Working in Ireland: preparing your application and your move

Finding job adverts that are genuinely based in Ireland

Start with Irish job portals, including JobsIreland, the public service attached to the relevant government department, then add the careers pages of companies established in the country. For each advert, note the town, the exact site, whether the work is on site or remote, and the legal entity that is hiring. These three details separate a job based in Ireland from a recruitment run from another country.

Multinationals often post the same role in several countries with almost identical wording. Read the section on place of work and, if it is missing, ask in writing before you prepare a full application. This precaution avoids spending a week on an application aimed at a different time zone.

Your CV in English: achievements, a problem solved, cooperation

An Irish recruiter reads quickly and expects facts. For each job you have held, write two or three lines saying what you did, with what resources and with what result. Avoid translating a CV from another country word for word: a photo, detailed personal data and overly academic descriptions are rarely useful here and take up the space needed for achievements.

Prepare also three examples told in English: a result you are proud of, a problem you solved despite an obstacle, and a situation where you cooperated with colleagues from different trades. These stories serve for the behavioural interview, which is very common. They must contain details you can expand on without hesitation, and without embellishment.

• an example of a personal achievement
• a difficulty and how you handled it
• a work situation involving other teams
• a lesson learned from a mistake

Employment permits and the right to work, depending on your nationality

Your situation depends on your nationality, the nature of the job and the pay offered. Some candidates can work without any special authorisation, while others need a permit applied for by the employer or by themselves. Official information is available from the Irish department responsible for enterprise, which publishes the conditions for employment permits, and from Citizens Information.

Do not rely on forums or messages from intermediaries to settle the question. Ask the employer whether it is used to recruiting from abroad, whether it submits the application itself and at what stage of the procedure. Keep every reply in writing: they will help if the timetable slips or if the terms of the job change before you sign.

Housing: start from the work address and the budget available

Housing is often the most practical difficulty of arriving in the larger Irish cities. Search starting from the real work address, the commute you can accept and the transport you can use, rather than from a neighbourhood known by reputation. A well-placed room is sometimes better than a flat that is far away and poorly served.

Plan a temporary solution for the first weeks, then view properties before paying anything. Fake rental adverts exist everywhere: refuse any payment for a property you have not seen or that nobody can show you, even remotely by video. Ask for the landlord’s name and the written terms of the deposit.

Working out the real cost of your first weeks

An advertised salary is not enough to build a budget. Add up temporary housing, the deposit, the first month’s rent, transport, health insurance if needed, opening a bank account and your initial purchases. Then add the delay before the first payment, which can exceed a month depending on the employer’s pay cycle.

Ask the company whether it offers an advance, relocation help or initial accommodation, and on what conditions. Partial support may have to be repaid if you leave quickly, so read the clause before accepting. Finally, keep a margin for an unexpected return trip if the contract falls through.

Remote interviews with a Dublin company: points to watch

Many first conversations take place by video call, sometimes with a recruiter and then a hiring manager. Test your connection, choose a quiet place and prepare a three-minute summary of your career in English. Keep your examples in front of you, without reading them out. Irish accents can be surprising; ask people to repeat rather than answer off the point.

Prepare questions about how the job works: team, tools, evaluation, training, office attendance. Ask also about the next steps and when you can expect an answer. A company that answers these points clearly gives you a preview of how it will welcome new employees coming from elsewhere.

Written offer, contract and the gap before your first pay

Before you resign or book a ticket, insist on a written offer stating the employer, the place of work, the start date, the pay, the length of the contract and any probation period. If the hire depends on an authorisation, the letter should say so and say who handles the procedure. A verbal promise protects nobody.

Then compare the clauses with the information from the official Irish bodies on employees’ rights. If a condition looks strange, such as an unexplained deduction from pay or a disproportionate repayment obligation, ask for a written clarification before signing. This time spent checking is the best investment in the whole process.

Your first month on the ground: formalities to keep in mind

On arrival, several formalities follow one another: obtaining the identification numbers needed to be paid and declared, opening a bank account, arranging whatever is required for health cover and giving your address to the employer. The precise rules and their order should be checked with the Irish authorities, because they change and depend on your status.

Keep a folder with your identity papers, contract, payslips and proof of address. These documents are needed for almost every procedure. If the employer has promised help, note the people to contact. In case of difficulty, the Irish public information services can direct you free of charge to the right body.