Job Opportunities in Ireland for International Students

"Discover job opportunities in Ireland for international students. Learn about the work permit process, and explore high demand sectors like IT, engineering, and healthcare."

Job Opportunities in Ireland for International Students
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Apr 26, 2023 01:40 AM
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Have you been looking for job opportunities in Ireland? A large majority of the international students in Ireland aspire for a long-term career in the country after completion of their studies. Over the years, several international organisations and global technology giants have been steadily investing in Ireland. As a result, there is a spurt in job opportunities in this country. Let us look at the various job opportunities available for international students studying in Ireland.
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Getting a Work Permit in Ireland

Once you get hired for a job, you will either have to apply for a green card or work permit to work in Ireland. The Irish General Employment Permit is given to those who have been offered a job in Ireland, and initially allows foreign nationals to work for two years with the permit.
A work permit is comparatively more difficult to obtain than a Green card, as it will require a labour market test. This means your employer must follow some specific rules regarding advertising job position. The company that has hired you must also confirm that no Irish national is available to fulfil that particular job vacancy. Renewal of your work permit is only possible if your employer decides to extend your job offer beyond the period of two years. Some important points to note :
  • As a non-EU and non-Swiss citizen, you are required to register with the Immigration office in Ireland even if you wish to do an internship.
  • If you are not an EEA National (European Economic Area), you must have a valid employment permit issued by DBEI (The Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation) in order to work in Ireland.
  • For you to apply for a work permit in Ireland, you must already have a job offer or employment contract in hand. Only if you have a skill that is highly demanded in the country, you will be granted permission to work.
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Getting a Critical Skills Employment Permit in Ireland

A Critical Skills Employment Permit allows you to work in an occupation where there is shortage of skills in Ireland. The whole idea behind such a work permit is to attract and encourage highly skilled people from foreign countries to work and contribute to Ireland’s economy by participating in the country’s labour market.
  • To get a Critical Skills Employment Permit, your official annual income has to be at least more than 60,000 Euros a year. If your job falls under a restricted list of occupations, then your annual income has to be at least 30,000 Euros per year.
  • With a Critical Skills Employment Permit, you can only work with a specified employer. It is valid for two years and needs to be renewed. You will be asked to attend an interview if your job falls in the Highly Skilled Occupations list. The best part of this kind of work permit is that the normal labour market needs test is not needed.
  • If you are a foreign student enrolled in a government approved university degree in Ireland, you can work casual jobs as long as the number of working hours does not exceed 20 hours per week.
Get more information on internships in Ireland here :

High Demand Job Opportunities in Ireland for International Students :

1. Accountancy and Finance

According to a recent survey, there is a huge need for accountancy and finance professionals in Ireland. Many multinational and international companies are investing in Ireland which has given rise to number of opportunities for financial professionals to manage the financial health of the company. Some companies are not only paying their employees high salaries but are also offering flexible work hours, health and wellness programs to attract skilled professionals to their organizations.
The average salary for professionals in this industry is over €50,000+ per year, depending on one’s experience.

2. Pharmaceuticals

Ireland is one of the largest global exporters of pharmaceuticals and is home to 85 plus pharmaceutical companies. With over 50 FDA-approved pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, there is huge demand for jobs in pharmaceuticals science such as drug analysis, drug manufacturing and pharmaceutical sales. Pharmaceutical jobs in Ireland are highly paid as compared to the rest of the European Union.
The potential earnings of professionals in this industry are over €50,000+ per year based on the level of experience.

3. Information Technology

Ireland is the European headquarters to many IT companies like Apple, Dell Ireland, Facebook, Google, IBM, Intel, Microsoft and Twitter. This country offers a galore of job opportunities in Ireland for graduates in IT and computer sciences related fields. There is a huge demand for app developers, data analysts, data scientist software developers and programmers. IT and computer science graduates from Irish Universities find it relatively easy to get find jobs in Ireland when compared to other engineering branches.
The average salary for IT professionals and software engineers is over €50,000+ per year, again based on the level of experience.

4. Language Jobs

With more and more high-tech companies and multinational organizations set up in Ireland, there is a huge demand for skilled multilingual professionals to interact with the international markets. World’s leading companies based in Ireland hire multilingual speakers who communicate with diverse markets, assist in translation work and help seal business deals. Apart from working in corporate set-ups, there is also a growing demand for multi-lingual professionals in the education sector. Universities hire language experts to teach different languages that are a part of the school and college curriculum. The most in-demand language skills in Ireland are Dutch, French, German, Nordic and Russian.
The average pay scale for a multi-lingual professional in Ireland is €25,000+ annually, and can go up to €50,000+ based on the expertise level

5. Engineering

Ireland’s economy is flourishing with growth in the engineering sector. With umpteen number of engineering projects underway, there is a surge in opportunities for engineering jobs in different industries. Engineers specialized in their core domain find job opportunities in Ireland in automation, transport sectors, manufacturing, utilities management, maintenance and projects, etc., specific to their domain. Engineers are technically skilled but also have the prospect of climbing the managerial ladder over a period of time, based on their skill-set.
The annual pay for engineering jobs in Ireland is over €50,000+ per year, depending on the experience level.

6. Healthcare

Ireland’s healthcare sector has created jobs in nursing, medical science and life science fields. Irish hospitals have a scarcity for frontline workers, giving rise to many critical healthcare job openings. True to any country, healthcare is a vital requirement for any nation. Doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, medical support staff, etc., are in high-demand to fulfil the healthcare needs of people in Ireland. Medical professionals find jobs in hospitals, clinics, hospice care, corporate sectors, private clinics, etc.
Medical professionals on an average earn anywhere between €30,000+ to €150,000+ per year, based on the job profile and level of experience.

7. Transport and Logistics

Ireland’s trading economy has increased drastically in the past few decades, improving the import and export trade. This has opened up job opportunities in Ireland in logistics, supply chain management and analysis and other transport-related jobs. Irish Transport and Logistics field has created jobs of Analysts, Logistics Engineers, Consultants, Customer Service, Inventory Manager, Supply-Chain Manager, etc.
The annual pay for professionals in Transport and Logistics sector in Ireland is over €30,000+ to €30,000+ per year, based on the experience level.

Useful Tips

  • Check for job opportunities in Ireland even before you graduate from your university. You can find vacancies online, in newspapers or through your professional networks. The application process for finding a job in Ireland is similar to the one followed in the UK.
  • You can either submit an application form or submit an impressive but concise two-page CV along with a cover letter. Once your application is successful, you will be invited for an interview. Depending on your employer, you will be either offered a telephonic interview or a face-to-face interview, or both.
  • If your first language is not English, you will need proof of your English proficiency and basic details about the other languages that you can speak fluently. To make the best use of job opportunities in Ireland, it is highly recommended that you be fluent in English.
  • Although students from EU states have better chances of finding work in Ireland, if non-EU students have specialized skills and core domain knowledge, getting skilled jobs in Ireland will not be difficult.
Many factors contribute to finding the ideal dream job in Ireland. However, the most important factor is the field that you choose to work in. The primary aim of this article is to cover crucial job sectors in Ireland for international students, who are either studying or planning to study in Ireland.