Living and Working in Dublin

Ana Pereira kindly speaks to us about her experience as a Portugese nurse living and working in Dublin.

What did you first do when you came to Ireland?
When I first came to Ireland I had the interview first and it was pretty easy.I have been working in the hospital for one month now and everyone is really friendly and they give us really good backup at the hospital. Even my housemates!

Where are you working now and how are you finding it?
I have been working in the Rotunda Hospital in the Neo-Natal unit for one month now and the salary is much better than in Portugal, infact its about double. We have good conditions and an induction programme, which helps us through the guidelines for the hospital.

What is an average working day like? When I first started I would have the early shift, which was from 7.30 am until 4pm, the late shift would be from 12.30pm until 8.30 in the evening. Now I do three tweleve hour shifts a week and then I get four days off, which is pretty good.

How difficult was it to find accommodation when you first arrived in Ireland?
For accommodation I went to http://www.daft.ie, and I looked for the kind of houses that I wanted, I thought it would be easier to share a house so I could have a good mix of people around me and still have space for myself. I find that that is the best thing to do when you are a foreigner coming into the country, this way you are meeting different people and not just hanging around with people that are from the same country or that you work with. I saw many different houses and places to live andI picked one that I liked the best in terms of the price I am paying for the house and the quality of the house itself, I found it really easy.

How important is it to know how to speak English here?
If you don not feel confident about your English level then you should try to get some extra English classes and try to improve your English because of course it is necessary, you will be speaking English everyday, and you will want to understand what people are saying to you. It is vital for when you go to interviews because they will be asking you questions about how you would react and what you would do in certain situations, so it’s important if you want to get a good job.

How hard was it to settle down here?
When I first came to Ireland I didn’t know anyone, but fortunetly I bumped into friends that are living over here, we have a small Portugese community here in Dublin and I am friends with the other nurses. When we have a day off we get together and maybe go for lunch in a restaurant or we go shopping on Mary Street or the Jervis and Ilac centre. It’s really easy to get to the city centre by bus and there are plenty of taxis. Sometimes the girls and I go for a drink or clubs. It is really easy to get along here in Ireland.