Post 22 - Music & Ireland

One thing that struck me when I moved to Ireland was the passion of Irish people for Music. It is impressive how they love going to concerts, they are not afraid to sing on any occasion and they know their stuff. And when I say "They" it is not only the young ones, everyone has a passion for music. It is not a big surprise then that they have so many famous singers and bands...

Concerts in Ireland are quite unique, the atmosphere is unbelievable and bands love being here. There are a few Music Festivals and this is quite special: www.oxegen.ie; www.electricpicnic.ie

Have a look: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M93slbgla7Y

Here is a little list to name a few great artists:

• U2, that's the obvious one
• The Cranberries
• Ronan Keating
• Sinead O'Connor
• The Script
• BellX1
• The Pogues
• The Frames
• The Corrs
• Van Morrison
• Rory Gallagher (Jimmy Hendrix was asked one day what it was like to be the best guitar player in the world and he replied: "I don't know you would need to ask Rory Gallagher" - that says it all!)

Post 21 - Father Ted

Ok this is not a post about Recruitment at all but if you are going to move to Ireland you need to know the culture a little bit. When I first moved to Ireland my English was not great and I was struggling when watching TV but when I watched Father Ted for the first time I knew I was going to love it. This program is quite old (1995) but this is still huge in Ireland. All the characters are very funny and this is only a pity that there are only 25 episodes.

Basically this is the story of 3 Catholic priests who lives together in Craggy island, off the West Coast of Ireland:

• Father Ted Crilly
• Father Dougal McGuire
• Father Jack Hackett

They live with their housekeeper Mrs Doyle who always wants to serve them tea.

A few famous people have played part in it:
- Graham Norton
- Pat Short...

Watch this on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFTgkibl7DU 

A few quotes to make you want to watch them all:

Dougal: God I've never seen a clock at 5 a.m. before!

Dougal: Do you believe in God, then Ted?

Mrs. Doyle: Pat was just wondering if he could put his massive tool in my box.

Mrs. Doyle: I'm so excited. Taking on three bishops all at once. I can't wait.

Mrs Doyle: Won't you have some cake, Father? It's got cocaine in it. Oh no, hang on, it's not cocaine, is it. What do I mean now? - the little things... Raisins!

Ted: Now concentrate this time, Dougal. These (pointing to plastic cows on table) are very small; those (pointing out of the window) are far away...

Ted: Dougal, how did you get into the church in the first place? Was it, like, 'collect 12 crisp packets and become a priest?'

Ted: So there he is. Risen from the dead. Like that feller.... E.T.

Dougal: God, I've heard about those cults Ted. People dressing up in black and saying Our Lord's going to come back and save us all.
Ted: No, Dougal, that's us. That's Catholicism.
Dougal: Oh right.

Ted: So... let me get this straight. You were up on an old man, riding him around and whipping him. For an hour.
Dougal: Yes.
Ted: You realise that image will stay with me for the rest of my life?

Mrs Doyle: Now come on Father, what would you say to a nice cup of tea?
Jack: FECK OFF CUP!!!!!!

This gives you an idea of the Irish sense of humor. Yes they are mostly Catholic but they are not afraid to make fun of themselves! 

Post 20 - The best websites for Multilingual jobs

Ok your CV is done, you are in Dublin ready to interview, all you need now is a job to apply to. There are a few sources that most recruitment agencies and employers use. On top of that it is always good to have a solid Network of friends and colleagues/ex Colleagues who can refer your CV.

• Top Language jobs (http://www.toplanguagejobs.co.uk/)

This may not be very well known but this is a serious website for multilingual recruitment. You can set up a profile with your CV and also apply for job advertising. This is a must do for candidates looking for Multilingual roles.

• CPL (http://www.cpl.ie/)

CPL is a big Recruitment agency and my team has 20 multilingual recruiters and we work with big clients in IT, Customer Service, Sales, Online Marketing... We will assist you to tailor your CV and prepare for an interview. Each consultant place about 100 candidates a year so we have a solid experience. 

• Monster (http://www.monster.ie/)

It used to be the best recruitment site... It is not as good as it used to be but this is still a good place to leave your CV as the database is used by most agencies.

• Jobs.ie (http://www.jobs.ie/)

Most agencies and employers advertise on Jobs.ie and this is the leader in Ireland. This is definitely a great place to find jobs and also a great way to get to know more about the market place.

Post 19 - Meet with my colleague Lenka, a Czech Recruiter in Dublin

This week this is Lenka's turn. She only started in a the team a few months ago and she is working closely with Dali (see post 15). She is from the Czech Republic.

Where are you from? 

Czech Republic, a very small village (300 people J)

What do you do in your spare time?

Keep fit (gym, tennis, swimming), meeting with friends, travelling

For how long have you been in Ireland? 1 year and 2 month

What makes you stay here?

Great job, my boyfriend (which I met here), the hospitality of locals J

Why did you decide to move to Dublin?

Because of a job offer

What is the main difference with The Czech Republic?

Obviously weather, then geography and people’s mentality

What do you like most about Dublin?

It’s international, quite small (you can basically walk everywhere), lots of water (the sea, canals, river), easy to access (the airport is so close), clean and green

What is your favourite spot for food in Dublin?

I like all good steak restaurants J

What is your favourite part of Dublin?

Grand Canal area, Dublin 2

Do you find it easy to make friends in Dublin?

Yes, a lot of people came here alone only with a job offer in their hands, everyone is looking for the same thing – socialize, get to know new cultures, travel, make new friends.

For how long have you been in recruitment?

At CPL 2 month but before I worked in recruitment in London for 1,5 years.

What do you like most about Multilingual Recruitment?

I am multilingual myself and I believe in the saying: more languages you speak, more personalities you have. Interesting candidates, the best companies in the world as clients.

What do you like most about working in Ireland?

Ireland as a country is beautiful – I like to get to know it step by step and (as I already said) the hospitality of Irish people J

What tip would you give to a candidate who just arrived in Dublin?

Speak to your colleagues, join every social event you can, go to the streets, speak to people and you’ll see you will like it from the first moment ;) 

If you wish to contact Lenka: lenka.rokosova@cpl.ie  

Post 18 - Social Media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Viadeo, Google+ and Xing)

Social Medias are everywhere now and this is a good way to apply for jobs. It is important that you are well aware that Recruiters and Employers are using this to find candidates and to get information about you. Make sure your profile looks professional and is up to date.

• LinkedIn: If you do not have a LinkedIn profile already I would strongly encourage you to set up one. LinkedIn is used by all Recruiters in Ireland and this is a great way to increase your professional network. This is the number 1 recruitment tool.

•  Facebook: This is an easy way to follow Companies you would like to work for or Recruitment Agencies that can help you get a job. However most Facebook users have pictures they do not want potential employers to look at so I would recommend strongly that you look at your privacy settings if you do not want everyone to access them.

• Twitter: I am not a Twitter user but I know some recruiters who use this a lot so it may be a good idea to give it a go. If you are clever with Twitter you can get access to very influential people...

• Viadeo: I know this is very popular among French candidates but not much used here in Ireland. I would suggest to keep your Viadeo profile up to date and also set up a LinkedIn profile for your time in Ireland.

• Xing: This is the German most popular professional network. Most multilingual recruiters in Ireland are trying to use this but as for Viadeo I would recommend to set up a LinkedIn profile to make sure your profile is fully visible.

• Google +: This is getting bigger and bigger because lots of people are using Google for everything and there everything is integrated. However this is not a recruitment tool such as LinkedIn.

Post 17 - CPL Salary guide 2014

Every year CPL release a salary guide for Employers and Employees.

This is a good way to check if you are getting paid right or if it is time to go elsewhere:

http://www.cpl.ie/salary-guide-2014/offline/download.pdf

Post 16 - How to deal with a Recruiter?

I know that candidates can sometimes be disappointed by Recruitment Agencies and by Recruiters. So this is very important that you deal with a Consultant that you trust. Be honest with him and expect the same in return. You may need to avoid certain recruiters if you do not like their style.

My aim is always to have a professional and courteous relationship with my candidates.

What I expect from Candidates:

• Be on time for an interview, look professional and be well prepared
• No "No show", if you agree to meet with me or with my client, do not let me down by not attending
• Be honest with me, tell me if you are not interested in a job
• Keep me updated. If you find another job there is no problem, just let me know
• Do not be afraid to tell me if you change your mind
• Do keep in touch with me, I am happy to connect on Linkedin
• Tell me if you have already applied or interviewed with my client

What Candidates can expect from me in return:

• I will never send your CV to my clients without asking you first
• My service is free of charge
• I will be professional with you (I won't yell at you and won't force you to apply for a job you are not interested in)
• I will meet with you before your interview and help you prepare
• I will give you feedback from your interview as soon as I get one from the client
• I will give you advice on your CV
• I will tell you about all the jobs that I have open and that may suit you
• When unsuccessful I will give you a honest feedback that will help you to get the job "next time"