Editor’s note: This article was first published in April 2012. It reports Apple’s announcement of 500 new jobs in Cork; workforce figures and hiring plans have changed many times since. Its remarks on Ireland’s tax policy reflect 2012, and the EU state-aid case over Apple’s Irish taxes has since changed the picture.
It’s not all collective layoffs (the Expedientes de Regulación de Empleo, or EREs, that Spanish companies file to cut staff). Every now and then a company, especially one of the big ones, gives us some good news and announces new hiring. One example is the multinational Apple, which has announced 500 new jobs in Ireland, in addition to the 2,800 jobs planned for its site in Cork.
For the lucky people of Cork, no further details have been given about the new jobs, nor about whether they will support the company’s growth across Europe, where it has its supply and distribution chain.
Let’s remember that Ireland is a country revered by the big names of the internet world, such as Facebook and Google, since its tax policy is more favourable than in the rest of Europe.
Can I apply for a job at Apple?
Whatever your academic background, you need to be very clear about a few things:
- Your English must be very good, bearing in mind the move to another country and working in a very technical, specialized field like computing.
- Your willingness to relocate, since the job is far from where you normally live and involves moving. Take into account any family responsibilities.
- Whether the job and the salary make up for the effort involved: that’s something you need to consider.
How can I apply for a job?
You need to research several things:
- The jobs on offer and what they involve.
- Whether they are filled with local staff or open to candidates from other parts of Europe.
- Whether your training and skills are right for the position.
- The level of academic knowledge and languages required, and where you stand.
- Whether the salary justifies the opportunity.
- Relocation options.
- Career growth within the company.
- The terms of the employment contract.
- The country’s situation regarding immigrants and its rules for receiving them.
- The European Health Insurance Card.
- How and when the selection processes take place.
- Approximate start dates at Apple.
- The agreements between the two countries on Social Security and employment matters.
Selection tests
Make sure you understand the selection process and that you meet the requirements they ask of candidates. There’s a lot at stake, and you need to be clear about the kind of professional profile they’re looking for.
As you know, a job profile is made up of academic and personal qualities, and among the latter, the skills you need to show can vary widely. That’s why we recommend making sure your chances of getting in are good, to avoid wasted costs and false hopes.
Featured image: JoachimKohler-HB, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
