In recent years, Ireland has grown to be the lead aviation hub in Europe. Aircraft leasing is now worth more than €500m to Ireland's economy and supports almost 5,000 jobs.* Major Chinese aircraft lessors, financiers and arrangers have established operations in Ireland and more than 1,100 Chinese-owned aircraft are managed from Dublin, about a quarter of the 4,300-strong global leasing fleet are in Ireland.

Here are the 5 key reasons Ireland is attracting aviation companies and in particular from China:

1. Our taxation regimes: Irelands' taxation regime provides for a stable and competitive headline rate of corporation tax and a tax depreciation write-off period of eight years. There is also an extensive network of double taxation treaties with 74 countries currently in effect.

2. Ireland's low risk profile: Ireland is considered less risky than other countries and is considered by many leading Chinese aviation companies to deliver a more stable return on investment.

3. Legacy experience: Ireland has been involved in the industry for over 40 years since the foundation of Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA) in the 1970's. This has helped cement the country's position as the top global destination for aviation leasing companies.

4. Availability of specialist education programmes in aviation finance: Specialist aviation programmes at UCD's Smurfit Business School and University of Limerick provide a steady flow of talent for firms operating here.

5. Highly skilled workforce: Ireland boasts a deep, multi-disciplinary skills market across technical, legal and financial skill sets.

At GKR we are one of the leading recruiters for the aircraft leasing sector in Ireland. To find out more, speak to a member of our dedicated aircraft leasing team or you can check out our latest vacancies here.

* Source: PwC's Taking Flight 2018 report. https://www.pwc.ie/publications/2018/taking-flight-2018-aviation-leasing-ireland-survey.pdf

Over recent years, Ireland has become one of the leading hubs for the aircraft leasing sector globally. Fiona McCabe, Head of Investment Management at IDA Ireland, believes Ireland is now the “the major hub for China’s aircraft leasing market”

Here are some facts and figures about the past, present and future of the aviation business in Ireland that have contributed to both its success to date and a promising future ahead.

Fact 1: Ireland has a 40 year involvement in the industry. Ireland became an early player in global aircraft leasing with the foundation of Guinness Peat Aviation (GPA) in the 1970’s by Aer Lingus and the Guinness Peat Group. This has helped cement the country’s position as the top global destination for aviation leasing companies.

Fact 2: Major players in the industry have established operations in Ireland. Today, most of the world’s major aircraft lessors, financiers and arrangers have established Irish operations from which they finance and lease aircrafts on a global basis. It’s seen as one of the great Irish economic success stories and a key contributor to the Irish economy.

Fact 3: Sector growth has had a positive knock-on effect on large professional service firms . The volume of market activity being managed from Ireland has grown so much that most of the large professional services firms in Ireland – legal, financial and technical – have dedicated teams to support the aviation leasing sector.

Fact 4: Ireland’s plays host to the two largest global aviation finance conferences each year. Ireland’s standing as the primary location for aircraft leasing firms is further evidenced by the annual hosting of the two largest global aviation finance conferences, attracting over 3,000 international delegates to Dublin each year.

Fact 5: The stock of leased aircraft increased from €27.4bn in 2007 to €77.5bn in 2014, with the largest growth, over €30bn (65%), recorded in 2014 following the arrival of new entrants in the sector. (source: CSO)

Fact 6: Much of the growth in the aircraft leasing industry comes from the emerging Asia-Pac Region – China in particular – which is expected to overtake the US as the world’s largest aviation market by 2024.

Fact 7: In July 2018, a new IBEC-affiliated industry body, Aircraft Leasing Ireland (ALI) , was launched in Dublin. The group has 17 members, including four of the world’s largest aircraft lessors, Aercap, Avalon, GECAS and SMBC Aviation Capital.

Fact 8: ALI is looking to extend the Republic’s 74 tax treaties. To ensure Ireland can maintain its market position, ALI is looking for Government to extend the Republic’s 74 existing tax treaties to countries such as Argentina, Indonesia, and Japan, where there is high demand for new aircraft.

Fact 9: Brexit impact in the UK may attract more lessors to Ireland What seems likely is that Brexit will give rise to more challenging regulatory or trading conditions for UK based companies which, given the global nature of the industry, could see lessors relocate to the Irish market.

Fact 10: Continued growth is projected to contribute a further €3 billion to the Irish economy over the next five years. The air transport sector has doubled in size every 15 years and is set to continue to expand, potentially at an even faster rate.

At GKR we are one of the leading recruiters for the aircraft leasing sector in Ireland. To find out more, speak to a member of our dedicated aircraft leasing team or you can check out all our latest vacancies here

Moving to a new country can be a very stressful and intimidating experience in the beginning. At GKR, we’ve put together an overview of some of the practicalities and considerations when coming to work and live here in Ireland.

Eligibility: 
If you are an EEA or Swiss national coming to work in Ireland, you are entitled to be treated like any other applicant when you apply for work. You are free to apply for any job vacancy, including jobs in the public sector. Citizens of the EU/EEA are free to live and work in other member states without restriction.
In general non-EEA nationals (apart from some exceptions) must have an employment permit to work in Ireland. Non-EEA nationals who are carrying out scientific research for approved research organisations do not need an employment permit.
The arrangements for employment permit for non – EEA nationals include:

• Critical Skills Employment Permits which are available for all occupations with an annual salary above €60,000 and for a restricted range of occupations with an annual salary above €30,000
• General Employment Permits which are available mainly for occupations with salaries between €30,000 and €60,000 which are not eligible for a Critical Skills Employment Permit. The General Employment Permit application must meet a labour market test showing that the position could not be filled from within the EEA.

You’ll find lots more useful information on moving to Ireland on the Citizens Information website and check out the Department of Justice Website for everything you need to know about Visa Applications.

PPS Number:
Personal Public Service (PPS) number is a unique reference number that helps you access social welfare benefits, public services and information in Ireland.

• You need to provide evidence on why you need to get a PPS number, being in the country looking for a job will not be sufficient enough. You need to provide a written offer or contract from your future employer.
• Proof of address, that could be a  utility bill/reference letter/contract from your landlord stating your current postal address.
• You will also need to provide a valid passport/ driving licence or ID.
• You have to book an appointment for the whole procedure, so it might be a good idea to start searching in advance as well as they tend to have limited availability for the short term dates.
• Once you complete your appointment, you will receive your PPS number by mail usually within 5-7 days.

For more on how to apply for a PPS number, click here

Bank Account: 
The second step would be to open a bank account to receive your first salary in Ireland. Some banks require you to have the PPS number in advance but not necessarily all of them.

• You will need written proof of the reason why you need to open a bank account in ROI. That could be a reference letter from your future employer. A lot of companies may offer to open a bank account on behalf of their employees without the paperwork and procedure, but it really depends on the company.
• You will also need proof of your current address, which could be a utility bill, your contract with your landlord or even the statement from revenue that you will receive along with your PPS number. It is entirely your decision on which bank you choose to go with, unless stated otherwise by your employer.   
• Useful links:  Bank of Ireland  ,  AIB  ,  Ulster Bank  ,  KBC  ,  Permanent TSB

Accommodation: 
When it comes to accommodation, Dublin is considered to be a very competitive market for tenants. Again, do your research well in advance on house/apartment prices per area and check if it is easy to commute to and from other areas or the city centre, local amenities etc.
Sharing is very common in Dublin as the housing prices remain relatively high for an individual, so it is something that you might consider before making the big step. It is also worth considering temporary accommodation for the first 4-6 months when moving to Ireland until you settle down.
Useful sites for your accommodation searches:  daft.ie  ,  rent.ie  ,  myhome.ie  ,  homestay.com  ,  airbnb. ie  ,  vivaireland.com

Tax/Revenue: 
Register with the Revenue Commissioners from the first day with your new employer, if it is not already done by your company’s HR department, to avoid paying any emergency tax.  
You can estimate your tax and net salary click here

Commuting. 
Some Useful sites to help navigate your commute to and from work include:  dublinbus.ie  (for the Dublin area),  irishrail.ie  ,  luas.ie  ,  buseireann.ie  ,  journeyplanner.ie

At GKR we’ve also put together an overview of some  tips for finding a job in Ireland which you may also find helpful. And you can view all our current jobs right  here

So you’ve made the big decision to move to Ireland or maybe you have just arrived and are looking to get yourself on the career path. Whether it’s for work or personal reasons, we have all been in this place where we wish we knew a few things in advance that would have made the transition period a little bit smoother.
At GKR we’ve gathered insights from our own team, candidates and clients to put together our top tips and useful links for finding a job in Ireland.

1. Do lots of research: Your main criteria should be to look at how your current skills and experience may apply to current or future job opportunities. You can even start applying to job advertisements before moving to Ireland, as some companies offer the option of Skype or video call as a first screening stage. However, based on experience, you will get way better responses if you are already residing in Ireland as that could be a sign of motivation and engagement on behalf of the candidate. Plus it is always easier if you are already here to get invited for job interviews!
2. Register yourself with recruitment agencies. The recruitment network is vast in Ireland and sometimes recruiters get the chance to know jobs that are not currently advertised in the market and might give you some valuable insight. Also, a lot of the recruitment agencies specialise in different sectors (i.e. office support, finance, engineering, construction, aircraft leasing, sales, multilingual, tourism etc.) so do your research and register your cv with them to get all the latest job updates and news around the industry.
3. English is a must. A lot of people think that because there are a lot of multilingual jobs, speaking their own language will be just enough. However, it is not! You need to know the language at least at a basic level, in order to communicate effectively. Plus you get better chances when it comes to job applications if your spoken and written English is at an advanced level.
4. A good CV Is essential. Here are some brief pointers on CV preparation:
   • When submitting your CV, either directly to a company or to a recruitment agency, make sure to tailor it and highlight your most relevant skills and experience that apply to the job you are interested in.
   • A cover letter may sometimes be required, however it is considered to be outdated for a lot of companies.
   • You do not have to include your photo, date of birth, gender, postal address, social/marital status etc on your CV or Cover Letter. Your full name and contact details (i.e. email, phone number and LinkedIn profile), is more than enough to include as personal details when applying for jobs.
   • Always, always, always double check any grammar and spelling mistakes. This is essential as applications are often not considered if there are any grammatical mistakes.
   • Also, make sure that your CV looks professional, polished and in a format that is easily readable.
5. Useful links for your job search: www.gkr.ie    irishjobs.ie , jobs.ie , indeed.ie

At GKR we’ve also put together an overview of some of the practicalities of moving to Ireland which you may also find helpful. And you can view all our current jobs right here.

Louise has been with GKR since 2005. She has over 20 years’ recruitment agency experience and an additional 5 years’ in-house recruitment/HR experience from Oracle in Dublin. Louise has a Degree in HR and Accountancy and is a Chartered member of the CIPD.

Contact louise.callanan@gkr.ie

Tel +353 16769008

Garret has over 22 years’ recruitment experience across a range of sectors including aircraft leasing, airlines, commercial asset finance companies, corporate finance and technology. Garret has recently filled a number of senior leasing positions including a CFO, CIO, CLO and EMEA Head of Sales. He has worked exclusively in recruitment and graduated from UCD with a BA in Psychology and Statistics.

Contact garret.kearney@gkr.ie

Tel +35316768891

In this increasingly digital world, video and Skype interviews have become a popular screening tool which affords the employer or recruiters with a flexible and quick first step in the selection process. From a candidate’s perspective, there are a number of benefits and potential drawbacks but the importance of standing out from competing candidates is just as important. You need to be ready and prepared. Here are GKR’s 10 tips to help you perform more effectively and get the best outcome from a Skype interview:

1. Do your research and prepare as if it’s a face to face interview
2. Be logged on, and online, well in advance of the scheduled time
3. Use a tidy room that’s clear of distractions and noise
4. Gather all relevant documents together – CV, role profile, application form, key messages etc
5. Equip yourself with a pen, paper and water
6. Speak clearly – project enthusiasm and interest
7. Jot down notes when the interviewer is speaking, if appropriate
8. Refer to your notes / documents but don’t read
9. Listen very carefully to the questions - ask interviewer to repeat if uncertain or if any technical glitches have made it difficult to hear.
10. Ask any  questions  and be sure to thank the interviewer for the opportunity

Keep up to date on all our career advice and follow us on social media; Linkedin , Twitter , Facebook or Instagram

A job interview is the culmination of your job search and CV submission activity and in itself represents success! You’ve navigated the initial screening process and this potential employer has seen something in your experience and skill set to take the time to meet with you. They have undoubtedly rejected other applications but wish to find out more about you.
Interviews can be very daunting for job seekers so we’ve put together the 3 ‘P’s that will help you shape the interview itself and get the best outcome possible.

1. Prepare:
   
   Like any exam, the more prepared you are, the less nervous you will be and a more relaxed disposition with ensure a more controlled and confident delivery. Here’s how to best prepare:
   • Do background research on the company (e.g. google search, press articles, social media channels, competitor research etc)
   • Research the interviewer - find out who is interviewing you and their job titles. Google their names and search for them on networking sites. Common history, qualifications and even interests can serve as ice breakers
   • Research the job role – review the role profile in detail to identify the key competencies and roles & responsibilities 
   • Prepare answers – prepare answers to common competency based interview questions and have ready clear examples of how your experience relates to the competencies and skills required for the role
2. Practice:
   • Practice the delivery of your prepared answers
   • Have someone help you with a mock interview  to practice responses to difficult questions
3. Presentation:
   • Be personable and keep a professional persona during the interview
   • Engage your interviewer by making appropriate eye contact and listening carefully to the questions being asked.
   • Respond clearly and concisely and mind your body language which plays a major role in communication

Keep up to date on all our career advice and follow us on social media; Linkedin , Twitter , Facebook or Instagram

Your CV needs to be interesting and attention grabbing so it’s important to avoid constant repetition and inject a feeling of achievement in to your descriptions. We’ve developed an infographic with some great action words to help give you some inspiration and alternative words to include on your cv:

Keep up to date on all our career advice and follow us on social media; Linkedin , Twitter , Facebook or Instagram

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