man looking for a new job in ireland

How To Find The Best IT Jobs In Ireland (And Not Just In Dublin)

Contractors aren’t afraid of moving around. In fact, it’s only natural to offer a little flexibility when it comes to where you work – as well as where you source a good cup of coffee in the morning.

However, when it starts to feel like you spend more time in your car than at home, that’s when problems start to occur.

Commuting up to two hours a day really adds up. In fact, that’s almost 20 days spent on the road each year.

Wouldn’t it be better if we could spend that time doing something more worthwhile?

Although there are a lot of high-quality positions in Dublin, many do exist outside the capital. And if you’re sick of commuting, then there are even more benefits to be had from working closer to home.

Tracy Quinlan is the Associate Director at itContracting and has significant experience of working in the recruitment sector across Ireland.

We spoke to her to find out how you can cut the commute and find high-quality roles closer to home, for a better quality of life.

 

What are some of the issues that workers are facing in Ireland at the moment?

Firstly, time is very much impacted when people are embracing a role with a serious commute.

It can seem like a like a great idea to begin with, but their work / life balance can take a serious hit when people are travelling over an hour to get to and from work. Also, cost is another factor. It can become very expensive on contractors if expense isn’t part of their role – which quite often it’s not.

So, it’s something to factor in when you’re considering a new role – it’s part of the decision making. And that’s something we can help with in terms of brokering a role or a contract, we can take an objective look at as to how much they need to consider in in terms of time and costs attributed.

Finally, energy is another factor. Most people’s work life very rarely ends at 5.30pm. So, as well as the commute, people are logging in when they get back home, so burnout is something people can experience.

The opportunity may be very well worthwhile, but the disadvantages need to be considered.

 

Is it true that all the good jobs in Ireland are in Dublin?

I think that’s the perception for incoming contractors who are considering Ireland as a point of location.

Dublin is usually their first port of call. However, once they have come to Ireland, they appreciate there are a lot of multinational companies that have a base in Dublin but also have a satellite base in one of the regional cities or towns.

Interestingly, there’s significant research provided by the IDA which demonstrates the costs and the benefits for investment companies that are considering Ireland as a location for their European base. And this data shows they are making a significant practice of directing incoming investment around the country to places such as Carlow, Kilkenny, Waterford and Cork.

These things have a significant impact when it comes to housing for your incoming staff as well as for schools in terms of location and the sheer numbers. Also, the work / life balance is a lot better – people can finish work, have a 20-minute commute and they’re home.

Certainly, a consideration from the broader aspect of investment into Ireland which is undoubtedly having an impact. We do see a lot of multinationals and global companies with their European base in some of the regional towns across the country, purely because of the commuter issues for Dublin staff.

Supporting the discussions around that, we see hubs, such as Crystal Valley initiative in the south east, where there are over 150 start-ups ranging from 5 to 700 staff. Also, Galway has delivered large numbers of start-ups who are borne from third Level incubation units, along with initiatives such as Hatch Lab in Gorey, which I believe is almost at full capacity.

So, there’s a lot of potential for contractors to consider regional clients with a smaller operation. However, they are still competing very well on salary and also in emerging tech – you’ll find those all over not just in Dublin.

 

What are some of the benefits of being a contractor?

Certainly, for anyone looking to reduce their commute, a 6-month or even a 3-month contracting role will allow that person to try a new location before they commit – so there’s a lot of flexibility.

Especially if you’re moving your family and moving to a new location, it’s a huge commitment for anyone considering relocation.

So, a contracting role offers you that flexibility so that you can try before you buy! It gives you that chance to speculate around schools and housing, prior to the commitment of a permanent position.

A lot of contractors that we work very closely with, do appreciate that they can relocate and then come back to us after a couple of months and say, ‘I am really enjoying it here, we want to stay are there any permanent positions or further contracting roles in this location’.

Contract roles by their nature are often project-based, and this allows our contractors an introduction to new tech or new deployments which can provide highly valuable experience for them within their IT profession.

As IT moves so quickly, if they want to expand their skills and experience in an ever-changing industry, contracting is one of the ways they can do that.

 

What makes itContracting different – how can we help?

One of our taglines we’ve always stood by is that we’re technically better equipped to deal with our clients and contractors. We’re a tech company that understands recruitment rather than recruitment agency trying to understand tech – and that’s our edge.

We’re based in Dublin, Cork and Waterford so we’re very close to the market on a national basis.

We have positions across Ireland – we work with clients in Longford, Tramore, Ringaskiddy, Galway – and beyond.  Sometimes we’re in a position to hire candidates as a fulltime employee within Evros (the wider technology group to which itContracting belongs). So, we can hire and employ people directly and then also allow them the benefits of working as a contractor within our client base. So, it does give that extra level of security and stability allowing them to do things like apply for a mortgage, while also enjoying the benefits of contract work, so it’s win-win!

At itContracting, we have our eyes on the current market so if you are looking for an up-to-date overview of the Irish IT jobs market across Ireland, you can certainly get that from us. We can also give insight around market trends, developments and or course exposure to cutting-edge tech.

And if you’re considering a move in six months’ time, talk to us so when the right opportunity comes up, we can coordinate that with you.

 

Talk to us

We’re extremely experienced in matching the right candidate to the right IT role. And we can help you navigate your way to your perfect job. All you need to do is ask!

Phone: (+353) 1890 911 211

Email: info@itcontracting.ie

Or you can send us your CV.

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