"Can I qualify to get a job and live in Ireland, and how?" is possibly the most frequent. This is closely followed by "What are the employment prospects for (enter professional trade or other qualification here)?"; "How do I search for a job in Ireland?"; and "Is Ireland as cheap to live in as I think it is?"
While these are all logical, well-formed questions, no one has ever asked me what I consider to be the most important question of all which happens to be:
"Will I be happy in Ireland, assuming I'm allowed to live and work there?"
That, I think, is a good question. It's one I never bothered posing to myself before moving to this grand country and I suffered a variety of consequences as a result. But if you're truly thinking of moving to Ireland it's a question I hope you'll spend some time considering.
After all: it's one thing to climb on a plane and come over for a visit. Quite another to climb off that plane knowing you've made a life-changing decision.
Will you be happy living in Ireland? Let's find out.
What Makes You Happy
Everyone has a different definition of personal happiness, of course, but oddly I find that few people truly think about it. Or if they do, they rarely write those thoughts down or verbalise their dreams.
However, what makes you - and all of us - happy will significantly impact on your ability to live the life of an immigrant. Therefore, before you spread your wings, it truly is important to figure out your 'Hierarchy of Needs', as Maslow puts it.
So what makes you tick? What's your personal profile? What, after all, really makes you happy?
Does your life revolve around a particular trade / career path? Does making a pot full of money matter to you, or are you a "Less is More" kind of person?
What's your risk quotient? That is, are you fairly conservative when it comes to planning for your future, or are you willing to throw caution to the wind to get what you want?
How old are you meaning: are you a young buck with years stretching in front of you and enough time to make a few mistakes - and recover - if things don't go to plan?
How material are you? Okay, be honest. How important is it to you to have a big house, a big car, a big - almost everything? Do life's 'little pleasures' make you happy or are you in it for the big payoff?
How flexible are you? Are you willing to do almost anything at all, or does adapting to new and sometimes challenging situations scare you silly?
Do you have kids? Have you considered how a move abroad will affect them?
How important are local relatives and friends? Have you considered how life will be living far away from them?
How important is your local culture / customs / traditions? That is (assuming you're an American, as an example): would you go nuts if you could no longer celebrate Thanksgiving the way you have for years? Would you be willing to adapt a bit?
How good are you at listening? Do you enjoy listening to learn new things? Are you a quick learner? Are you adaptable, or do you get frustrated and impatient when confronted by something new and unknown?
Having considered the above let's start the quiz.
The Quiz
(Warning: the following quiz is written as a bit of fun and is in no way scientifically constructed. Enjoy it!)
Part 1
Directions: mark each question 1 (do not agree at all) to 5 (highly agree)
1. I have traveled extensively and thoroughly enjoy new peoples and cultures
2. If I left the country of my birth I would be able to cope very well without friends and family
3. While I love the country of my birth I will be able to get along just fine if I move away
4. If I have to pay high taxes it won't bother me, though I'll grouse about it all the time just like everyone else
5. Having a lot of savings in the bank isn't too important to me
6. I'm willing to take a pay cut or adapt my skills to fit new opportunities
7. I'm willing to go back to school / college / university to succeed and survive
8. I'm willing to take huge risks to succeed and survive
9. I'm adaptable. I can fit in with just about anybody and anyone's way of thinking and believing
10. I'm a good listener. I can learn quickly
11. Though I love what I know about Ireland, I won't be disappointed if I discover when I live there that it's not exactly what I thought it would be
12. I have children and education is a very, very important consideration no matter where I live
13. I've spent a great deal of time researching Ireland: its history, culture, peoples, and opportunities there
14. Right now - right this second - I know what jobs and skill-types are in demand in Ireland
15. I currently have friends and / or family living in Ireland, or I'm married to an Irish citizen
16. I'm the child or grandchild of an Irish citizen
17. I think I am a very, very open-minded person and willing to accept and adapt to change
Finished? Okay, add up your score. Now continue to Part 2:
Part 2
Answer the following questions (and no fair looking at Google for the answers):
A. The Republic of Ireland is a) a politically independent country or b) a principality of Great Britain
B. The Republic of Ireland is composed of how many counties? a) 10 b) 26 c) 32
C. The Republic of Ireland is a member of the European Union a) Yes b) No
D. The Republic of Ireland is a) more expensive b) less expensive to live in than most other European countries
E. The Republic of Ireland is currently experiencing a shortage of homes to buy and homes to rent a) Yes b) No
F. The HSE is the government organisation that manages what? a) Housing b) Health c) Schools
G. Who is the current Taoiseach of Ireland? a) Leo Varadkar b) Charles Haughey c) Myles Dungun
H. The Republic of Ireland uses which currency? a) the Irish Punt b) The Irish dollar c) the euro
I. Northern Ireland is part of a) The Republic of Ireland b) Great Britain
J. What is the Republic of Ireland's official language? a) English b) Irish c) both a and b
K. What does Muinteoir mean in English? a) Men b) Lavatory c) Teacher
(answers below)
Give yourself 1 point for each correct answer, above.
Now total all of your scores from Parts 1 & 2. That's your Grand Total Score. Your Irish Happiness Index, if you will.
Your Results
Frankly, the results don't really matter. All I was trying to do was to get you to simply THINK about what would happen - what you may encounter, experience, and feel - if you moved here. As I've written elsewhere in this Blog, being an immigrant is often a trying, complex, and challenging experience. Moving to Ireland without thinking about it - which is what I did - makes immigration that much more difficult.
In other words: you may have a great deal of trouble simply coping.
That said: it's decidedly unfair of me to give no guidance on a score. So with that in mind have a look at the following:
Total available points: in total, there are 96 points available. That is, if you gave yourself a maximum of '5' for all questions 1 through 17, and answered all 11 questions correctly, your total would be 96 points. So ... here we go:
Your Score:
80 - 96 points - welcome to the club. You'd be able to Survive in Ireland just as I have. That said, if you move here you will still experience occasional periods of doubt, loneliness, and downright insanity. But don't worry! If I did it you can too. After all - I didn't think about my move here. You have!
50 - 79 points - okay, life is going to be somewhat more troublesome for you if you move to Ireland. You'll be more likely to get homesick. You may not be able to adapt to the country as well or as quickly as you'd like to. You may be troubled by its expensive economy, and grow frustrated by the seeming lack of opportunity into the highest echelons of this country's working environment. Too, you may be unwilling to take the risks required to survive in Ireland as you'd like. That said - if you're determined to move here I suspect you'll do just fine as long as you work your bloody arse off and keep your nose to the grindstone.
0 - 49 points - Stay home!
Answers to Questions:
A - a
B - b
C - a
D - a
E - a
F - b
G - a
H - c
I - b
J - c
K - c
Discover More
Do you qualify to work and live in Ireland? Find out here.
If this blog interests you and you want to learn more about Ireland why not consider purchasing A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland 2017 Edition. Are you thinking about living and working in Ireland? Would you like to move to Ireland? Do you want to know how to get an Irish work visa in this country? Do you need to know how Brexit and Trump policies may affect your plans? If so, consider purchasing the 2017 edition of A Survivor's Guide to Living in Ireland by Tom Richards. Now almost 90,000 words long, this book could make the perfect gift for those interested in this wonderful country. Over 14,000 people have now learned how to live, laugh, and drink like the Irish by reading this Kindle ebook. I hope you enjoy, and my very best - Tom
