Post 6 - How to prepare for an interview?

Part of my job is to prepare my candidates for an interview and most of the time the candidates want to know what questions they will be asked. It actually does not really matter what questions will be asked if you are well prepared.

Here is what you need to do:
- Know the job spec and be able to explain your motivations for this role
- Make some research and know the company you are applying to. Not only the name of the CEO and the dates... What you really need to know is what they do and how they do it. Most Companies have Core Values nowadays and this is important to show that you fit within those values.
- Make sure you know how to get to the interview and be on time! First impressions are crucial
- Always present well (look good, smell good and show up in a good form) for an interview. Do not hesitate to ask the dress code for the interview. Some companies do not want you to show up in a suit so it is best to ask.
- If you are dealing with an Agency, take the time to meet with your consultant and ask questions. This is part of our job to prepare candidates for interviews.
- Prepare interview questions such as Strengths/Weaknesses, have some examples of your previous experiences... A good way to answer questions is to use the STAR technique (Situation Task Action Result).
- Know your CV and be prepared to give a summary of your work experience and education.

Being well prepared for an interview will pay off! You will be much more relax and will actually enjoy the interview.

Post 5 - The public transports in Dublin

I think I won't break a secret if I say that the Public Transports in Dublin are not the best in Europe.

But once you know how it works it is completely fine. There are 4 categories:

- Train / Dart (http://www.irishrail.ie/)

- Luas (http://www.luas.ie/)

- Buses (https://www.dublinbus.ie/)

- Taxi (that's not public transport but this is very useful in Dublin)

It is very important hen you accept a job to make sure that your daily commute will be doable. I would always advise candidates to find a job first and then look for an accommodation.

The Dart is a train that goes along the coast of Dublin. People do complain a lot about the fact that the Dart/trains can be a bit unreliable. When you look at it it looks a little old as well but that's a good option for lots of people.

The Luas is a Tramway and I love it. I have been taking it for the last 4 years and it is very reliable and comfortable. There are 2 lines (Green and Red) that unfortunately are not connected yet but it is going to happen soon. The Green Line is the South Side line and the Red Line is the North Side line.

There are lots of Bus lines in Dublin. I do not use it very often but every time I used it I found it quite reliable. The problem is that when it is raining in Dublin the traffic can be very heavy and that causes problems for the buses... 

Taxis are a great option when you are in a rush or not sure where you are going. You will find that Taxis in Dublin are affordable and there are so many of them that you just need to put your hand up or you can even use this app: https://hailocab.com/ireland 

In a nutshell, Public Transports in Dublin (except for the Luas) are not great but they have improved a lot over the last few years and it is getting better every year :)

Post 4 - Giro d Italia in Dublin - 11th of May 2014

A bit of sport on a Monday, the Giro d Italia is coming to Dublin on the 11th of May!

Not everyone will be familiar with this but the Giro is one of the biggest Cycling Tour with the Spanish Vuelta and the French Tour. It will start in Belfast on Friday the 9th of May and will arrive in Upper Merrion Street (where I work!!) on Sunday 11th of May.

This is a great opportunity to see the most famous cyclists in action:  http://www.girostart2014.com/

Irish people love sports: Football, Rugby, Cricket... everything, they even have their own sports: Hurling and Gaelic Football!

I will tell you more about this very soon

Post 3 - Taxation in Ireland

Scary subject but in Ireland you'll find that the tax are quite low compare to many other European countries: good news!

Basically for earnings up to €32.800 you will pay 20% of tax and for everything over €32.800 you will be taxed at 41%.

Taxes are subtracted from your salary so you do not need to worry about paying your tax. The money that you're paid into your bank account is yours to keep.

However if you have a car you will also need to pay a motor tax which can be quite expensive if you have a big car... Also the government has just introduced a Household charge for home owners and will introduce a Water tax at the end of 2014 (water was free so far!!!).

Here are 2 useful links: 

• Citizens.ie: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money_and_tax/tax/income_tax/how_your_tax_is_calculated.html
• Here is a link to a tax calculator to give you a rough idea: http://www.deloitte.ie/tc/

What you need to know is that taxes are low for a reason... You will need to pay for:

• your private health insurance (this not compulsory though so lots of young workers do not have one)
• your pension (banks offer pension plans and it is best to look at this as soon as you can afford it)

Also if you become unemployed you can get the "dole" but it is only €140 to 180 per week so it is best to save money for bad days.

Ireland is well known for low Corporation tax and that's why so many American Multinationals are now operating in Ireland. It is also true that young workers will get well paid and pay low taxes compare to most European countries. This is one of the reason why people are so happy in Ireland :)

Post 2 - What you need to relocate to Dublin?

Relocating to another country can be a bit scary but it is much easier than you think. I moved to Dublin 8 years and I remember when I first looked at it I felt that it was going to be hard work. Actually it wasn’t and mostly because Ireland is part of Europe and it makes things much easier.

Here is a good “to do list” for you:

1.  First you may need to inform the administration of your country that you are moving abroad (social welfare…). Make sure you do this before leaving the country.

2. Talk to you Bank:

·        Tell them about your project and check with them if you can use your credit card abroad for payment and to withdraw cash.

·        Also it is always good to make sure your card is not going to expire shortly after your arrival to avoid any hassle.

·        Most bank now have an International Team that can look after you when you are abroad. It is also great to have Online Banking.

3. Get prepared and inform yourself about Dublin / Ireland

·        A good way to do this is to use Facebook – there are lots of Facebook pages for “Expats in Dublin”

·        Read online and try to familiarise yourself with the Work industry

·        Prepare your CV in English (Irish format, no picture, lots of bullet point…) and get a native English speaker to look at it

4. Once you have sorted out your stuff at home you can organize your relocation to Dublin.

·        Book your flight to Dublin (Ryanair and Air Lingus are the cheapest options I believe but have a look at this http://www.skyscanner.ie/)

· find a temporary accommodation – eazycity is a good option: http://www.eazydublin.com/

5. Find a job – Cpl will help you with this www.cpl.ie

·        Look at our ads and apply online

·        Our consultant will provide you with feedback on your CV, level of English… and off course will help you find a job

6. Find an accommodation if possible not too far from where you are going to work

·        www.daft.ie is great

7. Open a bank account

·        The main banks in Ireland are AIB, Bank of Ireland, Permanent TSB and Ulster Bank

·        Banks can be a bit difficult and they will ask you for a letter from your employer to let you open a bank account)

8. Get your PPS number (equivalent to Social Security Number)

·        As soon as you have a permanent address I would recommend to get your PPS number.

·        When you start working for the first time in Ireland you will also need to fill a 12A form for the tax office: file:///C:/Users/gcognard/Downloads/form12a%20(1).pdf

It looks pretty straight forward and it is! Most candidates we are dealing with are in Dublin and this is key element when you apply for job. Here you can get a job within 1 week and employers will expect you to be available to interview at short notice and start in your new job within 1 to 4 weeks max.

Dublin is buzzing right now with great work opportunities so what are you waiting for?

Look at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7OHdxi1byc

Post 1 - My team at Cpl Languages Jobs

Ok first post on my blog... this is not easy to start something like this even if I have been thinking about it for years!
Well first, let me introduce myself. My name is Gilles Cognard and I am a French Recruiter in Dublin. I work for CPL recruitment and I do multilingual recruitment so lots of Call Centre/Multinational jobs.

I really enjoy what I do and the main reason is because I get to meet people from everywhere. But there is another reason: my team!! I work in a multilingual team (Spanish, Italian, Irish, Chinese, German, Czech, French and Swedish) and we like to call ourselves a family. And it is true it is like a little family! But this cartoon from Nemi says it all... We do have arguments and sometimes you find it hard to understand other cultures!

However this is so rewarding and the atmosphere is amazing!

This is all for the first post but you will definitely hear about my colleagues again :)