Internships (also traineeship, or secondment) are an excellent tool for advancing your skills in a field of interest. In Ireland, internships are often necessary to complete degrees for a student who wants to highlight their skills and get a first experience at work.

These internship positions help young adults find a career path, test their aptitude for certain kinds of work and further develop their resume or CV. Internships are almost always unpaid as the intern is gaining skills and experience. It is critical to find the right match so that the relationship is beneficial to both intern and company.

To secure an internship aboard, it may be necessary to find a company that sets-up the internship. Internships are commonly set-up through a university for its students. That said, you could also try to establish direct contact with companies of your interest.

Search for Internships in Ireland

Internships are offered by all sizes companies and in virtually all industries. Once you have decided on the spheres of work that interest you, you can proceed in three ways.

• First, you can use an online search engine for finding a suitable internship (see more in the next section).
• Second, you can use the Internet to find relevant businesses and contact them directly, inquiring whether they accept international interns or if they have international subsidiaries where they can send you for an internship directly from your country.
• Third, you can use the services of a company in your country that sets up internships abroad, or use the student services of your university.

Find Internships Online in Ireland

The best online search engine for finding an internship in Dublin is Kompass.ie. It provides free internship offers and a database of companies that recruit interns. Dublin Internship provides Internships at a professional level within the city.

You will find more internships abroad in the following links:

• GoAbroad.com provides offers for internship and work abroad anywhere in the world
• Internships Abroad
• InternJobs: It is a global database of internships for students, recent graduates and career changers. If you are looking for internship, you can just register for free and have access to all the offers.
• iAgora
• Job in Ireland
• Irish Jobs
• Jobs.ie
• Recruit Ireland

Erasmus+

Erasmus+ (old Leonardo da Vinci programme) is the new EU funding programme for education, training, youth and sport. The programme combines previous funding programmes in the sector including the Lifelong Learning Programme (Comenius, Leonardo, Erasmus, Grundtvig and Transversal Programmes), Youth in Action, Jean Monnet, Tempus and Erasmus Mundus.

Erasmus+ provides opportunities for participants who include students and education staff, to study, train, get work experience and volunteer abroad. In addition to providing grants for individuals, Erasmus+ supports transnational partnerships among education, training and youth institutions and organisations.

The main aims of Erasmus+ are to:

• Help young people to acquire additional skills through studying and training abroad
• Enhance teaching quality in the EU and beyond
• Support member states and partner countries in modernising their education and vocational training systems
• Promote youth participation in society
• Support teaching and research on European integration
• Support European grass-roots sport

See also our article on Erasmus in Ireland.

Newspaper

Several papers have a helpful classified's section. These include:

• Metro and 20 minutes (free newspaper available daily in Dart, Luas stations and Bus Station)
• The Irish Times (Friday)
• The Irish Independent (Thursday and Sunday)
• The Examiner
• The Sunday Business Post
• State Radio & TV

Networking

Sometimes getting a job is about knowing the right people. Talk to friends, family, and business contacts to see if they have connections in the area you would like to work.

Expat events can also be a great way to find out how other expats found work and see if their company has any openings. Use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedln or expat forums.

Work Visas & Permits

Ireland is a member of the EU therefore citizens of the EU and European Economic Area do not require a working visa. Those coming from countries outside the EU will need to obtain both a residence permit and a work permit.

If hired through an agency, it usually guides the intern through the process. Please refer to "Passport & Visa" section of the guide for full details.

Insurance Abroad

Wherever you go, it is recommended that you take out travel insurance as it covers any event that might occur when you are abroad. Many volunteer programs already handle visa arrangements and include insurance coverage in their program fees or as part of their compensation. If they do not, compare around for rates and coverage before contracting any Healthcare & Medical Insurance.

Consult the section on "International Healthcare & Medical Insurance" to find out more about your options and compare companies on our services site, Expat-Quotes. For example:

• Coverworks Worldwide Travel Insurance: Coverworks Travel Insurance was established to specialise in providing dependable and affordable cover both for the backpacker and for the independent traveller
• Insure & Go: Cheap cover online for gap years & backpacking, skiing, adventure travel, single trips & annual travel
• Go Travel Insurance: A leading provider of online travel insurance for UK & Irish residents

Recommended Partners

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