First there are the FAS Centres and the Jobs Clubs, which offer a range of services and supports to unemployed people. They can provide you with welfare right information or support in finding a job, such as assistance in filling application forms and in preparing an incisive curriculum vitae or a good cover letter. That’s not all. There you can also obtain information on local job vacancies, through the consultation of the FAS website and daily newspapers. Jobs Clubs can also provide you with a lot of tailored resources and supports to getting a job, for example improving your interview skills. The Cork Jobs Club, sponsored by Cork Council of Trade Unions, is located on 13 North Main Street, in Cork City (Tel: +353 (0)21 4275498).

FAS, above mentioned, is the Irish National Training and Employment Authority, organised as a network of regional and local offices around the country and it includes also 20 Training Centres. So FAS is the Public Employment Service in the Republic of Ireland and it offers a vocational guidance and placement services for all job seekers. Its goal is to provide a national high quality recruitment service to help jobseekers to find the best possible job and to help employers to find the most suitable staff. FAS helps also people who aren’t successful to access labour market opportunities, like long-term unemployed, to return to the workforce. Furthermore it offers relevant training programmes, support to disadvantaged people and assistance to employers to fill their vacancies.

In the FAS Employment Service Offices everyone who is looking for a job receives a guidance interview with an Employment Services Officer (ESO) who advises the jobseeker on employment opportunities, training courses and other options which may lead to employment. The FÁS employee also completes a registration form with the jobseeker’s data that will record the details of the type of employment or training he/she may be looking for. That’s not all. The Employment Services Officer may also refer people to the Local Employment Service (LES) or Local Jobs Club for further support. Moreover details of FAS services and information on living and working in Ireland are available in all accession languages, to help non English speakers.

However remember: after the first registration you should contact FAS regularly to update your record, to avoid missing good job opportunities. You can also put your curriculum vitae on the FAS website, which is www.fas.ie. On this website you can find information and details on all vacancies and training programmes registered with FAS. Furthermore FAS job adverts are available also on daily national newspapers and local newspapers and details of FAS services are also found on the RTE 2 Aertel Service. About specifically Cork City, FAS references for job seekers are: Cork Employment Services Office, Government Buildings, Sullivan's Quay, Cork (tel. +353 (0)21 4856200); Cork Employment Services Office, Rossa Avenue, Bishopstown, Cork (tel. +353 (0)21 4856200); Cork Employment Services Office, 30/31 Shandon Street, Cork (tel. +353 (0)21 4946162). For training centres: Cork Training Centre, Rossa Avenue, Bishopstown, Cork (tel: +353 (0)21 4856200).

On line there is also an useful interactive tool, linked with FAS and called “Career Directions”, which helps people to select a job or a career and provides details on the types of works available, the qualifications needed and prompts to find further information. See www.careerdirections.ie.

Other very useful web sites for jobseekers are the following. Jobs.ie (www.jobs.ie) is a well-done web site for jobseekers to find a job both in Ireland (borders) and abroad between a large range of sectors, and it’s a good instrument for employers to disclose their vacancies. Job-Ireland.com (www.job-ireland.com) is another useful web site where one can find a list of employment required divided into occupation types and also advice for a good job interview. Then there is the web site called www.ireland-jobs-recruitments.co.uk (www.localrecruit.co.uk/Ireland/agencies/index.html), which offers information on job vacancies and recruitment agencies in Ireland and not only in Ireland. Other useful interesting websites are: Gumtree (www.gumtree.ie); EmployIreland (www.employireland.com); Recruit Ireland (www.recruitireland.com); IrishJobs.ie (www.irishjobs.ie); Monster (www.monster.ie). Also big employment services companies like Adecco use these channels to disclose their vacancies. (Particularly, about Adecco, there is an office in 34 Grand Parade, Cork City Centre, telephone: 00353 (0)21 4273830, email: 1369.cork@adecco.ie).

Other employment agencies that can help you are the following. “HRM executive recruitment” works with multinational, indigenous and public sector employers in their search for the best in executive and professional talent. So it’s especially fit for people who are looking for a professional position, but less suitable for people who are looking for a job in catering or cleaning field or something like that. HRM office is located in 47 Fitzwilliam Square, Dublin 2, telephone number: (00353 1) 632 1800, email: info@hrm.ie. For further information and to check the vacancies visit the web site www.hrm.ie. Another recruitment agency based in Dublin is ACR. It has a team of dedicated and professional recruitment consultants specialised in the retail, engineering, hotel & catering, financial and commercial recruitment sectors. ACR International Recruitment office is located in 5-9 Terenure Place, Terenure, Dublin 6. Telephone number: 00353 (1) 499 1440, mail: info@acr.ie. For more information visit www.acr.ie. Anyway both of those agencies above named manage vacancies in nationwide.

Good and fit for jobseekers and employers is also FAS Recruitment, an Irish National Recruitment Agency. It specializes in IT Jobs, accountancy, sales, engineering, administration and more besides. FAS offices are located in several cities of the Republic of Ireland. In Cork you can find it at 3, First Floor, Watersedge, Midleton, Co. Cork. Tel: 00353 (0)21-4634732, email: cork@frsrecruitment.com. For more information see: www.frsrecruitment.com.
Lastly another useful web site is the INOU website (www.inou.ie), where one can find current and archive material on unemployment issues. Instead, if you are looking for a job outside of the Irish boundaries, but in another European country, you can consult the web address http://europa.eu.int/eures, which gives information on living and working in each European country. What else? Good luck and good work!