Why Ireland

Green hills, wild coasts, St. Patrick’s Day and the birthplace of Guinness. That can only be Ireland of course. This country is filled with cosy pubs and castles, but is mainly the perfect place for everybody who loves wilderness in combination with a lot of socializing. You will also find the European headquarters of the largest companies in the world, this because the corporation tax in low and the employees are working on a high level.

Do you already see yourself drinking a Guinness in the pub and playing a game of pool? In that case I have some other reasons for you why Ireland should be your new home. 

Environment

Ireland is quite a small island, which means that it is easy to discover the county for a weekend trip. The infrastructure which connects the larger cities is mega efficient and there is plenty of countryside in between. Ireland is known for its green hills, but did you know that the island has beautiful cliffs? Ireland has 365 different islands, so you can visit a different one every day of the year! In Ireland you can walk past the green, rolling hills and green-grey, rugged mountains while the small, winding roads are filled with flowering fuchsia’s all summer. 

No, it doesn’t rain every day. Take a rain suit as a precaution, but don’t forget your sunglasses as well. You can also get a nice tan here during summer, even though most of the Irish aren’t really suiting a lot of sunlight (read white). And in the case it does rain for a while, you will only be even happier when the sun breaks through. Another good point, Ireland is not being bothered by nature disasters, so you don’t need to worry about your safety. 

Culture

You can find plenty of culture here. For example, did you know that there are over 30.000 castles in Ireland? That is over one castle per 3 km2! Ireland is also known for its ballad singers and folk, and you will hear this everywhere. When you are lucky enough to walk in a real ballad singer you will in addition also hear the whole Irish history in one night pass by. Definitely a recommendation to visit! Also special to see is the Irish tapdancing, also for the ones who may not be the biggest fans of theatre. Look it up, you will be surprised!

You will also find enough stunning buildings in the urban areas. Walk around Dublin or Belfast and you’ll see what’s about to hit you. Next to this, you can find a lot of festivals here during the summer, where you can find music, art, food trucks and family events. 

Education

The education in Ireland is very high level. Next to this, schools are even free for children till they’re 16 years old, but the system is a little different from most countries. 95% of all primary schools are Catholic and the rest are mostly Irish-language schools or special education. Slowly there are coming more public schools, but don’t expect them outside the city. Don’t be surprised with large classes, 36 children in one classroom isn’t unlikely. Ireland is scoring above average in education, in particular in mathematics, literature and physics. You can find the Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin and University College Cork here as well, which are a few of the best universities in the world. 

Career opportunities

With one of the lowest corporate taxes in the world is Ireland seen as very attractive for multinationals to set up a location. Mega players like Google, PayPal, Facebook, LinkedIn and Microsoft have their European office in Dublin at this moment. The business life is easy going in Ireland. But don’t expect that business meetings will be structured. Irish people are mostly informal and meet in a pub with a pint of beer or at the golf course. They are not very direct, and it takes some time till they make a point. Employees are always in the position to think about the process and most of the time the higher management really listens to this. 

The Irish like humour in the workplace. Often jokes will be used to break the ice, even during business meetings. As expat you could better hold on for a while when you start in Ireland. It is definitely not appreciated when you talk about yourself or act arrogant. Try to avoid the use of professional titles, in Ireland you speak to each other by using their first name. Modesty is ranked high in the Irish business culture. Don’t introduce yourself directly, but wait till a colleague does that for you. Also, do not make jokes about politics or religion. When you keep this in mind you will feel like a perfect fit in your new company, and you’re ahead of a fantastic career. 

Green

Yes, you will not be able to escape this colour. Did you ever hear that Ireland has 40 shades of green? Think about Emerald Island, the green hills and the cover of four-leaf clovers over the whole country. Especially during St. Patrick’s Day, the national holiday, is everyone dressed in green. You will also see this when the national rugby team plays a game, since this is taken very seriously by them. It’s with a reason that they have the best rugby team in the world. 

Pubs

There isn’t anything that beats a beer after work. And there is no better beer than in Ireland, at least if you ask the Irish. But seriously, the Irish love to chill in in the pub and have a good time. Not for nothing, there are Irish pubs all over the world. Nevertheless, Irish pubs are not just about Irish beer. From brewpubs to microbreweries and beer festivals, the Irish pub is getting a real make-over. So if you would love to chill in the pub with happy people Ireland is your place to be. 

This is what candidate Mike says about his choice to move to Dublin:

“The reason I moved to Ireland was that of the feeling to see the world while getting to know the local people. The reason I choose the place I did was because it has a great working environment, a lot of bonuses, good salary and the cantine is the best, plus I always wanted to see Ireland and taste Guinness right from the brewery.

I work at DXC technology as a customer support agent for DSB, which is a great job.

I started this trip alone and inexperienced but after the first few days there was already a lot of people to talk to, people over here are super friendly, they have a saying instead of hello it’s ” how are ya” you can’t be anything but happy every time you hear that. I learned from the trip over here nothing is impossible, the only boundaries you have is the ones u give yourself, you get the chance to expand your mindset, meet new nationalities, talk to strangers who treat you like a friend even though you just met.

The summer over here was so warm you only needed shorts and a T-shirt, it was the hottest summer they ever had in Ireland if you ask the locals, me and a friend decided to live in a tent for 2 months because we wanted to get the full experience of what its like to be here, and are we glad to have done it. The camp as we called Tent Avenue was close to the river so every morning we made a campfire, took a skinny dip in the river, ate the toast and sausage we made over the fire right before we could take the train to work, and the best part for last, they had a training facility where we could take a shower before going upstairs, then we would not smell like bonfire.

I’m happy I did this, it was a big step, a big chance! BUT the confusion, in the beginning, is nothing compared with the gain in the end!”

Had we already told that English is the official language here? In some areas, they will also speak Irish, but you don’t have to struggle with language barriers. 

So do you think about moving to Ireland? Already tasting the Guinness? Send an email to info@jobsqd.com and we’ll get in touch to talk about your dreams!