From Government websites to jobs portals, here are the corners of the internet where you should be looking if you want to work in STEM in Ireland.
So, you’re a graduate or a career pivoter and you want to get into STEM? Your first port of call might be the internet. You sit down with your phone or at your laptop and you start thinking about where to look. What to Google or what to ask ChatGPT or even what to ask an actual human.
Things change so fast in the world of early careers that the resources available keep evolving too. Your science teacher might not know where you should look for your next opportunity. It’s highly unlikely that anyone at a certain point in their careers – unless they work with graduates and STEM beginners – knows where to look.
Here at SiliconRepublic.com, we like to keep things simple and straightforward for people who are entering or re-entering the workforce. You’ve got enough on your plates without having to wade through a pile of information.
This list of resources that the graduates and STEM beginners of 2023 should keep an eye on is by no means exhaustive but it does cover quite a lot of bases.
Grad Ireland
Grad Ireland is a little bit like LinkedIn in that people can create their own profiles and search for jobs and opportunities. It is also not like LinkedIn in that it is uniquely Irish and has a local feel, running events specifically geared towards graduates and graduates only.
Every year, Grad Ireland runs a massive graduate fair during which employers and graduates meet and chat about job opportunities in various industries. This year’s fair is taking place in Dublin’s RDS on 27 September. It’s free to attend and there will be more than 100 employers there ready to hear from ambitious talent.
If you can’t attend, don’t worry, as the website lists many of the graduate programmes unique to Irish employers. Get applying!
Love or loathe it, LinkedIn is the most well-known professional networking platform for a reason. It’s useful, well laid out and easy to use. Aside from the odd cringy inspirational post, it really is one of the more functional sites out there – and it shouldn’t be lumped into the same social media category as the likes of Instagram, Facebook and X.
If you use it smartly, LinkedIn can be a great asset to you as you grow your professional network and search for new career opportunities. Its job search function is pretty good and you can filter it by location and experience level. In that sense, it is similar to a jobs portal.
It’s also a good idea to put the work into building a top-notch LinkedIn profile so you can stand out to employers. This was a tip Carl Bermingham from NIBRT had in a recent interview with us about graduate job seekers. If you have no experience you need to work a bit harder on getting yourself out there so recruiters notice you. And here is an advice article on what to do if you do get approached by a recruiter on LinkedIn.
Reputable jobs websites
As well as LinkedIn’s job search function, you can look at popular jobs websites – although it’s a good idea to stick with reputable ones like Indeed.com and Jobs.ie. You can filter your search based on location, experience level and industry. You can also create a profile to keep track of any jobs you apply for.
You should consider searching for both broad options in your field – for example, science, engineering, life sciences, pharma – as well as more specialised, defined titles such as software developer.
These sites also have internships and apprentice roles, which brings us nicely to our next item.
Apprenticeships
If you’re hoping to get an apprenticeship position, visit the Apprenticeship Ireland portal. It’s a one-stop-shop for those who either want to be apprentices or employ apprentices. It is a fairly easy website to navigate – there are various different opportunities categorised under different headings from ICT to engineering and biopharma.
The resource is operated by the Irish Government as part of its strategy to encourage early-career professionals and students to take an alternative route to university education. But of course, you can do an apprenticeship if you’re a university graduate, too.
If you’re in Northern Ireland, the NI Direct apprenticeship portal or the UCAS portal are good resources.
Third levels and HEIs
If you’re a university graduate, don’t disregard the options your university points you towards. Most universities these days have their own careers services which are expressly designed to help graduates find jobs when they leave college.
If you’ve already paid for tuition why would you go to an external recruiter when you can book an appointment with your university’s career guidance team for free? Helping graduates find jobs is what they do so don’t forget about them when you’re wondering what to do next.
The Irish Universities Association has a useful graduate resources section on its website which has links to various universities’ careers offices. Find yours and book a consultation.
Fastrack into IT (FIT)
If you want to work in tech but you need a little something extra to boost eyour CV, your skills or your confidence levels, FIT is a wonderful resource. It partners with the likes of Microsoft and IBM and other tech employers in Ireland to create career paths for early-career talent.
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