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Best Career : Employment rate and Pay

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  • 06-06-2020 3:12pm
    #1
    FHFM50
    Closed Accounts Posts: 165 ✭✭


    What would currently be the best career to choose in Ireland at the moment in terms of salary, employment prospects,stress,etc,...

    I know you should follow what interests you but for the sake of argument say if an individual did not have specific interests and just wanted something with great pay,moderate stress and good job prospects what would it be?


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    #2
    Creamy Goodness
    Registered Users Posts: 26,558 ✭✭✭✭Creamy Goodness


    IT or Pharmaceutical. But as COVID-19 has shown nothing is a safe bet anymore.

    The problem really is the best paying jobs are generally attached to high stress, time intensive jobs. You sacrifice what you can’t make more of (time) and your mental health for the highest paid jobs. Some people can hack it and some can’t.


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    #3
    FHFM50
    Closed Accounts Posts: 165 ✭✭FHFM50


    Creamy Goodness wrote: »
    IT or Pharmaceutical. But as COVID-19 has shown nothing is a safe bet anymore.

    The problem really is the best paying jobs are generally attached to high stress, time intensive jobs. You sacrifice what you can’t make more of (time) and your mental health for the highest paid jobs. Some people can hack it and some can’t.

    When you say IT are you talking about Software engineering or something else?

    Pharmacists are paid well but I've heard getting a permanent position is very difficult. Most work as locums.


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    #4
    Creamy Goodness
    Registered Users Posts: 26,558 ✭✭✭✭Creamy Goodness


    FHFM50 wrote: »
    When you say IT are you talking about Software engineering or something else?

    Pharmacists are paid well but I've heard getting a permanent position is very difficult. Most work as locums.

    Software engineering or site reliability engineer are well paid but the latter requires on call work which can be a bit ****e.


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    #5
    Wompa1
    Registered Users Posts: 8,167 ✭✭✭Wompa1


    FHFM50 wrote: »
    When you say IT are you talking about Software engineering or something else?

    Pharmacists are paid well but I've heard getting a permanent position is very difficult. Most work as locums.

    There are other areas of IT that are specialized and pay much better BUT unfortunately you can't get qualified with a degree or masters, Universities here don't and probably can't stay up on industry trends. You need a bit of luck to get an opportunity to learn on the job, build experience and then go consulting to make some good money. Requires about 80% luck.


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    #6
    the-island-man
    Registered Users Posts: 494 ✭✭the-island-man


    I am a Software Engineer with over 10 years professional experience in .NET technologies. I have spent the majority of them years trying to chase the money. I have hopped around a fair bit doing a mixture permanent and contract jobs. I have never taken a new job without it paying more than the previous one.

    Eventually it has caught up with me. The current role involves more stress and confrontation than I would ever care to encounter.

    I really enjoy working out how to design systems and debug issues but before you think about Software Engineering do consider the following two points:
    1. Similar to most office jobs you will spend the majority of your working life sat at a desk.
    2. Depending on what companies you join you may get put under pressure by managers\customers who don't understand or care about the complexities of Software Development

    Finally no matter what career you think of doing before the money gets in your veins have a little listen to this piece by Alan Watts:


    https://youtu.be/fYNShs6I4HU


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    #7
    OMM 0000
    Registered Users Posts: 3,733 ✭✭✭OMM 0000


    Lots of ****ty answers here.

    Medical field is best - dermatologist, etc.

    Then probably finance - pay is good and bonuses are huge.

    IT money can be good if you are good and you enjoy software development and working contracts. *Most people hate programming*.

    If I were started over again, and could study anything I want, I'd choose medicine and work as a dermatologist.


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    #8
    Truthvader
    Registered Users Posts: 1,826 ✭✭✭Truthvader


    Aircraft leasing. Can start off doing accountancy appreticeship and move on once qualified. Also through law. Stupid money


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    #9
    thomasdylan
    Closed Accounts Posts: 514 ✭✭✭thomasdylan


    OMM 0000 wrote: »
    Lots of ****ty answers here.

    Medical field is best - dermatologist, etc.

    Then probably finance - pay is good and bonuses are huge.

    IT money can be good if you are good and you enjoy software development and working contracts. *Most people hate programming*.

    If I were started over again, and could study anything I want, I'd choose medicine and work as a dermatologist.

    Dermatology is very competitive, there used to be only two Spr spots in the country. 585 points for medicine, then 5-6 years college, then intern, medical BST and medical memberships. Then applying for Dermatology spr which you won't get on straight away so a few years doing dermatology reg and research. Then Dermatology spr, then fellowship, then consultancy. It'd be a tough slog and 15 years of hard work to get there.


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    #10
    Technocentral
    Registered Users Posts: 6,101 ✭✭✭Technocentral


    You are all wrong, if you look at a huge number of posts on this forum the Public Sector is the best, huge salaries and great hours and holidays apparently!


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    #11
    LollipopJimmy
    Registered Users Posts: 5,440 ✭✭✭LollipopJimmy


    FHFM50 wrote: »
    When you say IT are you talking about Software engineering or something else?

    Pharmacists are paid well but I've heard getting a permanent position is very difficult. Most work as locums.

    Pharmacists work as locums by choice, if you want a permanent Community Pharmacist role and are qualified you will get one.


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    #12
    OMM 0000
    Registered Users Posts: 3,733 ✭✭✭OMM 0000


    thomasdylan wrote: »
    Dermatology is very competitive, there used to be only two Spr spots in the country. 585 points for medicine, then 5-6 years college, then intern, medical BST and medical memberships. Then applying for Dermatology spr which you won't get on straight away so a few years doing dermatology reg and research. Then Dermatology spr, then fellowship, then consultancy. It'd be a tough slog and 15 years of hard work to get there.

    But when you get there... money is savage.


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    #13
    Geuze
    Registered Users Posts: 13,110 ✭✭✭✭Geuze


    FHFM50 wrote: »
    What would currently be the best career to choose in Ireland at the moment in terms of salary, employment prospects,stress,etc,...

    I know you should follow what interests you but for the sake of argument say if an individual did not have specific interests and just wanted something with great pay,moderate stress and good job prospects what would it be?

    Lecturer in an IoT.

    Salary goes to 87k, 70 days annual leave, small class sizes.

    It used to be the case that you didn't need a PhD, now it's desirable, that's the downside.


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    #14
    Geuze
    Registered Users Posts: 13,110 ✭✭✭✭Geuze


    Truthvader wrote: »
    Aircraft leasing. Can start off doing accountancy appreticeship and move on once qualified. Also through law. Stupid money

    Yes.

    See here:

    https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-ali/aircraftleasinginireland2018/

    Average earnings= 207k


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    #15
    krissovo
    Registered Users Posts: 2,645 ✭✭✭krissovo


    FHFM50 wrote: »
    What would currently be the best career to choose in Ireland at the moment in terms of salary, employment prospects,stress,etc,...

    Change the question slightly and you will find a much better answer. What are the best employers in Ireland at the moment? The next next question is what are the best paid roles in those companies.

    I am in in IT (non technical) and IT in a multinational is paying dividends at the moment as share prices are strong especially for anyone in cloud computing either software or infrastructure. Also stay at source (software house) rather than anyone who is a service provider or reselling services as these are scavengers but good for getting experience. Staying at source through share options and bonuses can increase your income by easily 50% in a good year or 10% in a poor year. These companies are strong during Covid and shares prices are good, even on the increase for most. Most respect staff and want to retain their talent, they also like Irish staff and known as being productive and good value for money.


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    #16
    wonski
    Registered Users Posts: 13,687 ✭✭✭✭wonski


    OMM 0000 wrote: »
    But when you get there... money is savage.

    It's a bit disrespectful to all doctors tbh.

    If it's all about money then the medicine is the hardest route and, call me naive, but most are not money orientated, not in modern European countries. They just deserve it for the hard work, studying, and all risk associated.

    To become a doctor, be it dermatologist or a heart surgeon, takes a bit more than just willing to learn. Unlike business studies etc.

    Going that route for money will leave you and your patients dissapointed.

    Lived near medical academy for years and met many future doctors, surgeons etc. The studying was no fun, compared to bunch of economists etc.

    Clever bunch of lads and you have to be one to make it. And really dedicated.

    Money comes later, very late sometimes.


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    #17
    OMM 0000
    Registered Users Posts: 3,733 ✭✭✭OMM 0000


    Doctors are in it for the status and money.

    Sure, helping people is very rewarding.

    But there's a reason you don't see many GPs charging EUR 20...


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    #18
    vikings2012
    Registered Users Posts: 152 ✭✭vikings2012


    OMM 0000 wrote: »
    Doctors are in it for the status and money.

    Sure, helping people is very rewarding.

    But there's a reason you don't see many GPs charging EUR 20...

    Let’s not forget to mention that a lot of senior doctors and surgeons in public hospital are also private consultants. A private consultation can be upwards of 150E.

    RTÉ prime time conducted an analysis of the extent of public hospital medical consultation and doctors double jobbing. Some are certainly in it for the money.

    https://www.rte.ie/news/health/2017/1121/921635-hse-hospital-managers/


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    #19
    salonfire
    Registered Users Posts: 3,078 ✭✭✭salonfire


    Technocentral wrote: »
    You are all wrong, if you look at a huge number of posts on this forum the Public Sector is the best, huge salaries and great hours and holidays apparently!

    That's correct, especially at the lower and middle ranges. While the private sector offers high paying jobs in certain sectors, it is in expensive cities.

    If you are looking to settle in a regional town or the country side, a teacher or a guard l can ive like kings with a much lower cost of housing. Private sector employees around them, working in local SMEs, simply do not have the same opportunity to job hop as in the cities.


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    #20
    Geuze
    Registered Users Posts: 13,110 ✭✭✭✭Geuze


    salonfire wrote: »
    If you are looking to settle in a regional town or the country side, a teacher or a guard l can ive like kings with a much lower cost of housing. Private sector employees around them, working in local SMEs, simply do not have the same opportunity to job hop as in the cities.


    Yes, I often thought that.

    Two IoT lecturers in Tralee, Athlone or Sligo, so 2x 87k at top of scale = 170k approx.

    Nice.


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    #21
    CrankyHaus
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,281 ✭✭✭CrankyHaus


    OMM 0000 wrote: »
    Doctors are in it for the status and money.

    Sure, helping people is very rewarding.

    But there's a reason you don't see many GPs charging EUR 20...


    If they're in it for the money they wouldn't become GPs; they'd be Obstetricians or something like that.


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    #22
    3DataModem
    Registered Users Posts: 3,957 ✭✭✭3DataModem


    FHFM50 wrote: »
    in Ireland

    Ireland is too small a country to think very long term. What is successful here now may not be in future. IT? Lots moving to cheaper locations, coding becoming a core skill. Pharma? Maybe. Biotech? Who knows.

    Think globally.


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    #23
    antimatterx
    Registered Users Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭antimatterx


    I'm in tech (as a software dev), 2 years experience and I'm not on great money. I was going to job hop this summer, but COVID ****ed that for me. I'm staying put where I am, making some money, gaining for experience, and then I'll look for the nice pay bump.

    My medium term goal is to go contracting.


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    #24
    Fred Cryton
    Registered Users Posts: 971 ✭✭✭Fred Cryton


    In my experience stress is caused by having to work with people who can't control petty emotions like jealousy, envy, status anxiety and who lose the head easily and become aggressive.

    If you want a low stress life, get a job with people who are able to rise above those emotions or else get a job that doesn't require much human interaction.


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    #25
    Creamy Goodness
    Registered Users Posts: 26,558 ✭✭✭✭Creamy Goodness


    antimatterx wrote: »
    I'm in tech (as a software dev), 2 years experience and I'm not on great money. I was going to job hop this summer, but COVID ****ed that for me. I'm staying put where I am, making some money, gaining for experience, and then I'll look for the nice pay bump.

    My medium term goal is to go contracting.

    No job has great money after 2 years experience, relative to the amount of work put in at college, yes the monetary value may be higher (i.e. lawyer vs. IT grad) but there's a lot more effort required in one of those two in college. It's really only after you have moved into the senior, team lead, principal roles (speaking IT as it's my career) that you'll get great money but you're talking 10-15+ years experience.

    COVID has put the brakes on practically everyone's plans to move at every career level. A buddy of mine is an IT contractor (mainly front-end), and before the 12th march he was batting away requests to ask him to work, after the 12th march he's become a full-time child minder for his kids as every single contract he had vanished overnight. Contracting is lovely when you get it set up right and prepare for the unexpected, can be a right pain in the hoop otherwise.


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    #26
    Jim2007
    Moderators, Business & Finance Moderators Posts: 10,038 Mod ✭✭✭✭Jim2007


    antimatterx wrote: »
    I'm in tech (as a software dev), 2 years experience and I'm not on great money. I was going to job hop this summer, but COVID ****ed that for me. I'm staying put where I am, making some money, gaining for experience, and then I'll look for the nice pay bump.

    My medium term goal is to go contracting.

    Your about 20 years too late... :D


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    #27
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    Realistically the question you're asking here is less about what job and more about what employer. Someone can be qualified up to the neck in IT or pharmaceuticals, but still find themselves bouncing from one employer to the next as companies go to the wall.

    If you're looking for the work that finds the best balance between pay, job security, work/life balance and retirability, then you want either public sector, or old, really big companies, like Bank of Ireland, IBM, Intel, KPMG, etc. These are private companies where you might be at some risk of losing your job if the economy goes tits up in the first decade, but once you become part of the furniture then you're set for life.

    The issue here is practically always that you're trading job security for job satisfaction. But it depends on what you enjoy doing. There are some people who get job satisfaction out of 40 years of running payroll. And that's cool. In general smaller companies offer more in the way of challenging yourself professionally, but come with a larger risk of going under.


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    #28
    nutjobb
    Registered Users Posts: 88 ✭✭nutjobb


    For little stress and great money I would recommend a production operator in medical devices or pharma, ideally pharma as the moneys better.
    I'm an engineer in my company and only making marginally more that an operators (incl shift allowance). I'm also on salary so no ot, while I know 2 operators pulling over 100k. These are extreme cases though who do as much ot as possible.


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    #29
    antimatterx
    Registered Users Posts: 2,681 ✭✭✭antimatterx


    Jim2007 wrote: »
    Your about 20 years too late... :D

    Why would that be? I'm 24:pac:


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    #30
    OMM 0000
    Registered Users Posts: 3,733 ✭✭✭OMM 0000


    CrankyHaus wrote: »
    If they're in it for the money they wouldn't become GPs; they'd be Obstetricians or something like that.

    GPs are loaded.

    Let's not pretend you're not in things for the money if you don't choose to go for the highest paying role.

    Lots of people (everyone?) go into finance for the money but most don't try to be CFOs.


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    #31
    FHFM50
    Closed Accounts Posts: 165 ✭✭FHFM50


    Thanks for the feedback everyone. I've been struggling sometime now trying to decide what I want to do.

    I enjoy subjects like Maths and Business.Not a big fan of reading. I tried software development but I just found it wasn't for me personally. The deadlines and lack of social interaction were tough


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