The Irish economy has recovered very well after the 2008 crisis and the bursting of the real estate bubble. Today, the country’s GDP per capita ranks fifth in the world and is growing at 4.5% per year with an unemployment rate of 5%, which means full employment. With its very advantageous tax system, Ireland attracts many international IT companies that have their headquarters here for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) market. There are many foreigners considering working in Ireland.
The companies of IT employ over 100,000 people and the sector is constantly expanding, so much so that Ireland is referred to as the “European capital of the Internet”. The country is also one of the world’s leading exporters of software and other copyrighted products, such as music and computer programs.
Working in Ireland
To work in Ireland, you must know English. I don’t rule out the possibility that you can find work as a kitchen porter, cleaner, or dog walker without knowing English, but it won’t be easy. For these jobs you can see for example, the Mindme website or the Petsittersireland agency.
With bad English, you have some chances even in some factories or restaurant kitchens, but you will have to fight. Finding this kind of jobs from abroad is practically impossible. There are people who already live in Ireland and are willing to take these jobs, so you do not have to wait for someone who is still abroad.
My advice for those who want to move to Ireland without knowing the language is to study English for a few months before leaving. Even better is to sign up for an English course in Ireland – accommodation is usually provided by the school. This way you can kill two birds with one stone: you have solved the housing problem and you can live with an Irish family and practice English. In the meantime, you can pass on your CV to a recruitment agency.
Another aspect that should not be underestimated is the relationship that can be built with homeowners who could take you in after you complete the course. At least until you find a place to live. When I had this experience at the time, I built such a good relationship with my landlord that we are still in contact today and I stay with him every time I go to Dublin.
Working in Ireland, visas
EU citizens and EEA citizens (Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein) do not need a visa to work in Ireland.
Non-EU citizens require a visa to work in Ireland. To travel and work in Ireland, you must apply for a work visa. Generally, you must apply for a work visa before traveling to Ireland. You can apply for a work visa if you have received a job offer (sponsor).
There are different types of work visa the most popular are:
–General work visa
You can apply for a General work visa if your work:
- has a salary of at least €30,000 per year
- is not an occupation that is on the list of ineligible occupations
- is a company where more than half of the employees are from outside the EEA
–Critical skills visa
Critical Skills visa is for skilled workers qualified in occupations where there is a shortage in Ireland. You can apply for a Critical skills visa if your work is:
- paid at least €32,000 per year and is on the Critical Skills Occupation List
- paid at least €64,000 per year and is not on the List of ineligible occupations
–WHS
Working holiday visa allows you to go to Ireland to work for a specified period of time (usually 1 or 2 years) and is only available to applicants who are under 35 years of age.
- Argentina
- Australia
- Canada
- Chile
- Hong Kong
- Japan
- New Zealand
- South Korea
- Taiwan
- USA
–Internship visa
Internship visa, is for non-EU students who can apply for a visa to do an internship in Ireland if:
- the internship must be a requirement for your course of study
- the salary must be equivalent to the minimum wage
- the activity must be on the list of critical skills occupations
- the visa is valid for a maximum of 12 months
Work in Ireland useful resources
- INOU, (Irish National Organization of the Unemployed), which you can contact for job search, information and assistance
- Irish government website, you can find job search tips and other information
- Guide to Employment, Labour and Equality Law, a short guide
- Guide For MigrantJobseekers in Ireland, very useful guide
In Ireland there is a minimum wage, set by law, (€ 2,146 year 2024)
Technology companies in Ireland
Below I list the main companies in the sector IT in Ireland, where you can find vacancies not only in the field IT, but also in the areas of commerce, law, finance, marketing and customer service.
- Google, the headquarters og Google for the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) is located in Ireland
- Facebook, has its European headquarters in Ireland
- LinkedIn, the LinkedIn office in Dublin is very important
- Amazon, has two offices in Ireland: Amazon Data Services which provides technology support for Amazon’s websites and Amazon CS Ireland Ltd based in Cork, which provides customer support
- PayPal, has two offices in Ireland. Dublin and Dundalk
- eBay, the online auction giant has one of its European offices in Dublin
- Airbnb, the most popular online rental site, has one of its European offices in Dublin
- Yahoo, (Oath group), office in Dublin
- Microsoft, has more than 1,200 employees in its Dublin office
- Apple, currently employs more than 5,000 people in Cork
- Twitter, has its EMEA headquarters in Dublin
- IBM, currently employs more than 3,000 people in Ireland
- Oracle, is one of the largest software companies in the world.It has three offices in Ireland: Dublin, Galway and Ballybrit
- Intel, employs over 4,000 people in Ireland
- Dell, has 2,500 employees in Ireland in 3 locations: Dublin, Limerick and Cork
Work in Ireland, most in-demand jobs
Below I list the sectors that currently provide the greatest employment opportunities in Ireland:
- Finance: Accountants, Financial Advisors, etc. Ireland is one of the major financial service providers in the European Union, and there are hundreds of international financial institutions in the country
- Engineering: Chemical engineers, electrical engineers, biomedical engineers. In the last year, biotechnology and new medical devices has been the fastest growing sector with several new companies
- Marketing: all companies in Ireland are looking to increase their online presence and market share. More traditional industries such as food, financial services and pharmaceuticals are also looking for skilled workers
- Information technology: app developers, software developers, programmers, etc. The technology sector is growing strongly in Ireland as the number of companies in Ireland increases
- Health and pharmaceuticals: doctors, nurses, pharmacists. The pharmaceutical industry is developing rapidly in Ireland
- Language jobs: the large presence of international companies requires people with language skills (customer service, HR, finance, commerce, etc.) in both European and Asian languages
- Hospitality industry: cooks, pizza makers, receptionists, waiters, etc. Every year many tourists and students come to the island and the demand for workers in the hospitality industry is always high
Your resume must not be written according to the Euro Pass template, which is not appreciated in Ireland, but you must write it according to the Anglo-Saxon template.
Working in Ireland, job serch
For your job search in Ireland you can use these ways:
1. Linkedin, excellent job search
2. Eures, the European mobility website
3. Intreo, a government managed service, useful information
4. Direct search: a good way to search for a job is to drop off your resume in person at bars, restaurants, stores, etc. or mail it to large companies. I recommend that you apply even if you do not see any openings at the moment, because if you have good skills, it is possible that you will get an interview. To search for companies, you can use the following:
- Europages, you can select the sector you want
- Kompass, you can check the companies operating in Ireland
- It may be useful to contact professional associations and organizations for useful advice and information about the world of work
5. Job search websites
- Jobs.ie, the most popular job search website
- Irishjob, popular website
- Jobsireland, job search website
- Acca, job search website
- Gumtree, classifieds website
- Jobbio, job search website
- Recruit Ireland, job search website
- Caterer, vacancies in the hospitality industry
6. Recruitment agencies
- Abrivia, recruitment agency in Dublin
- Monster, international recruitment agency
- Approach People Recruitment, international and multilingual jobs
- Manpower, international recruitment agency
- Action Recruitment, hospitality jobs
- Prosperity, recruitment agency
- Sigmar Recruitment, recruitment agency
- The People Group, sales and marketing job offers
7. Job fairs
- Jobsexpo, job fairs held in Dublin, Cork and Galway are an opportunity not to be underestimated. They are usually held in the spring, and the occupations most in demand are: Engineering, Trade, Healthcare, Construction and IT
Working in Ireland, conclusion
Ireland offers you the opportunity to look for work from your country, provided you have the right skills and speak English well.
Wages in Ireland vary widely and for unskilled jobs they seem attractive, but keep in mind that rent and living costs are generally very high. If you live alone, you will never be able to rent a flat, but will have to live in a shared flat. This is an aspect that you must take into account depending on your expectations.
If you are an unskilled worker, you can easily find a job in Dublin, but you can only survive and no more. This is because the cost of living is high. With a salary of €1700 per month (which is about the minimum wage), you will have to pay transportation costs (about €100-150 per month), rent (€700/800), health insurance (€100), and food (€300 on average). And these are just the basic expenses.
On the other hand, qualified workers can earn a lot of money.
If you really like Ireland and you have good skills, I recommend you to move to this country.
If you are an unskilled worker and you do not fall in love with Ireland, I advise you to consider other destinations. France or Spain, for example.
