HOW TO FIND A JOB IN IRELAND

Ireland – a state in the north of Europe, occupying most of the island with the same name, located next to Britain, and bordered by Northern Ireland. The country has a comfortable climate, stunning nature, exquisite cuisine and long historical traditions. The population of Ireland in 2024 is about 5.1 million people. Two official languages are used – mainstream English and Irish, which is spoken by a much smaller proportion of locals.

Working in Ireland for foreigners in 2024 is a good opportunity to move to a developed European country with a high standard of living and a modern economy. Ireland was hit hard enough by the global financial crisis of 2008. Nevertheless, thanks to the effective reforms of the government and loans from international financial institutions, the economy of the country has been growing steadily since 2015.

Work in Ireland

For example, in recent years Ireland's GDP has been growing faster than in other countries of the European Union. Unemployment is maintained at the level of 4–5%. Jobs in Ireland for foreigners are mostly available for highly qualified specialists. About how to find a job in Ireland in 2024, the requirements to workers from abroad, and also vacancies and salaries, we will discuss further in the article.

How to go to work in Ireland

At present the labor force of Ireland consists of foreign specialists by an average of 10%. In contrast to the Irish and Europeans, third-country nationals must obtain a work permit in order to be employed in Ireland. The main problem is to find an employer who will agree to sign a labor contract with an applicant from abroad.

The local government is interested in attracting the most sought-after personnel for the Irish economy, mostly experienced skilled specialists. There are 9 types of work permits in Ireland for this purpose.

Types of work permits in Ireland

Since October 2014 certain adjustments have been made in Irish legislation regarding the employment of foreigners, for example, the Green Card program has been cancelled. Let's take a closer look at the main variants of valid work permits for foreigners.

  1. General Employment Permit. Issued to foreign workers under two basic conditions:

    • Test in the labor market. That is a check that the job position is not claimed by locals and citizens of CES (Common Economic Space), for this purpose information about the vacancy is placed in the employment service (for at least 2 weeks), local newspapers and job websites (for at least 3 days).
    • The level of annual salary must be at least 30 thousand euros per year. In rare cases a lesser amount is allowed.
  2. Critical Skills Employment Permit. Does not require a labour market test and is available for all types of jobs. The main requirement is a salary of at least 60,000 euros per year. For especially valuable specialists an annual salary of 30,000 Euros is allowed.

  3. Work permit for family members of foreign worker. This refers to spouses, partners and dependants of a foreigner with official employment in Ireland (special skills and researchers). There is no labor market test.

  4. Reactivation Employment Permit. This allows foreign nationals who already had a work permit in Ireland in the past but due to certain circumstances lost the right to it (usually through no fault of their own) to work again.

The remaining 5 types of work permits in Ireland are used much less frequently than those listed above, for example:

  • internships for foreign students;

  • employment of executives in branches of foreign companies in Ireland;

  • work in support of cultural and sporting events;

  • exchange programs for academics and researchers;

  • temporary work to provide services in Ireland by foreign companies.

The employment procedure in Ireland is conducted in close cooperation with the Irish Consulate in the immigrant's country and the employer. The work permit is issued by the local Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation.

The cost of the document for a period of employment up to six months is 500 euros, and up to two years – 1000 euros. Initially the work permit is issued for a maximum period of 2 years, with the right to extend up to 5 years. After that it is possible to obtain permanent residence and later citizenship of Ireland.

You can read more about the legal requirements and work permits in Ireland on the official Irish portal – citizensinformation.ie.

How to find a job in Ireland. Search for a job without intermediaries.

A successful job search in Ireland for foreigners requires a thorough analysis of the local labor market and a sober assessment of your chances for employment. First of all, it concerns your knowledge of English at a good level. Jobs in Ireland without knowledge of the language are practically inaccessible.

How to find a job in Ireland

Further, qualification, skills and experience of a foreign specialist are of great importance. After all, you will have to compete with a lot of applicants from Europe and beyond. With few exceptions, work permits in Ireland are not issued for some types of professions. You can check the recognition of a foreign diploma with the help of the Irish website qqi.ie.

When looking for a job in Ireland it is important to hear from acquaintances and relatives who have experience of employment in this country, as well as personal contacts with locals. In the case of applying to recruitment agencies it is best to use the services of Irish specialized companies. The resource nrf.ie can help with this. Next, consider the options for finding a job in Ireland on your own. The most accessible way is the Internet.

Popular job search sites in Ireland

gradireland.com

careerjet.ie

ie.indeed.com

learn4good.com

Irish Newspaper Websites

independent.ie

irishtimes.com

businesspost.ie

Actively use social media, including professional networks (Linkedin), and contact Irish companies directly, very often it brings unexpectedly positive results.

Jobs and wages in Ireland

Jobs and wages in Ireland

The average wage in Ireland in 2024 is about 2,965 euros per month after tax. This is quite high in the European Union, for example, comparable to Germany and Austria. The official minimum wage in Ireland as of January 1, 2024 is €12.70 per hour, and for young professionals:

  • Under 18 years of age – €8.89 per hour

  • 18 years old – €10.16 per hour

  • 19 years old – €11.43 per hour

Concerning popular and accessible vacancies in Ireland in 2024 in order not to waste time on searching for a job the first thing you should familiarize yourself with the list of professions for which the permission to work is practically unreal.

For example, there are some categories of medical professions – dental technicians, speech therapists, therapists, also social workers, secretaries, carpenters, nannies, cooks and so on. In addition, the significant decline in industrial production makes it difficult for engineers and craftspeople to find work in Ireland.

The most sought-after professionals in Ireland are IT specialists, highly skilled doctors, financiers, academics, business and financial analysts, sales, transportation and logistics managers. It is worth paying attention to large Irish companies such as Accenture, Seagate Technology, Eaton.

Unfortunately, foreigners from third countries often seek employment in Ireland in the field of unskilled labor. However, it is difficult to find such work in this country, especially officially. There are enough countries in Europe where specialists of different professions are required, including those that do not require any special qualifications and skills.

Comments  

# Samuel Ahiabu 2023-06-05 08:55
I need a job in Ireland, I have 5years experience as Territory Sales Supervisor in agro-processing and Multinational company. My current company is one of the award winning companies in Ghana from the Chartered Institute of Marketing-Ghana. I have successful worked in developing my team, territory and partners in sustainable business. I also merged as 2nd best Territory Supervisor in 2020. I will be glab to continue my career in sales and marketing industry where my expertise would be put immensely for achieving any organisation's objectives and also be an environment to learn.
I have acquired, Higher National Diploma from Ho Technical University-Ghana
Currently studying Diploma in Professional Marketing.
From the Chartered Institute of Marketing-UK Level 6
Bsc in Marketing from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology- Ghana.
Reply | Reply with quote | Quote
© 2020–2024 WageCentre.com. All Rights Reserved.