Is it possible to find work in Ireland?

MontgomeryClift

If you have a Masters and you've tried all the jobs ads in the papers, all the recruitment sites (irishjobs.ie - no response even!) and you're tired hearing that "there might be a job going there", what next?

If you want to teach at 2nd level but the first thing you need is experience and you've given your CV to schools but temporary work is only given to sons and daughters of teachers at the school, what then?

If you've applied for postgraduate research and been told that there should be a position coming up soon, but you hear no more from the university, what then?

If you're tired of applying for jobs for which you are qualified only to get passed over for interview, so you know that there were no interviews and they just had someone lined up for the job from day one; would you not begin to think that you are not allowed a job because you do not know anybody who can pull the strings that need to be pulled?

Is employment in Ireland a myth?

AARRRGH

Do you have a Visa to work in Ireland?

And yes, Irishjobs.ie is mostly recruitment agencies (the jobs don't actually exist.)

whiskeyman

MontgomeryClift wrote:

Is employment in Ireland a myth?

Sssssssshhhh!!!
Keep it down!!
Don't let our bosses find out...

You obviously have been burnt many times before and seem unlucky.
Whats your area/industry?
Perhaps the market here isnt big enough for your ideal line of work.

homeOwner

MontgomeryClift wrote:

If you want to teach at 2nd level but the first thing you need is experience and you've given your CV to schools but temporary work is only given to sons and daughters of teachers at the school, what then?

If you want to teach at 2nd level, you go to one of the Unis and do a HDip in Education. Part of the program involves getting some part time work in a school - alot of schools give the students teaching hours. I would imagine this would be more successful than simply contacting schools looking for hours without being enrolled in the HDip.

You could try applying to your old secondary school for some hours.
You seem to have had a run of bad luck - What is your Masters degree in?

Good luck.

MontgomeryClift

My qualifications are in IT!

I tried applying to my old school and other schools; and I applied for the HDip, but you need classroom experience to do that. Maybe they just give classroom experience to girls because they think temporary male teachers could turn out to be rapists, or something, and they school would be responsible for hiring them?

AARRRGH

???

IT isn't quite a suitable qualification for being a teacher...

Just stay away from the recruitment agencies and you'll save yourself a lot of hassle.

Where did you do your degree?

TempestSabre

MontgomeryClift wrote:

...Is employment in Ireland a myth?

Unemployment is the lowest its ever been.

However getting the exact job you want is always hard, and getting jobs in 3rd level (dunno abut 2nd) is hard because everyone wants to do that. Why don't you get some IT experience elsewhere, that involves some training/teaching and once you have that under your belt have another crack at it. At the same time get involved in some of the clubs/organisation where you'll get to know the right people and do some networking.

Crucifix

MontgomeryClift wrote:

My qualifications are in IT!

I once had an IT consultant come in and teach my class history as a sub, and he was one of the all round best teachers I've ever had.

jank

I tried applying to my old school and other schools; and I applied for the HDip, but you need classroom experience to do that.

Eh no you dont. Its a college course that gives you class room experience.
However you have to apply and any work with young people is always an advantage!

There should be a big drive for male teachers in the next few years as only 25% of teachers are male.

lizzyrocker

MontgomeryClift wrote:

My qualifications are in IT!

I hear ya, you are not alone believe me, there's many young people just like you here that have never been given a chance, despite all the hard work obtaining the relevant qualifications.

(Slightly off subject but here's my story - but it is relevant!) Did my degree in IT a few years ago, did well even couldn't get an interview for a graduate job. Was recommended by everybody to do a IT masters to get a job, so I did, still couldn't get work. Eventually got an "internship" with one of the big IT companies as part of the national ICT placement programme they do every year to give IT graduates a chance apparently. Did the one year internship with regards to being made permenant, then was told I couldn't be made permenant at the end of it due to a hiring freeze, so they offered me contracting instead (on a low rate of money) until the situation "improves" . So spent almost a year contacting now (with no holidays, benefits and on crap money - am in debt now) waiting for a permenant position. then I was informed in the last few weeks that our overall "Department strategy from headquarters " was to reduce team size and overheads in the long term, thereby meaning I'd never get permenant.

Sorry I don't mean to rant, but I'm there's plenty of people just like you, and its not your fault. Anyway I just handed in my notice yesterday for leaving my IT job, I've had had enough of being treated like s**t, like yourself and countless others, I'm looking elsewhere these days.

I'm guessing you're another person trying to get out of IT, well join the club. Its a terrible industry to be in. More and more jobs getting outsourced to cheaper countries in eastern europe and asia ever day (which we can't compete against on price, competivity etc), it means that more and more people here are applying for less and less jobs, therefore driving the standards up and up (to the point that job specs are so experience specific these days, its next to impossible to get a job outside your own company - In IT anyway ). Not to mention what free 3rd level educatation has done for us, now nearly every young person has some sort of 3rd level qualification, there is no competetive advantage for having a qualification (its purpose) these days as everyone else already has one. All it has done is raise the standards significantly for getting the same old s**t jobs - its a total waste.

Anyway I wish you well getting another job,I hope it works out for you! I myself am concentrating on getting any permenant job in the public sector (civil service, garda etc) and have given myself until the middle of next year to try to get something, if not I'm going to head to the UK, I'm not going to lie around here arseing about on the dole feeling sorry for myself, there's much better chance of getting a job over there due to the larger economies of scale (a few of my friends went over there over the last few years, they seem to be doing pretty well). And lets nots forget that a lesser proportion of people will have a postgraduate qualification due to the fact that they have a fee paying system. I recently read that they are crying out for teachers over there, is it true?, maybe you should research the job situation over there in that regards?

jank

Yes the Uk are crying out for teachers but doesnt mean that you will walk into a Job.

Its a fairly harsh assesment lizzyrocker but based on your personal experience its no surprising. I myself have just graduated with a M.Sc this year and have 2 IT related jobs. Left one for the other cause of the better expereicnce. And all seems well so far, there seems to be good oppertunities.

You have to look around and not settle for something you are not happy with.
Public sector seems the way to go these days but competition is fierce and the rosey days of overtime and a job for life are numberered.

lizzyrocker

jank wrote:

I myself have just graduated with a M.Sc this year and have 2 IT related jobs. Left one for the other cause of the better expereicnce. And all seems well so far, there seems to be good oppertunities.

Good for you, I've gotten stuck in a niche area due to the internship experience I was doing (localisation), and its v. difficult to another job in that area due to them being so experience specific, and even harder still to get into another area such as software development from it, its one of the problems with doing IT.


tbh I don't think I'm being overly harsh, if you seen the amount of teams I have seen relocated to cheaper countries since i joined, you'd have a fairly bleak outlook on the state of the industry too.

Anyway its just my opinion, but the fact remains the many young people in many lines of work here in Ireland aren't able to get their foot on the ladder after they finish 3rd level, as they cannot compete with people applying for these jobs with experience, I wonder if the young will start emigrating in large numbers again?

wes

Hmmm, I had some trouble finding a job in IT during the summer, but my impression is that is the worse time of the year to look. I find the assesment above odd, I found a job easy enough in September (i had calls for 2 or 3 interviews after I took one). I have recently been offered another position with a big IT company with good money. I am not a genius or anything and am doing well for myself. Also most people in my class have jobs, the only ones who don't are those who didn't try so hard to look. One of the lads I know found a job within 2 weeks recently, the jobs are out there. Sometimes luck plays into it it seems.

homeOwner

MontgomeryClift wrote:

My qualifications are in IT!
I tried applying to my old school and other schools; and I applied for the HDip, but you need classroom experience to do that.

Eh no you dont. You have obviously done no research on this at all.

MontgomeryClift wrote:

Maybe they just give classroom experience to girls because they think temporary male teachers could turn out to be rapists, or something, and they school would be responsible for hiring them?

That you even mentioned this is a sign of immaturity. Schools are crying out for male teachers. Everyone who is hired to work with children has a background check done by the guards. You sign a form to allow them do this before you are allowed to work. To say that you are not getting work because of this tells me all I need to know about why you are finding it difficult to get a job.

Instead of complaining, why dont you do what the other recent grads who replied to your post here have done. i.e. get off your @rse, do some proper research into the field you want to go into and start contacting companies. Oh and grow up while you're at it.

mountainyman

[QUOTE=... if you seen the amount of teams I have seen relocated to cheaper countries since i joined, you'd have a fairly bleak outlook on the state of the industry too... [/QUOTE]

That's why we could do localisation; in the past we were cheap.

Lionbridge
Transware
Simultrans
McAfee

All these companies will bly proba be out of Ireland in 2 years.

Lizzy I am glad that you left localisation don't go back.

Can you transition out of it into something else PM maybe, or development even testing has some opportunities.

you need to fake a CV get 2 fake references and get like you are the **** out of localisation.

Reskill Reskill Reskill remember you have to compete with Wai Yip in Beijing and Pinky in Bombay.


There is also Accenture what a sh1thole and what a bunch of scumbags but it is well respected by employers.

To the original poster, I find it hard to be sympathetic because based on what you said about 2nd level teaching you haven't even tried to find out what the reality is. So with how much clarity have you been looking.

The new tax year is coming up you won't need a P45 so polish those CVs and puff your way into a dream job.



Remember a CV is just an Ad like a job description.

IF JOB DESCRIPTIONS DON'T HAVE TO BE ACCURATE NEITHER DO CVS EMPLOYERS CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS.

MM

MontgomeryClift

Thanks for the advice. lizzyrocker's story is quite familiar to me.

And yes, you do need experience to do the HDip. It doesn't state as much as an application requirement, but you simply will not be accepted onto the course without teaching experience, such is the level of demand. I applied and failed to get a place and the reason given when I enquired was a lack of experience i.e. none. I thought being male would help but obviously it didn't. I get the feeling that this "lack of male teachers" is all talk and the authorities are happy enough to keep it as a female profession.

I see people who are less qualified and less able than myself are well paid for giving computer classes locally, yet I never see those jobs advertised. Then again, why should they advertise when they can keep it between themselves? It's this back-stairs system and the lack of opennes that annoys me the most.

leeroybrown

MontgomeryClift wrote:

And yes, you do need experience to do the HDip. It doesn't state as much as an application requirement, but you simply will not be accepted onto the course without teaching experience, such is the level of demand. I applied and failed to get a place and the reason given when I enquired was a lack of experience i.e. none. I thought being male would help but obviously it didn't. I get the feeling that this "lack of male teachers" is all talk and the authorities are happy enough to keep it as a female profession.

I know of plenty of people who had absolutely no problem getting into the HDip despite not having any teaching experience whatsoever. Most had decent degree results (Arts, Eng, IT,...) with knoweldge of subjects that were suitable. If you're being told that your lack of teaching experience is preventing you from getting in then you need to look at the criteria and see where else you seem to be falling down.

I see people who are less qualified and less able than myself are well paid for giving computer classes locally, yet I never see those jobs advertised. Then again, why should they advertise when they can keep it between themselves? It's this back-stairs system and the lack of opennes that annoys me the most.

Most people prefer to pay someone they can trust (a reference from a known third party is enough) to do a reasonable job. My last two jobs have been gotten through being known or recommended to the employer.

MontgomeryClift

leeroybrown wrote:

Most people prefer to pay someone they can trust (a reference from a known third party is enough) to do a reasonable job. My last two jobs have been gotten through being known or recommended to the employer.

Exactly! It's all about who you know. That drives me mad.

If a lack of experience is not the reason for being turned down of the HDip then it must be the subject: Computers. We can add that to the list of reasons not to get involved in IT. I also enquired as to whether a postgraduate in some other subject, like an MPhil in a branch of literature would enable me to do the HDip and teach English. It wouldn't.

MrSinn

Are you looking for work in a remote area or a city?

leeroybrown

MontgomeryClift wrote:

Exactly! It's all about who you know. That drives me mad.

As a corollary to this, one of those employers also hired a sizable number of people without prior knowledge of them. Almost all employers are willing to hire anyone they feel can do a good job but if they think they can trust a particular person to do a job then they're well within their rights. In most cases theres very little subterfuge involved. I've lost out on a position because of this in the past and I've got no problem with it - I'd have done exactly the same in their situation.

MontgomeryClift wrote:

If a lack of experience is not the reason for being turned down of the HDip then it must be the subject: Computers. We can add that to the list of reasons not to get involved in IT.

What kind of IT qualifications do you have? I think I'm seeing a possible difference between your case and the people I know. The people I know and know of would all have completed a university degree where the level of scientific education (maths, maths physics, physics, chemistry, biology,...) would have been quite high. These would have been a very strong factor in proving the candidates well qualified to teach these subjects.

MontgomeryClift

The degree in Computer Science and the Masters is in a more specific branch of computing, and I can see your point as to how this might stop me from teaching. It's an engineering degree really, and does not qualify me to teach mathematics, which should tell you something.

nesf

There's a difference between being "exposed to maths" and actually studying it. Most Comp Sci grads (that I've known) weren't exposed to anywhere close to the level of maths that they prefer teachers to have. If you are constantly working in maths, for example Elec Eng or Physics, then yeah you will qualify to teach maths. If you just took 5 credits of Stats a year, then probably no tbh.