finding it difficult to get decent work in ireland

iguana2005

am jsut badk from abroad after 5 years where i left a management job and good pay. left for personal reasons to return home.

am finding it very difficult to get into a similar type job here - actually impossible. am back working for my original employers which is great but realising now i will go no further. have put my cv into bigger companies but to no avail. have even tried cold calling and no response. i feel jobs in ireland are very mush who you know.

Yes i know its a recession but was the original reasong for me leaving 6 years ago. im a great worker, hold diploma, massive personality and well capable. because of this will return to australis next year and am confident that within a year i will be working in a better job again. and i knw of many people in australia who are in great jobs that they would have never come across in ireland.

anyone else feel similar? its very frustrating. most of my friends are working in hospital admin so are looked after permanent/pay/maternity etc..and have no idea of how hard it is to get jobs and do well out of that scene!

MysticalRain

I'm in the exact same position. I had decided to leave Ireland for good, but unfortunately I had to return for personal reasons. All I can say is keep trying. I don't thing there is anything more you can do really.

SIX PACK

their is 1000's of us in the same boat im a qualified Civil Engineer with 4 years site experience cant get a job in Ireland or Uk. i would crack up only for the woman she keeps me sane lol:rolleyes:

miec

Ditto here as well, just keep trying is all I can say and maybe have a moan here from time to time. Maybe we should have a jobseekers rant forum

NOGMaxpower

Typically Oct Nov Dec Jane & Feb are the worst months to be looking for work. In some cases you can find contract work but only short term in IT and or Finance. All other industries are near impossible to get into.

MagicMarker

OP, you should be delighted you even have a job in fairness.

mood

I am job hunting and have been told 100 - 200 people are applying for jobs! Things are very difficult. At least you have a job.

DanGlee

Definiately enjoy the fact you have a job mate!

I was let go in March from a good IT jobs in big company, was there for over 5 years, have a Masters in Computing and not a sight of a job anywhere!

Its bad times and unfortunately I can't just get up and leave as I have a 5 month old child... so do, really count yourself lucky to be getting more than €204 a week!!!

For the rest of us... we just have boards all day, everyday I would crack up without the Internet / Boards / Facebook / twitter :rolleyes:


DG.

Caoimhín

Without knowing any of your professions it is difficult to say but have any of you considered starting your own business?

There are lots of incentives such as getting the past few years income tax back if you start a limited company, enterprise Ireland grants, back to work SW allowances. Getting funding of the banks isn't that difficult if you have a solid business plan and a good credit history.

The business does not necessarily have to be in your chosen profession either and there are lots of similar people in your position who might love to join up with you for a venture.

Just a thought.

kittenkiller

What would make you so different to everyone else suffering during the recession OP?
There are thousands of people looking for anything out there.
Anyone lucky enough to have a job needs to count their lucky stars and do what they can to hold onto them!

Why wait to move back to Oz?
If you feel you'd be better off over there, head back there.

KetchupKid

I'm in the same boat too!! I have degrees, diplomas and years of great experience. I have seen jobs advertised that looked as if the job was made for me, say the job was looking for 10 skills and I'd have 9 or 10 and it's unlikely that anyone else would even have 6-7 of these skills. But despite that I typically don't even receive replies. Are these fake jobs or possibly already filled before advertising?

After being out of work for 4 months now, I'm tired of working for someone else and now also looking to start my own business. The only problem is I don't know what business to start, I have limited capital and during a recession isn't the best time to start a business.

Any business suggestions??

artful_codger

KetchupKid wrote: »

Any business suggestions??

open a franchise, there are so many opportunities outside of Dublin, but i suspect it's much more difficult than just going to Pizza Hut and the Bank head offices and saying you want to open a franchise But still, smaller towns across ireland are crying out for places like Subway, Pizza Hut, Dominos etc. In the town where i live (Portarlington in Laois, pop. 6,000) there's at least four Chinese takeaways, two indian takeaways and a chipper. What i wouldn't give for a Mexican restaurant or a Steakhouse, or a nice Snooker hall, or for someone to re-open the old Savoy Cinema. Most people don't live in Dublin city, yet they have to go there for things like this.

edit: i'd even like to see a sticky in this forum where people can post suggestions for businesses in their town, and why they think it'd work, and let the entrepreneurs out there see what opportunities are out there.

kittenkiller

I'd try to get into private debt recovery if I was to start into a new industry.
It's going to boom in the next few years.

KetchupKid

artful_codger wrote: »

open a franchise, there are so many opportunities outside of Dublin, but i suspect it's much more difficult than just going to Pizza Hut and the Bank head offices and saying you want to open a franchise But still, smaller towns across ireland are crying out for places like Subway, Pizza Hut, Dominos etc.

A restaurant is something I was thinking about, but not a franchise. I actually hate most of those franchise fast-food places, although I agree in some places there is a need, but many other parts of the country there are too many of these places, Subway seems to be everywhere now and I don' very t think they are very good and many of them don't seem to be doing too well. I was talking to a man who delivers bread to the likes of Tesco and Dunnes and he said their business is booming recently, since people aren't going out to eat as much and bringing sambos to work.

My wife and I are both great cooks and we've thought about the restaurant idea and although we are both educated with loads of management and business experience, other than when we were students, neither of us have any real restaurant experience.

There such a huge mark-up in the restaurant business, it's seems lucrative, but most of them always seem to fail. I know there's a lot of overhead involved but with the right formula it could work. I'd like to start a restaurant with good portions of great quality home cooked meals and a reasonable price, but low prices would actually keep many away. It seems that people only seem to like the high priced poor portions and poor quality pretentious meals. Maybe with the collapse of the Celtic Tiger, the yuppies will revert back to normal people and something like this would have a chance. I'd chance the "Recession Restaurant", but I suppose that doesn't sound glamorous enough.

Any thoughts??

mood

Apparently most restaurants fail in the first year. Having no experience in the area would be a problem IMO. Also being a good cook is not enough. You would need to hire a qualified chef with plenty of experience.

Why not open a business in the industry you are experienced in?

Caoimhín

KetchupKid wrote: »

Any thoughts??

I would to run a nice little bar, possibly in the Algarve. I would also like to make a living from writing books and telling witty stories at the bar.

However, I have to be realistic. Those are aspirational, things i would do if i won the lottery or when I am retired. Unfortunately, the economic situation we find ourselves in demands that we are realistic about what we want to make a living doing. For example, i doubt any accountant dreamed of counting other peoples money when they were a child, but they make a very good living out of it.

I dont mean to crap on your idea, it may even have been realistic a few years ago when there was lots of disposable cash floating around the country. It would be a bad idea now. Try either sticking to what you know and are good at or do something that nobody else is doing, something unique.

artful_codger

KetchupKid wrote: »

A restaurant is something I was thinking about, but not a franchise. I actually hate most of those franchise fast-food places, although I agree in some places there is a need, but many other parts of the country there are too many of these places, Subway seems to be everywhere now and I don' very t think they are very good and many of them don't seem to be doing too well. I was talking to a man who delivers bread to the likes of Tesco and Dunnes and he said their business is booming recently, since people aren't going out to eat as much and bringing sambos to work.

My wife and I are both great cooks and we've thought about the restaurant idea and although we are both educated with loads of management and business experience, other than when we were students, neither of us have any real restaurant experience.

There such a huge mark-up in the restaurant business, it's seems lucrative, but most of them always seem to fail. I know there's a lot of overhead involved but with the right formula it could work. I'd like to start a restaurant with good portions of great quality home cooked meals and a reasonable price, but low prices would actually keep many away. It seems that people only seem to like the high priced poor portions and poor quality pretentious meals. Maybe with the collapse of the Celtic Tiger, the yuppies will revert back to normal people and something like this would have a chance. I'd chance the "Recession Restaurant", but I suppose that doesn't sound glamorous enough.

Any thoughts??

When you talk about 'home cooked' meals, people can cook them at home they'll go to a restaurant to eat something they're unable to cook at home, and they'll usually want to leave a little room in their stomachs for a few drinks afterwards. There are lots of places that do lovely home cooked food but they're Cafes, i just can't see a couple who want to go out for a romantic meal ordering Cod, Chips, and Peas. I can only talk within the context of the town i live in, that it is a place that is buzzing at the weekend with plenty of people in their 30's with families who don't want to pay for taxi's to Newbridge or Portlaoise, but who will pay for a nice meal. Also, in a small enough town it's word of mouth that will make or break a place, and if the food is good quality then it'll generate repeat business. Saying all that, you're not gonna get people coming in for early bird meals on a tuesday night like you would in Temple Bar, maybe that's what causes a lot of places to go under... the off peak period, plus high rents in the City. I wouldn't let it put you off that a lot of restaurants fail, i think entrepreneurship is like politics, it just attracts the wrong type of people, those with no imagination who want the big money. Case in point - Marcus Sweeney.

Caoimhín

artful_codger wrote: »

Wi think entrepreneurship is like politics, it just attracts the wrong type of people, those with no imagination.

All the same, if you love doing something, work hard and are very good at it, you can do quite well. True, if you go into a business simply and solely to make money, it will fall apart quite quickly (unless you have the skill and balls of Rupert Murdock)

KetchupKid

artful_codger wrote: »

When you talk about 'home cooked' meals, people can cook them at home they'll go to a restaurant to eat something they're unable to cook at home, and they'll usually want to leave a little room in their stomachs for a few drinks afterwards.

When I said good home cooked meals, I'm not talking about the average home cooked meals, my home cooked meals are far from ordinary and most of them most can't or don't cook at home. That being said, when I go to most restaurants the menus are usually so poor and unimaginative that I usually end up ordering Steak & Chips, something most can cook at home.

I realise that most restaurants fail, but I've been to plenty of restaurants and in my opinion most are terribly over-priced and sh!t to boot. It's bad enough paying too much for a meal out, but getting rubbish adds insult to injury.

As far as doing what I know, unfortunately my previous job is not long for this country as an Engineer in manufacturing, since Ireland is not competitive enough. Being made redundant after many years of successful hard work and loyalty has ripped my heart out and I'll find it hard to ever work for anyone else again, especially a large corporation. After years of experience and education I feel very left out and I need a change. I don't know if I'll go into the restaurant business or not, but it could be an opportunity to combine a hobby and passion, coupled with my management experience and make a living, maybe not as good as I made before, but I'll take the cut if it gives me an opportunity to do something where I'm working for myself and I enjoy it.

I actually appreciate the criticism and they are all thoughts I already thought of and considering the current environment it does seem crazy, but I have to do something.

wmpdd3

I think a deli / restaurant effort could be good, I'm thinking of the Italian ethnic delis between Oxford St. and and Tottencourt rd. in London. The 'Gourmet' in KIlkenny high st is a good example but has no seating.

The places in London also do about 6 main meals you would probably describe as gastro pub type style.

104494431

Regarding restaurants:

I think the important thing to do is look at restaurants that failed and why they failed and also look at restaurants that are succeeding and why they are succeeding.

I find myself that most restaurants that I've been to that fail in Cork seem to have a common theme. Badly trained staff combined with unimaginative food (I'm not talking michelin star food, I'm talking about serving the same stuff your competition serves but doing even that badly). Here's an example: In Cork city there are perhaps 5 places to go and get a big burger and chips (excluding fast food like McDonalds etc). Of these only two of them charges less than 10 euro before 6pm. Though this is a very specific and isolated example it's little things like this that set you apart. If I'm hungry and I know a certain place always gives bigger portions than another place I;m more inclined to go there. So I suppose you need to be able to pull people in just like any business but you also need to give people a reason to eat at your place instead of another place serving the same food. Why do some people order from a certain pizza place or chinese consistently, because it has something the other doesn't, whether it be better chips, service, cost, delivery, etc etc.

TequilaMockingBird

If I were you, I would take this time to study your chosen business, while you have a job. I have had my own business, and have worked in lots of restaurants and hotels, in my opinion - I wouldn't even think about opening a restaurant now.

Study, work part-time in a restaurant that is doing okay, learn now while you have an income, and then in a year or two, when people have more cash, go into it as prepared as you can.

artful_codger

TequilaMockingBird wrote: »

- I wouldn't even think about opening a restaurant now.

lower rents, lower labour costs, lower food costs, better quality of employees out there, it's not all bad during a recession.

KetchupKid

artful_codger wrote: »

lower rents, lower labour costs, lower food costs, better quality of employees out there, it's not all bad during a recession.

Those are the two main reasons that might make this work now:
Low rents and plenty of good labour available.

TequilaMockingBird

artful_codger wrote: »

lower rents, lower labour costs, lower food costs, better quality of employees out there, it's not all bad during a recession.

If you're paying them less, they have less disposable income.

It's just not a risk I would take. The restaurant business is terribly difficult at the best of times, never mind now, and adding in the fact that the OP has no experience, I think it is a very big risk for the amount of investment required.

Again, I would say study, work (for free if needs be) in a successful restaurant, learn the regulations required, research the market and get a plan ready.

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Op, the title is completely wrong... it should read:

Finding it difficult to get ANY work in Ireland.

I am not sure what a job interview is anymore... I would get more satisfaction if I dug a whole and threw a thousand CV's into it


As for running a business, if you can afford it, or get any help from the banks, it is probably the best time to start up. Ask the lads over in Entrepreneurial and Business managment.

artful_codger

Alijah Jealous Meteor wrote: »

I am not sure what a job interview is anymore... I would get more satisfaction if I dug a whole and threw a thousand CV's into it

you could do what this guy did, and take an advert out in a newspaper to sell yourself.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/finance/2009/1016/1224256785568.html

mood

IMO hiring cheap staff in the restaurant business is the worse thing you could possibly do.

I have been to one restaurant (in a hotel) recently and the staff were very bad. The service was so poor - tables beside us left uncleaned, never asked if we wanted drinks or water, served adults before children, not been given the table we requested. The staff were very, very young, probable school/college students, not even neatly dressed. AND the food was poor. I could do better myself. We will never go again.

Have been to another who only hire waiters etc who have studied Hotel and Catering in an IT. They were so professional and took pride in their jobs. Amazing food.

The cheapest option is not always the best long term.

KetchupKid

mood wrote: »

IMO hiring cheap staff in the restaurant business is the worse thing you could possibly do.

I have been to one restaurant (in a hotel) recently and the staff were very bad. The service was so poor - tables beside us left uncleaned, never asked if we wanted drinks or water, served adults before children, not been given the table we requested. The staff were very, very young, probable school/college students, not even neatly dressed. AND the food was poor. I could do better myself. We will never go again.

Have been to another who only hire waiters etc who have studied Hotel and Catering in an IT. They were so professional and took pride in their jobs. Amazing food.

The cheapest option is not always the best long term.

I agree, that's why I said "plenty of good labour available.", not cheap labour, but the example you sited was more likely the fault of management, since all staff needs to be trained and at least initially supervised.

susanroth

Alijah Jealous Meteor wrote: »

Op, the title is completely wrong... it should read:

Finding it difficult to get ANY work in Ireland.

I am not sure what a job interview is anymore... I would get more satisfaction if I dug a whole and threw a thousand CV's into it


As for running a business, if you can afford it, or get any help from the banks, it is probably the best time to start up. Ask the lads over in Entrepreneurial and Business managment.

I feel exactly the same. its a total joke:D, I wonder do half of these advertised jobs even exist! I am so fed up of it. Also it seems most people I know are settled into jobs and have absolutely no concept of how hard it is to get a job!! Its crazy! its as if they think people want to be unemployed!:mad: