Irish firms grab graduates

It's no secret that the number of jobs being created in Irish financial services cannot be filled by the current crop of talent in Dublin. Firms have looked to both foreign shores to attract people as well as offering non-cash incentives like flexitime. Graduates can capitalise on this.

Paul Cotter, managing director at recruitment firm Joslin Rowe in Ireland, says: "In Ireland they are hoovering up the graduate and second job market, particularly in some of the service centres and insurance."

Sean Gannon, director of the careers service at Trinity College, Dublin, says this year has been one of the busiest times in recent memory: "If you were to look at accounting firms alone, you're looking at 600-750 positions available to graduates this time round. An awful lot of students are being enticed into all of the financial services areas - accounting, banking, insurance and mortgages."

Accounting skills seem to be highly sought after by firms both small and large. State Street is looking for graduate fund accountants, while boutique fund administrator Custom House Administration is snapping up qualified accountants.

Dermot Butler, chairman of Custom House, says: "We have a user-friendly technology system here, so we don't necessarily need experienced people. Instead, we want someone who has an accounting qualification, as the fund administration aspect can be trained."

The firm takes on 15 entry-level people a year, out of an average of 30 new employees annually, in fund administration as well as legal, compliance, IT and HR.

Gavin Nangles, head of product development at State Street Ireland, says it is also tapping the graduate market: "The graduate universe remains one of the central points for our recruitment in Ireland. The majority coming in are graduates."

Gannon says that Bank of Ireland has doubled the number of positions available for graduates this year. Private banking is one area Trinity has teamed up with the bank. The industry is notoriously short of talent and grass roots training is seen as one way to combat this.

JPMorgan, ABN AMRO, IIB Bank/KBC Group, Citco, Citi and Derivatives Consulting Group are just some of the other firms recruiting for graduates to work locally.

However, Gannon adds that Irish graduates are also being courted by the international investment banks, which come to sell the bright lights of London.

He says: "Many students are making very conscious choices to move to London as they see it as a good area to get a grounding. But in the longer term they may be swayed back to Ireland."