Stories from the Celtic Tiger Years *Mod Warning in OP PLEASE READ*

Something I liked about those days was the relative ease with which one could find an OK job, not the crass excessive spending of money that seemed to follow.

In a relatively short space of time with just one single employer I saw some examples like the following, and I'm sure there were a lot more:

Unemployed guy out walking his dog on a Sunday afternoon on the industrial estate where the factory was, notices the warehouse door is open and wanders over to ask around if we were hiring at the time. His logic being that Sunday overtime was a rarity back then so it follows there might be a job or two going. Fair enough, sure what's the harm in just asking anyway. The warehouse supervisor is extremely busy as it happens, hires your man on the spot, immediate start, as in right now. He ties up the dog with a bowl of water and a few leftovers from the lunch, this is about one-ish in the afternoon with the lads working flat out hoping to get out by six-ish so it's a fair busy Sunday. Supervisor decides if the guy hasn't a clue what he's doing then just throw him a few quid from the petty cash box at closing time and tell him to eff off, and if he's any good then consider this as his interview and tell him come back the next morning with his bank details, last P45, and what ever else he needs.

Saw one guy also just walk in off the street, he was walking around factories handing in CVs without them necessarily advertising in public that they were hiring (something a lot of businesses didn't need to bother doing at the time). By happenstance the customer services manager just left his desk to go to the jacks at that particular moment. He told me himself how he was sick to death of the production manager getting handed all the new CVs coming in the door regardless of which department actually did or did not need staff. So he made a quick dash out to the receptionist to ask what was that guy just looking for and to show him the CV he was after dropping. He then followed the applicant out into the car park and waved him down before he could drive away, and again asked him to start the next day.

There was an Italian guy, perhaps best described as "an academic" we'll say, was taking a sort of sojourn or career break for a year from his university in Milan. His job was kept open for him so no big deal in that sense, basically all he wanted to do was tour Europe with his new Japanese girlfriend and learn about the practical aspects of day-to-day life in other countries. You know, experience things the rest of us take for granted but never have to do in other countries such as find a flat, open a bank account, deal with the ESB and so on. I think he was researching a book but that's beside the point. Anyway, he knocked on the wrong door with his CV. He went to the employees entrance rather than the business and reception area. He was met by the production supervisor who interviewed him on the spot. Interview took place as they walked from the door to the production lines, took about 45 seconds, and went as follows:

Q - Are you free to start immediately?
A - Yes
Q - Now, when I say "immediately" did you understand that I meant I want you to stand next to that guy over there in the green t-shirt and do whatever you see him doing, right?
A - Excuse me, what do you mean?
Q - Do you have to be anywhere important between right now and 4 o'clock this afternoon when we finish?
A - No
Q - That's what I meant. You're hired. Do you want me to take your jacket? It'll get filthy in here from the boxes, I'll just keep it in my office and you can come back out to me at 4.00 and get it back. I'll have a proper locker for you in the morning but I haven't the time right now.

That'll probably sound far-fetched these days, but I swear to God I know every single person I just mentioned there, they all held jobs for at least a year or more, and never so much as once asked for any kind of reference or background check. Come to think of it nor was I.