Top tips for people looking for jobs with Irish

This article lists 5 top tips for finding a job with Irish

1. Submit your CV in Irish

Don’t send a CV in English to an Irish-speaking employer – it will likely be trashed. Employers are looking for quicker ways to weed out candidates – a CV in English makes this very easy for them. Make sure that your cover letter and email are also in Irish. Your CV is a great opportunity to show off your writing skills in Irish. Click here for a sample CV layout in Irish.

However, sometimes companies that do not have Irish as their main language of communication are looking for someone who speaks Irish. In this case, it is a good idea to submit an English and Irish version of your CV and cover letter.

2. Ask someone to proofread your application

Aa grammatical mistake in your CV would be viewed by an employer as just laziness and lack of care. Find someone with excellent Irish to review your application. You may have to pay for it, but it’s worth it.

If you are still at university, try asking for help from the tutors, or you could also ask the Cumann Gaelach at your university. If you are not at the university, you could contact a translation company such as snasta.ie nó Dréimire.

3. Participate in the Irish-speaking community

If you are involved in the Irish-speaking community, it will indicate to employers that you have a personal interest in the language, an attribute which is particularly important for jobs that involve the promotion of the Irish language.

If you have a network of friends who speak Irish, chances are that you will hear about available jobs from them. You might meet someone who is leaving a job for which you can apply, for example.

If you take part in Irish language campaigns, you will have something to talk about in any job interview – candidates are often asked to talk about a time when they had to overcome a difficulty at work or a time when they worked effectively in a team.

More information about current Irish language campaigns is available at cnag.ie.

4. Work at the summer colleges

Working at summer colleges offers great opportunities for young people – not only to earn money and improve their Irish, but to make friends who speak Irish. Many of the leaders stay in touch after the end of their courses, and share advice and help each other when they are looking for jobs after university.

5. Keep a regular eye on the online job sites

All Irish language vacancies are available in one place on our vacancies page, where you’ll find positions that operate wholly through the medium of Irish or where Irish is an advantage. Our page is updated daily to ensure that the latest vacancies are visible, gathering advertisements from the main Irish language companies, state bodies, educational institutions and job sites such as  irishjobs.ie, jobbio.ie agus indeed.ie.

Updated: May 2024