europe with an incredibly low unemployment rate, and the country has doubled its GDP in less than ten years. If you’re interested in working in Ireland this guide covers everything you need to know.
First things first, if you’re British you can move to Ireland to live and work unrestricted. Citizens of other EU countries can live in Ireland for up to three months without the need of a visa. After this time you can apply for a work permit and residence and depending on the country you herald from the process is often very straight forward. To find out more about the process please contact your nearest Irish Embassy.
English is the most common language spoken and understood across Ireland so you need an excellent command of the language to move to the country and comfortably settle into life in Ireland and also to stand the best chance of securing employment. English is also the international business language and the fact that Ireland is now home to major European operations of such international giants as Microsoft and Apple means that there are opportunities aplenty for English speaking qualified individuals.
Please note that the traditional Irish language is Gaelic and if you have children you would like to integrate into the Irish education system they will likely learn this language as part of their overall studies.
With unemployment standing at around 4.7% currently the Irish government have succeeded in successfully turning their labour force around from disillusioned and without opportunity to well educated and entrepreneurial. If you’re interested in working in Ireland you will benefit from a whole host of employment opportunities particularly in the IT, engineering, media and tourist industries.
Dublin is the employment hub of Ireland. It is Ireland’s capital city and it has been named as one of the best cities in which to live in the world with the whole of Ireland placed by ‘The Economist’ magazine as top in a 2005 survey of the best countries in the world in which to live. Because the country has transformed its economy, attracted massive inward investment and international employers, it has a strong and free political system and promotes family values and places great emphasis on quality of life it is truly one of the best places in the world to live and prosper.
In terms of physically finding a job in Ireland there are many ways to approach the task and a lot will of course depend on the type of work you’re interested in. If you’re aged between 18 and 30 and you would like to take some time out to explore Ireland and maybe work casually you can apply for a Working Holiday Visa. This is currently proving a particularly attractive visa type for Australian and New Zealand citizens. Restrictions of the visa maintain that the holder of one cannot work for more than three months for any one employer so it encourages the holder to work casually. There are many employment agencies in the country that can help you find this type of work - from temping in an office to working in agriculture.
If you’re interested in working for one of the international employers, for example in the IT industry, and you have relevant qualifications and experience you can directly apply to their head or regional offices for a suitable position. Some employers are relocating staff to work in their Irish offices and if you’re being relocated you have a great opportunity ahead of you. If you’re seeking work independently you can examine the Irish newspapers for vacancies, you can submit your CV to employment agencies and you can go online to any one of a number of specific job sites such as Monster or JobServe and trawl for suitable vacancies.
There are many job vacancies in Ireland, it is now truly a land of opportunity with far more immigrants than emigrants. The local and international companies based in the country are expanding and more and more companies are flowing in to join the ranks of the eight hundred or so multinational corporations in Dublin alone.
To live and work in such a prosperous and beautiful country is to live and work in one of the best places in the world, and that is why Ireland is now such a popular destination for expatriates.
