Guest Blogger: Canadian Invades Northern Ireland

My friend and fellow WII girlie has taken the time to write about her travels to Belfast/Giant’s Causeway. Let’s see what Jess has to say: 

(P.S. that’s Jess and me in the middle)

At the end of January, two months into my adventure in Ireland, I signed up for a social event hosted by the Work in Ireland Program. Emma had organized a trip to Belfast to see a Giants game (she knew the Canadians in the group needed their hockey fix). One of the many fantastic reasons for participating in these socials is to enjoy the deals Emma manages to hook us up with. It’s much cheaper to travel in groups, I have learned. For 50 euro, we had return bus tickets and a block of seats at the game. Deadly.

My roommates and I packed wraps and snacks for the bus ride. On our way there we overtook the back end of the bus and spent the whole time joking and eating and making friends with a few other twenty-somethings taking a similar trip. Aaron, a born-and-bred Dubliner who joined us in the backseat, was astounded by the fact that in North America we eat a breakfast cereal called Lucky Charms. The most stereotypically Irish cereal is not, surprisingly, available in Ireland. Aaron couldn’t believe there were actually shamrocks and pots of gold in our cereal bowls!

We arrived to our hostel, got changed and headed back out to meet the rest of the crew for dinner (and pre-game beers). Got a good shot of the whole group!

The game was disappointing for the Belfast Giants, unfortunately, but there is nothing like sitting around an ice rink with friends, pints and… cheerleaders? I have to admit, this was the first time I’ve ever seen cheerleaders at a hockey game! After the game, the group split up as everyone wanted to explore a different part of the nightlife. Some friends and I decided to do a pub crawl of the oldest pubs in town. Needless to say, we met a lot of old men who don’t hold back from flirting with a few tourists!

The painful morning after was an early one, as we crowded onto the bus that would take us in and around Northern Ireland and up to the Giants Causeway, on the northeast coast. I got some breath-taking shots of the causeway, but definitely did not have enough time to thoroughly take it all in. For anyone travelling this way, please do me a favour and tour Northern Ireland. Then spend a few hours at the Giants Causeway and think of me. I got some of my favourite pictures so far on this trip, and keep trying to figure out a way to get back there!

Moral of the story? Go to the WII socials! At least a few. Before you get too busy and miss out on some would-be unforgettable experiences.

- Jess

Social Events on a Dime

If going out to nightclubs or pubs isn’t your cup of tea (or even if it is!), then you should really take advantage of the social events that Work in Ireland sets up! Every month, the Work in Ireland participants get together and do something awesome around Dublin/Ireland. Everyone has a blast (I’ve never heard a complaint), and it’s always affordable. It’s the perfect way to meet new friends and see this beautiful country. Hey, I met my (now) roommate and found out about the house I’m now living in because of a WII social event! We met at the bar where all the WII people were hanging out. Here is a list of recent and upcoming social events:

• November: Galway Weekend, we went to the Cliffs of Moher, Ailewee Caves
• December: Ice skating and Highest pub in Ireland for a meal
• January: Belfast weekend – Giants Causeway tour and ice hockey game in the Odyssey arena
• January 2: Pub Quiz
• February: BYOB Bowling
• March: Irish Dancing Class
• April: Adventure Mini Golf
• May: Newgrange Day Tour

- Jen

Working Class Hero

Now, it’s time to get all ‘The Real World’ on you, and I’m not talking about the MTV version! One very, VERY essential part of Work in Ireland is the actual working in Ireland part. That’s right, you are going to have to work if you want to spend your weekend in Belfast or go shopping on Grafton Street! The recession that has hit many countries around the world has also struck Ireland. This means you aren’t going to be able to snap your fingers and immediately find work. You are going to have to work for your work. Luckily, USIT and the Work in Ireland team are here to help!

My own story is filled with a few ups and downs. It only took 3 months, 3 jobs and 60 plus job applications to nab a job I like. I knew when I moved to Ireland that it wouldn’t be easy to get work. Regardless, I was willing to risk it and I knew I had a LOT of practical experience under my belt. Despite this, it was nothing short of a struggle. They normally sort of fall in my lap, but this time I actively had to claw and scratch for something.

My first job consisted of working an 84-hour week and only making 25 euros. Yes, you read that correctly. It was based solely on commission (not a good idea). Needless to say, I quit that one pretty fast. My second job was being a waiter at a café. I worked hard, but ended up hating the management. They were rude and constantly made me feel inferior. After working so hard for Summa Cum Laude and a credible degree, I felt like all my skills were going to down the drain. I felt like I wasn’t using my brain or contributing to society the way I’d prefer to. Don’t get me wrong…waiting can be great, but not when you have rude bosses breathing down your back! I was gaining nothing from the experience except insecurity and resentment. So, I went searching again, and that’s when luck was finally on my side.

I now have an office job with a travel agency in Ireland. I’m just so happy that everyone is so nice. I have a beautiful desk and computer all to myself. Also, my chair is a rolling, squishy chair! I work 4-day weeks, so I can still try to be a little touristy. I honestly can’t ask for much more at this point! It’ll look great on the resume too. BONUS.

Later on, I’ll post exactly everything you should remember to do when desperately looking for a job, or at least my experience of it. Remember, no matter how much you want a job you still deserve to be treated the right way in your work environment. Don’t put up with people making you feel like crap and don’t work over 80 hours without pay. Ok? Good.

But also, DON’T FREAK OUT. Everyone I’ve met on the WII program has been able to find work. Some people even have multiple jobs! The work really is out there. You just have to find it. To help, USIT posts job vacancies and tutors you on how to create an impressive CV (Europe’s version of a resume). It just takes a little determination, but trust me…it’s so worth it! I wouldn’t change my experience for the world.

 - Jen

The Job Search

• Change the format for you resume to a C.V. (USIT will be able to help you do this!)
• Print off multiple copies of your C.V. to give out to business around town (USIT has free printing, so don’t worry about that)
•  Start walking into stores, restaurants and other local businesses and asking for the manager to hand your C.V. to. Walk-in’s are the BEST way to get a job.
• Dress professionally every time you go hand out C.V.’s.
•   Don’t go around applying to jobs in groups. That’ll just give you more competition!
• Drop into as many places as possible and drop off as many C.V.’s as possible. The more you give out, the larger the chance someone will call you back!
• Keep your eyes and ears open. Ask everyone you meet if they know of any job openings! That’s how I got my first job was a waiter.
•   Apply to multiple jobs online at jobs.ie and irishjobs.ie
• Don’t agree to work for commissioned based pay. That’ll most likely land you into some financial troubles! Your work hours will be too long, and you won’t get paid nearly enough.
• Don’t give up! Something WILL work out for you. 

Stunna Shades

What’s rarer in Ireland than Leprechauns’ gold and ignites just as much (if not more) hysteria? No, it’s not rubies or diamonds. It’s definitely not Kim Kardashian dating Kanye. It’s that round thing in the sky that you probably shouldn’t look directly into. I think they call it the sun? I don’t know…it’s been so long since I’ve properly seen it! I might have forgotten…

In all seriousness, the constant overcast skies do take a little getting used to. I’m from South Carolina, where the weather is more or less perfect (abet a bit humid) almost every day of the year, so I was bound to struggle a little. But, it’s honestly not that bad. The more amusing thing is how the Irish react to the few rays of sunshine that break through the clouds. When this occurs, you should probably grab a seat outside and just watch the crowd go by. Who needs television or the internet? That’ll be enough entertainment for the day!

Sunglasses will be out and worn by every person who passes. What won’t be worn much is clothing. Even when it’s the lower 60’s F (which it usually is when sunny), you’ll see girls in string sundresses, hot pants and the ever flattering (er.) tube top!  They’ll act like Dublin’s literally been place on the surface of the sun, and the only salvation is flocking to the beach. Trust me…it is far too cold for any of this. Being used to the SC heat, I’m usually still walking around in my jacket, long pants and boots! I do give the Irish props, though, for making the best out of the weather they’re given. There is always a bit of complaining going on, but never much lessens their jovial spirits. It’s refreshing. It’s also highly amusing to see the amount of lobster faces that are created by an hour of sunshine in Ireland.

It really says something about a place, though, when even semi-constant ran can’t stop tourists from praising it!  It’s the people, it’s the country, it’s the atmosphere…you’ll understand when you get here.  Eh, sunshine is overrated anyways. 

BUT, when there is sun to be found…you need to check this out: http://www.surfbreaks.ie/lahinch.html. Did you know that Ireland is one of the world’s premiere surfing destinations? Betcha didn’t! There’s no time like the present to start a new hobby. Surfs up dude. 

- Jen