At this time of year, as the next generation take up new college courses, a lot of people are looking at Ireland’s employment landscape. Planning a career doesn’t just mean choosing what you want to do, it also means assessing the options available and asking, ‘what industries are hiring at the moment?’
The jobs market in general has begun to recover, with roles appearing in everything from healthcare to construction in recent times. However, there are three sectors in particular that aren’t just hiring; they are actively searching for the best talent.
Pharmaceuticals
Ireland has become the world’s largest net exporter of pharmaceuticals and as a result, the industry has been one of the fastest growing sectors in the country in recent years. It has also become one of the largest employers of graduates and skilled technical staff with around 25,000 people working in the sector, more than half of which are graduates. Pharmaceuticals is also a developing industry, with a varied and growing set of skills required and a variety of opportunities on offer.
ICT
One of the major driving factors behind that growth in Pharmaceuticals is foreign direct investment (FDI), a factor that has traditionally been a big employment driver in ICT in Ireland too. While the biggest players like Microsoft, Google, Intel, Facebook and Twitter continue to recruit; we have also seen a rise in recruitment by smaller and startup tech companies. Ireland has become a technology hub for Europe at all business levels, and continues to offer huge opportunities in areas like data analytics, software development, and project management amongst others.
Finance
Another area to benefit from FDI is finance, this time from the larger hedge funds and international financial institutions. Alongside that investment, there has been a greater focus on risk and compliance within financial institutions generating a greater demand for related skillsets. Recent signs that the banks are pushing their lending products again, indicate potential further growth in that area. The demand for finance and accounting skills has also been supported by the industries mentioned above, as companies investing in Ireland require financial talent as well as technical skills.
Whether you are starting your career, choosing a college course, or looking for a change; it’s important to understand which industries offer the most opportunities. For now, those opportunities are being created in pharmaceuticals, technology and finance.