One of the great advantages of City Language School\’s Study & Travel Programme is the fact that students can work up to 20 hours part-time per week in term time or up to 40 hours per week during college vacation periods, that is, from June to September. Not only does this allow students to earn money and contribute to society, it also gives them the opportunity to speak English in a ‘real’ environment.
Unemployment levels are currently quite low in Ireland (6.2%) so finding a job has become a little easier for students. However, there are still some things that students should keep in mind before they come to Dublin so we at City Language School asked some of our students to tell us about their experiences of finding work here.
Mateus, Katia, Mariana & Marcos
Katia (Mexico)
I work at KFC on Westmoreland Street. I started there three months ago. It was actually easy for me. I found a job in one week. Everyday I dropped my CVs in to places. I think I dropped in about 40 CVs. It took me five days. I got four interviews [in different places]. I had one interview with KFC. It was in the morning. I got the job in the afternoon and I started my training that evening.
Have you any advice for people who are looking for a job?
Maybe that everyday they should drop CVs in the morning and at lunch time because the restaurant managers are there at that time.
Mariana (Mexico)
I work in TGI Friday’s, a restaurant, near St. Stephen’s Green. I’ve been there almost a month. I like it a lot because there are many young people and they are from different places and it’s good for my English. There are people from the Philippines, Russia, China and Brazil. There is one Irish person there – the manager – but you have to speak English all the time and that is very good. I work in the kitchen and in the restaurant. I dropped in about twenty CVs to different places but also I sent about thirty online. It’s easy and fast. You can just attach your CV by phone, I was always uploading CVs. But I got the job from a physical CV.
Have you any advice for people who are looking for a job?
Keep trying.
Mateus (Brazil)
I work at Pygmallion (a well-known bar in Dublin). The hours are long. I work twice a week about ten hours a night twice a week. In the first four hours I’m like a cleaner and then floor staff for the rest of the night. It’s very intense on the weekends but I like it because I work with many people from different countries – Polish, Italians, French – and at the end of the night there are free drinks, so I like it. I have been there one month. It took me about two months to find a job. I was a little worried I wouldn’t get a job. I was dropping in lots of CVs but in the end I didn’t get the job in this way. I met a girl who had a friend who knew there was a job. It was *word of mouth.
Have you any advice for people who are looking for a job?
This is my advice. Meet people. Be friendly and you’ll get a job.
Marcos (Mexico)
I’m starting my job tomorrow actually. I got it through the internet. It’s in a hotel. In the Harcourt Hotel. The position is porter. I have to do different things in different departments, in the reception, in the housekeeping, different events. I used the internet more than anything – job.ie and Gumtree.ie are good sites. It took me about three months to find the job.
Have you any advice for people who are looking for a job?
There lots of sites you can try.
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*word of mouth = when people tell other people about an opportunity or about somebody\’s reputation (in a positive way).
Example – \”I get most of my business through word of mouth.\”