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Is the grass really greener?
Opinion: 1000s of Irish are leaving to get better jobs, but are the jobs actually worth it?
Ireland used to be known as the land of saints and scholars, but those saints have died a sudden death and the scholars can be found loitering around the departure lounge in Dublin airport with their honours degrees in hand.
Surrounded by doom and gloom, motivation amongst young Irish people is at its lowest. Everyone wants to jump this sinking ship and embrace a better life elsewhere. Who can blame them? The negativity which is seeping through our society is not good for the mind, body or soul. Ireland 2011 is a very different place from the Ireland many of us grew up in.
We are the Celtic Tiger cubs, we are the generation that worked for pocket money at ’our discretion’; the generation who went on sun holidays every year without fail; the generation who grew up with computers and the Internet; the generation who didn’t have to worry about the finances (that’s what mam and dad were there for); the generation who enjoyed free education and free fees at third level. In a nutshell, we were the generation on which this country‘s hopes and dreams were focused on.
We are the educated scholars, the future doctors, solicitors, teachers, nurses; but what have we to show for it? A dozen failed interviews, a half-filled in claim form for the dole and an application for a working visa in a foreign country. The outlook really isn’t good for recent graduates and with the minimum wage being lowered to just €7.65 (as of February 1st 2011) you may as well be on the dole. Right? Wrong. Amongst graduates there is an air of superiority; a sense of ‘I have a degree in Business. Why should I apply for a job in a shop?’ This is the feeling felt by many ‘cubs’ of the Celtic Tiger and some of their parents too.
During the ‘boom’ an influx of other nationalities entered Ireland and took advantage of the pay rates which were better than in their home countries. These individuals took any job they were offered; building walls, manicuring gardens, washing floors, cleaning toilets, making sandwiches in the local deli. You name the job, they had it. During the ‘boom’, these jobs were occupied by foreign nationals simply because no Irish person would be caught dead cleaning toilets.
Well, the tables have turned in 2011; the Irish are begging for the jobs that they wouldn’t do ten years ago and the foreign nationals are still making sandwiches and cleaning toilets, simply because they work harder. Yes, I said it. Hard work. The urban dictionary defines this as ‘description of a task that takes (too) much effort to complete’. In my opinion it was the lack of effort by our Government that got us into the mess we’re in.
So maybe our generation of ‘cubs’ should take a look at ourselves and see if we need to put some ‘effort’ into appreciating those jobs that are available, regardless of the lack of qualifications required.
As thousands leave the shores of our Emerald Isle, they are unprepared for what lies ahead. The level of work that is expected of them is much higher than they could imagine. They won’t walk into a job in a solicitor’s office in New York - most likely they’ll be the ones cleaning the solicitor’s toilet. Not the image you were hoping for, but probably the most realistic.
So as the brain drain continues, we must keep in mind that maybe the grass isn’t greener on the other side. But hey, there’s no harm in trying!
By: shinners
