Spending a day in Cork - Details inside, tips needed

Rudi Montes

I'm currently living in Skibbereen (today makes exactly one month since I've arrived in Ireland) and since I finally got my broadband installed last week and my CV all done, I just began my job-hunting.
I had researched before I moved here that Cork is big hub of Biomedical companies, and since I finished my degree (Bachelor's in Biomedical Engineering since June 31st of this month) I have been incredibly nervous about getting my first job.

So instead of just sending CVs online, I decided I should print out some of them, catch the bus early in the morning here in Skibbereen and spend the whole day in Cork visiting these biomedical companies and giving them my CV. Problem is, I don't know Cork. I have no idea how big it is and how far away these companies are from the main city, if I can just walk to them or if it's unrealistic to visit a good number of them without transportation (I don't have a driver's license yet).
Anyone more familiar with the city, any tips about walking around or, if it is the case that I can't just walk to these companies (because of distance), how I should go about it in terms of public transportation? I don't know if there are day passes or have any notion of the price of public transportation here.
I would also need to know of a good, cheap place to have lunch, if possible (the less I spend on food, the more I can spend if I need to catch a cab or something).

Thank you very much in advance!

lostinsuperfunk

Have you tried phoning the companies before trying to visit them? You might do better if they know you are coming, you have somebody's name, and if you have done some research on them first. Don't waste time and money travelling if you haven't tried to arrange something first.

Cork is not very big, but the biomedical companies are scattered across different locations, most of which are actually outside the city, in places such as Ringaskiddy and Little Island. If there is any way you can get someone to drive you around, I would highly recommend it instead of using public transport.

You can get a bus from Cork to Ringaskiddy, but it would take a long time to walk around to all the companies there. Likewise, there is a train service to Little Island, but the plants are spread across a large area.

scudo2

lostinsuperfunk wrote: »

Have you tried phoning the companies before trying to visit them? You might do better if they know you are coming, you have somebody's name, and if you have done some research on them first. Don't waste time and money travelling if you haven't tried to arrange something first.

Cork is not very big, but the biomedical companies are scattered across different locations, most of which are actually outside the city, in places such as Ringaskiddy and Little Island. If there is any way you can get someone to drive you around, I would highly recommend it instead of using public transport.

You can get a bus from Cork to Ringaskiddy, but it would take a long time to walk around to all the companies there. Likewise, there is a train service to Little Island, but the plants are spread across a large area.

Factorys are in different areas as listed above so take the advice.
Different areas are 20 miles apart. In those areas the chemical Factorys are several miles apart.

Best of luck in job hunting.

mountain

have you tried http://www.rowex.ie/
they are based in bantry

pwurple

No one will see you at the door of a biomed manufacturing facility except a security guard, who will in most cases give your CV to HR. HR will promptly bin it because it's not in electronic format, and so they won't be able to search it.


Don't waste your time or money trying to physically get there unless you have an appointment with someone.

Update your linked-in and connect to as many people in those facilities as you can. Your work experience during your degree should have assisted with that.

SK76

Contact one of the big recruitment offices in Cork. They will interview you and give you info on any jobs they might have. Pointless calling to factories, you will not get inside the door

Rudi Montes

Thank you for all the tips. I've decided against my original idea (hey, it sounded great in my head!) and I'll try and contact companies beforehand. First job hunting panic is a terrible thing.

Papa_Lazarou

Also some of these companies such as Boston scientific which is just outside the city centre only recruit through hiring agencies so it would be worth getting in contact with some of them.

Outkast_IRE

SK76 wrote: »

Contact one of the big recruitment offices in Cork. They will interview you and give you info on any jobs they might have. Pointless calling to factories, you will not get inside the door

Recruiters aren't the best for biomedical . Boston and Stryker post all openings on their own websites.

OP stryker have a lot of listings in cork at the moment open up their website, they have about 90 or so jobs in cork city and another few in carrigtwohill

ABajaninCork

OP, another company to try might be Merck Millipore in Carrigtohill. Johnson & Johnson in Ringaskiddy would be another

Can I make another suggestion? If you're based in Skibbereen, you might consider moving a bit closer to the city? As already pointed out, a lot of these companies are based around the city. If you're coming in from Skib, then it'll be at least a 2 hour commute to get there. Probably worse if you're going by public transport.

Rhys Essien

OP,a job here for you in Cork City
http://www.irishjobs.ie/Jobs/Research-Engineer-7142355.aspx

Pharmaceutical companies nearer to you in West Cork are Eli Lily (who built an extension recently) and they are near Kinsale.Also Schering Plough near Bandon.

You are correct about Cork having the most Pharma plants in Ireland.

We are also becoming the Silicon Valley of Ireland.:D
http://siliconrepublic.com/business/item/22593-digcork11

Outkast_IRE

Guys his degree is in Biomedical engineering.

Pharma isn't that much use to him.

Medical device companies are where he will be looking so
Boston Scientific, Stryker.............. etc

Rudi Montes

Thanks for the tips, guys. The problem with most of stryker's openings is that they ask for experience and well, I have none yet. Sometimes I feel like there would be no harm in just answering for the position anyways, but what if my name gets... Idk, blacklisted or something, for being a persistent annoying doofus?

As for moving closer to the city, I would love to. I would love to move TO the city itself, even, but I have no capital to invest, see. I have some saved up that I could use to stay in a room for 3-4 weeks (ideally until I started getting my first paycheck so I could become self-sufficient), but I can't move until I'm sure I can get a job in time before the money I have saved up runs out.

omahaid

Rhys Essien wrote: »

We are also becoming the Silicon Valley of Ireland.:D
http://siliconrepublic.com/business/item/22593-digcork11

article wrote:

Cork’s prestige as a technology hub is evident not only through the significant technology industry located there with household names like Apple, EMC, Big Fish Games and McAfee, but also through the sheer strength of other industries, most notably the pharmaceutical industry with players like Pfizer and Boston Scientific.

Doh

imitation

I don't know if you'll find a job in Cork that easily, its Life sciences hub really, there are plenty of company's, but your probably boiling down to a handful of companies in biomedical. Recruitment for graduate type roles is often done in rounds where a few people are taken on an trained up, rather than single job coming up at random, so you also might have to keep your eyes open over the next month or two incase anything comes up.

Going nationwide would be a good idea if it suits you. You should also fire in the CV for applications even if they need a year or two experience, I doubt HR companies black list people, maybe if they see your name against every job offering they might think its odd, but I wouldn't be timid.. if your not in you can't win. Make sure you give good detail on any projects or placements you did if its your first job

Rudi Montes

Hypothetical situation, let's say I move to either Cork City or Carrigtwohill, to a room where I pay €250-€300/month (which is not too bad compared to what you paid for rooms back in Lisbon). What would you say is the ease of finding a part-time job that would allow me to pay for the room and save some money while I wait for an opening in my area? €300/month + food expenses doesn't sound that hard to cover, but I don't know if supermarkets and other part-time employers are exactly abundant.

ABajaninCork

Cork City might be better, OP. Are you a native Portuguese speaker? Why don't you try for a language role with one of the multi-nationals? They're absolutely crying out for people with language skills and you can earn while you wait!

Outkast_IRE

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Cork City might be better, OP. Are you a native Portuguese speaker? Why don't you try for a language role with one of the multi-nationals? They're absolutely crying out for people with language skills and you can earn while you wait!

Good advice, there seems to be plenty of call centre work with languages in cork, you must also have a college education to say your a biomedical engineer so im sure it would be a good idea to investigate these openings.

Rhys Essien

Portuguese speaker job here for you next to the Airport.
http://www.jobs.ie/ApplyForJob.aspx?Id=1197224

Also you probably would have a good chance of a job in Carrigtwohill as a lot of the factories in County Cork are there,as well as in Ringaskiddy,Little Island and around Cork City.

How did you end up living in Skibbereen?
West Cork is considered the tourist/holiday area of Cork.

Rudi Montes

Oh, I wasn't aware there were positions like that for Portuguese speakers, actually. I had seen many for Spanish, German, French, Japanese speakers... I also know quite a bit of Japanese, but I guess they prefer natives for these things, and I'm about... Half-native at it, I guess. Thank you for the link, Rhys!

I came to Skibbereen because it's where my aunt (who's been here since November) first settled. If I had been alone, I'd probably have risked going to Cork right away, but I had just finished my degree (22 years old) and I came here with my family (parents' English still had much to improve, so we decided that sticking together was a good idea), so we all came to Skibbereen where we knew that if any disaster happened, we'd have family nearby. Now I've been here 5 weeks and I've realized that if I have the chance, I should spread the metaphorical wings. My parents are doing great, so is my younger brother (14 years old), and he's fluent in English so he'll stay behind and back them up if they need it.

Rhys Essien

Rudi,Im not sure what places that you should be applying to with your qualification but if you contact the Cork Institute of Technology that do your course and ask them for advice/information on where best to be applying.

Click on the Enquiries button here(on right hand side).
http://www.cit.ie/course/CR520

imitation

Rudi Montes wrote: »

Oh, I wasn't aware there were positions like that for Portuguese speakers, actually. I had seen many for Spanish, German, French, Japanese speakers... I also know quite a bit of Japanese, but I guess they prefer natives for these things, and I'm about... Half-native at it, I guess. Thank you for the link, Rhys!

I came to Skibbereen because it's where my aunt (who's been here since November) first settled. If I had been alone, I'd probably have risked going to Cork right away, but I had just finished my degree (22 years old) and I came here with my family (parents' English still had much to improve, so we decided that sticking together was a good idea), so we all came to Skibbereen where we knew that if any disaster happened, we'd have family nearby. Now I've been here 5 weeks and I've realized that if I have the chance, I should spread the metaphorical wings. My parents are doing great, so is my younger brother (14 years old), and he's fluent in English so he'll stay behind and back them up if they need it.

Dual language seems like a good idea to me, I would imagine the pay is better than standard casual work. There is quite a few call centers in cork, amazon, abtran, blizzard etc. From what I have heard people wouldnt work there forever (constantly taking calls from the computer), but you can meet a lot of young people and have a laugh.

who_me

Yeah, lots of call-centres in Cork - VoxPro, RCI, Starwood, Apple. I've no idea what the 'pecking order' is, but people do seem to be constantly moving between them. Several do employ non-native speakers, though obviously you'd need to be fairly fluent. They probably only handle European languages here, so I don't know if you'll have any luck with your Japanese.

You could also try private classes teaching Portuguese. The problem with that is that it can be irregular income as people cancel / drop out due to other commitments.

p.s. ignore anyone telling you to leave Skibbereen. You'd be mad! </Skibbereen native>