Relocating to Ireland - job finding advice

parsifal

hi all. i live in canada but want to relocate to ireland, specifically dublin to try something different. i'm 30. i have an EU citizenship (french) so i don't think i need any special work permit. i am a software engineer with 8 years work experience in north america.

i know some of you must be thinking i'm crazy to try this with the current economic condition but i'm thinking it won't hurt to just try and test the waters myself. i have savings so i don't care if i don't find anything for a while.

i am going to try to look for a job from canada. i would think that with dublin being such an international city of immigrant workers, it's not uncommon for employers to receive many CVs from overseas. my questions to those with this kind of experience are:

- what to put on my resume and what to leave out to increase my chances? for example, should i put my current location? foreign phone number or get an irish local phone number on skype? do candidates in ireland usually put down their age and marital status? stress my EU citizenship?

-as for cover letter, how do i convince the employer of my desire to relocate? is it ok to say that i am ready to relocate as soon as i get hired? (which is true btw) or say that i'm relocating anyways without connection to job? does it matter? do i need to give a reason for my relocation? is just saying i want to try something different enough? do they even care why?

- how would interviews be handled considering i'm halfway around the world? most employers are fine with phone interviews? i would assume i'm the one who would have to be flexible with call times? (i.e. interviewing at crazy early morning times for me) do they usually require a face to face meeting to seal the deal?

- i read somewhere here that some employers don't even consider out of country candidates. i would assume that's true but how many really? 50%? more? less?

- is this all pretty much futile (especially with the current economy)? should i just fly over there and start looking for a job locally? is that going to significantly increase my chances? (if i don't find anything still while i'm there, i'd probably shift my focus to the UK or some other european country)

i realize some of these questions are subjective and tricky to answer but just thought i'd see if anyone has any tips/feedback anyways.

thanks!!

Victor

Not so many jobs here at the moment unless your skills are really valued.

parsifal wrote: »

for example, should i put my current location?

It won't help. however, if you say that you will be in Dublin on date X to Y in your cover letter, that might show some commitment.

foreign phone number or get an irish local phone number on skype?

Irish phone number seems alittle desperate (not sure if it can be done so easily either).

do candidates in ireland usually put down their age and marital status?

There is no obligation to, unless there are very specific requirements, e.g. a beauty salon can insist on gender (one would be in physical contact with the customer), but a software company, not really.

stress my EU citizenship?

Yes, but more correctly, stress you don't need a work permit / visa and that you have language skills.

- how would interviews be handled considering i'm halfway around the world? most employers are fine with phone interviews? i would assume i'm the one who would have to be flexible with call times? (i.e. interviewing at crazy early morning times for me) do they usually require a face to face meeting to seal the deal?

First interview might be by phone / video conference, but most will insist on face to face interview.

- i read somewhere here that some employers don't even consider out of country candidates. i would assume that's true but how many really? 50%? more? less?

Its all about skills and commitment.

- is this all pretty much futile (especially with the current economy)? should i just fly over there and start looking for a job locally?

No. I wouldn't move until I at least had an interview scheduled. Stick to searching for the moment.

parsifal

thanks victor.

the irish phone number should be pretty easy to get with skype now. it's not so much to try to fool the employer or anything. i just thought it might look better and make it easier and cheaper for the employer to contact me. but it might just confuse them if anything and i don't think they really mind the small cost in the whole scheme of things. like u said, it's more about the right skills for the job than anything.

thanks again. and any more comments from other are welcomed too!

not even wrong

Victor wrote: »

Not so many jobs here at the moment unless your skills are really valued

The good news is that I'm similar to this:

i am a software engineer with 8 years work experience

and from my experience over the past few months the software engineering sector seems to be doing a lot better than the rest of the economy. I've had a bunch of unsolicited approaches from recruiters since the start of the year, and one of them led to a new job with a double-digit % raise.

stress my EU citizenship?

Definitely, getting a work permit is a major hassle for the employer here.

parsifal

thanks not_even_wrong, that sounds very encouraging.

it's one thing to hear and read articles and news about doom and gloom everywhere and negative economic numbers and another to hear real stories of people out there in a very similar situation like me finding good positions like you.

can you tell me which online job sites and recruiters you've had the most success with?

thanks!