USian would like a job in Ireland

March 11, 2013 5:33 PM

I am in an amazing situation where I have a 9-month, paid sabbatical and am taking this incredible moment to change my life. My current job, though lucrative, is extremely toxic and I'm so thrilled to have the time and resources to make a change! Anyone with insight who would like to do so, please make suggestions on my journey, hopefully to Ireland.

Background: I'm 40. Got my Ph.D. in neuroscience at 26; did a postdoc and an NIH fellowship. Got a job at a teaching almost-ivy, then a state flagship school. Ten + pubs. Didn't like academia and took a job at a start-up specialty pharma 8 years ago. I have done EVERYTHING in pharma, but liked BD the best. Hated Marketing.

I have spent a lot of time in Ireland and really love it. I know, I know; Americans are cliches about this but I've traveled extensively and never felt such a pull to leave the U.S. for a place. I'm not even of Irish descent so it isn't that old saw.

I would love to work in Ireland and move and experience a new country. I'm single with no ties here. I would like to make a change and do something non-profit or in a different industry, but I'm not sure what. I'd be willing to stay in life science/healthcare to leverage my experience for time being, though. I'd like something stable and thus don't want to take my chances and bartend or waitress at my age, however.

Have any of you made this leap? What resources are available? Do you know anyone I can contact? I am doing strong work here, including with an international recruiter, but MetaFilter seems to always trump any other resource.

I am anonymous because I don't want to jeopardize the terms of my sabbatical - I'm allowed to look for other jobs, but don't want it publicized.

Throwaway: nutsandavocados at gmail dot com.

Thanks to anyone who has insight.

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (3 answers total)

If this is short term you could always try WWOOF.
posted by fireandthud at 5:45 PM on March 11, 2013

Do you have any kind of EU passport? It makes a huge difference to the answers (I'm a third nation life sciences researcher living in Ireland).
posted by shelleycat at 9:25 PM on March 11, 2013

Now that it's morning in Ireland I'm going to answer assuming you don't have an EU/EAA passport since if you did the answer would be pretty easy: find a job anywhere you like and go work at it.

Without an EAA passport, i.e. assuming you're a USA citizen only, then your first and main priority is getting a work permit. I am also assuming based on your time since PhD that you're not eligible for a working holiday visa but double check anyway. I'll list the options that I'm aware of in order of decreasing awesomeness. I'll also link to the government website for each because it has really good info, and in our experience things really do happen just like they say on that website.

First option: Researcher Hosting Permit. This is what I have, it's awesome. If you are employed in an appropriate job by an accredited research organisation you can get one of these, they take 2-3 weeks to arrange and cost nothing. With your PhD qualification this might be your best bet. However, you're way too far past your PhD completion to be hired as a Post Doc so your employment options in academia are limited (unless you can get some funding to work with someone). I'm not sure if any of the pharma companies are eligible to provide these permits, but you can take a look here and also consider contacting Euraxess for advice.

Second Option: Green Card Work Permit (pdf link). My husband has one of these, they're pretty great. If you're offered a job on a list of shortage occupations then you can apply for one of these, they take 3-6 weeks and cost 1000 euros. Lie sciences researcher is on the list, which is good for you, but you also have to be offered a job that is full time and for two years or more. So you probably won't be able to do this.

Third option: Work Permit (pdf link). These are much less awesome. Most occupations are eligible to apply but the employer has to do a work test, i.e. advertise throughout Europe for 8 weeks and prove that there is no EU/EAA citizen better qualified to do the job. They cost 500-100 euros and I don't know how long the permit takes to process. Particularly take a look at the list of ineligible occupations at the end of the pdf because many of the 'holiday' type jobs are in there.

There is an intra-company transfer (pdf link) which may work given you're in Pharma and many USA-owned companies are also here. Might not give you quite the sabbatical you're looking for, but also might be something you can work towards in the future for a more permanent change.

Alternatively, you're allowed to come into Ireland for 90 days to just hang out and travel around without working. You can volunteer (as far as I know) but you can't pick up casual work like bartending etc, they really mean it with the not working thing. Honestly, I'm betting this is all you'll be able to do unless you have that magic passport (in which case, disregard all of the above and just work your recruiters and your connections within the industry because that's how pharma hires over here).

All the immigration info for Ireland is online and that DJEI site is a good place to look. Google around for more if necessary. Also Euraxess is a really useful resource, with job listings and people whose job is to help researchers move into and around Europe in general.
posted by shelleycat at 1:37 AM on March 12, 2013 [1 favorite]