Are you an Irish national living abroad, looking to return home and find work in Ireland?
EURES (EURopean Employment Service) is a free service which provides valuable support for both jobseekers and employers across Europe. Ireland, along with 30 other countries, is part of the EURES network, which has over a thousand EURES Advisers with specialised knowledge in recruitment/placement, relocation, and living and working conditions in various European countries.
Ireland’s economy is performing very well with a record 2.7 million people at work and unemployment rate remaining historically low at just 4.1% in November 2024.
2024 has seen impressive job creation across a diverse range of industries. ICT, pharmaceuticals, construction, and renewable energy have been particularly strong performers. A rising demand for skilled professionals across various sectors is making Ireland an attractive destination for career growth.
EURES Advisers help jobseekers to find jobs in Ireland and across Europe.
If you are looking for a job in Ireland or in Europe, you can contact one of the Irish EURES Advisers to get information and advice on employment opportunities.
EURES Advisers provide information and advice on job searching in Europe, helping jobseekers to connect with potential employers. They also offer practical guidance on living and working conditions in other EU/EEA countries, as well as pre-departure and on-arrival advice.
EURES Advisers also work with Irish employers who are looking for candidates based outside of Ireland. Contact an Irish EURES adviser if you are looking for work opportunities or need information on relocation to or from Ireland.
Do you know that there are thousands of job opportunities across Europe and not all jobs require proficiency in the native language?
English is spoken by about half of the Europeans (47%) as a foreign or second language. English is one of the most important languages of business throughout the world, which makes English speaking jobs in Europe very easy to encounter.
Countries like the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Croatia, Denmark, Greece, Belgium, Austria or Germany have ranked very high on the EF English Proficiency Index. Do you know that roughly 90% of the population of the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden speak English? Many employers in Europe will accept English speaking job candidates and offer them an opportunity to learn the national language.
Jobs in Europe are easily accessible through EURES.
EURES, the European Job Mobility Portal, gives you access to almost 3 million vacancies throughout the EU/EEA. You can search for job vacancies in a wide range of occupations and sectors, across all EU/EEA countries and get in touch with European employers.
The EURES portal offers a variety of services, including information on living and working conditions in various countries and advice on how to apply for jobs abroad. One of the key features of EURES is its job matching service, which helps candidates find positions that align with their skills and qualifications. Users can create profiles upload their CVs and receive tailored job alerts based on their preferences.
EURES hosts virtual recruitment events to facilitate job matching.
European Online Job Days (EOJDs) are a flagship EURES initiative that bring together jobseekers and employers from across the EU. These free virtual events take place on the www.europeanjobsdays.eu platform and allow jobseekers explore jobs and submit their CVs, while employers can post vacancies, review candidates, and schedule interviews. The platform also offers remote participation in livestreamed presentations and video chats. Every year, there are around 35 EOJDs organised across Europe that give you a chance to find work anywhere in Europe or in Ireland.
EURES offers financial grants to people relocating for work to another EU country.
EURES Targeted Mobility Scheme (TMS) makes it easier to move and work in Europe. It offers financial assistance to EU citizens ages 18 or over who are relocating for work to another EU country, Norway or Iceland (excludes return mobility, T&C apply). The TMS scheme provides the following supports:
- Financial support for travel expenses for a job interview in another EU country,
- Financial support if you relocate to start a new job in another EU country,
- Other financial supports like recognition of qualifications allowance, language training allowance, family relocation allowance.
For more information visit EURES Ireland website or email tms@welfare.ie.
Moving abroad can be a transformative experience, allowing individuals to immerse themselves in the cultural, social, and economic life of another country.
Patrick Burke from Clare moved to Lithuania in 2024. He is living in Vilnius and working as a Senior Financial Data Analyst. Read his story below to learn of his experience of working in Europe.
‘I was born and raised in Clare, Ireland. I earned a bachelor’s degree in law, followed by a master’s in finance. During my studies, I spent a summer working in South Carolina on a J1 visa, which was a great experience. Now, I’m living in Vilnius, Lithuania, and working as a Senior Financial Data Analyst for one of the top three credit rating agencies.
I already had a job offer when I contacted EURES, so their main support was financial aid. This was incredibly helpful because the costs of moving and setting up in a new country can pile up unexpectedly. The financial aid eased a lot of the pressure, which let me focus on settling into my new life and job.
I live in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, and absolutely love it. The city is gorgeous, with its mix of architectural styles from different historical periods. The Old Town is UNESCO-recognized and has all the standards you’d expect as a metropolitan European city – cafés, outdoor dining, especially in summer. The city is also affordable, my apartment is €420 per month, a ticket to the philharmonic can be €15-20.
What I really love though, is how close you are to nature. The city is surrounded by forests, lakes, and rivers. I often finish work and head straight to a lake or an artificial beach for volleyball, or a swim. And if not that then I use the extensive cycling path network here to go on 30km+ cycles after work without ever leaving a cycle path.
The work culture here is also great. It has taken after Nordic countries, with a big focus on employee satisfaction and work-life balance. The hierarchy is very flat, so it’s normal to chat with the most senior person in the office the same way you would with someone on your team. You’re treated like an adult and given the freedom to work in a way that suits to get the job done and grow professionally. I would highly recommend anyone to live here.
Working abroad teaches you so much, especially about communication and networking. You have to learn how to connect with people from different cultures, which is hugely important if you want to advance in your career. One piece of advice for people thinking of moving countries: Visit the city you’re thinking about moving to. Don’t just see it as a tourist – look at how the city functions. Check out the infrastructure, the business areas, and talk to locals. Try to imagine yourself living there, not just visiting. Professionally working in another country affords you so many more opportunities to be a person who can move as their career advancement necessitates. And if you’re hesitant to leave home, let’s not make a mountain of a molehill, this isn’t the 1800s where we get on a boat across the Atlantic never to see home again. We can fly home from Europe cheaply nowadays and facetime every day to stay connected with our loved ones.’
Where to learn more
To learn more about EURES services, visit www.euresireland.ie and check out EURES Cookbook to get a sample of European cuisines and learn what different European countries have to offer to EU mobile workers.
Special thanks to EURES Ireland for writing this article for Crosscare Irish Diaspora Support Project. Learn more about what to consider if you are leaving Ireland to live abroad.
