Ireland’s exploding tech and IT jobs environment has seen the country seek out professionals from all over the world, and Portuguese people are flocking here in droves to start a whole new life.
The economic downturn in Ireland hit some areas harder than others, but IT and technology are two sectors that are thriving, only held back by a shortage of available talent.
Tech and IT companies all over the country are casting wide nets to attract the right engineers, developers, data scientists, and more, capitalising on a fluid, young and enthusiastic global talent pool.
People from Portugal, as EU citizens, enjoy the benefits of labour permissions that encourage the free and fluid movement of workers, making it relatively simple to relocate to Ireland to further their careers.
As a result, it’s not uncommon to sit in even the smallest of offices and hear Portuguese accents providing IT support, analysing data, designing platforms or selling products.
In the Trading Places series, Siliconrepublic.com speaks to talented people from around the world about their experiences of leaving home for jobs in Ireland.
We find out what motivated their move, how they settled in, and what surprised them most about living and working in Ireland.
Time and again, we heard from people who spoke about being welcomed with open arms, who moved here for a better work-life balance, and who found their families in Ireland. Others spoke about our “hospitality and good mood”, our “almost ridiculous friendliness”, the “swiftness of some Government institutions” and how multicultural our cities are.
The influx from countries like Portugal is only going to accelerate as the Irish government forges ahead with plans to bring tens of thousands of jobs to the country by the end of the decade – something that the indigenous workforce will not be able to support alone.
To read the stories of those who have already moved from Portugal and who have enjoyed many successes in Ireland, simply swipe through the articles at the top of this page.
Plane image, via Markus Mainka/Shutterstock
