Preparation for the World of Work - job seeking, recruitment and workplace rights
What the exam tests
How jobs are advertised and filled, how to apply well, and what rights a worker has from day one. Expect questions on CVs, interviews, contracts and employment law.
Recruitment process
Job analysis → job description (duties) → person specification (skills and qualifications) → advertising → shortlisting → interview → selection → contract. Sources of vacancies: company websites, IrishJobs, Jobs.ie, LinkedIn, recruitment agencies, Intreo and word of mouth.
Job seeking
- CV: reverse chronological, two pages, tailored to the role, no unexplained gaps, proofread.
- Cover letter: why this role, why this employer, why you.
- Interview: research the organisation, prepare STAR examples (Situation, Task, Action, Result), ask a question.
Workplace rights
- Written statement of terms of employment; core terms within days, full terms within the first month.
- National minimum wage, with age-related rates for under-18s and trainees.
- Organisation of Working Time Act 1997: 48-hour average week, breaks, four weeks' paid leave, 11 hours' daily rest.
- Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005.
- Employment Equality Acts: nine grounds including gender, age, disability, race, religion and family status.
- Unfair Dismissals Acts; the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) handles complaints.
- Right to join a trade union; GDPR protects personal data.
Worked example
A 17-year-old is offered weekend work. She is entitled to written terms, the appropriate minimum wage rate, rest breaks, a safe workplace and protection from discrimination. A zero-hours style arrangement must still respect the Act.
Traps
Putting a photo or date of birth on a CV; sending an informal email; confusing job description with person specification; assuming equality means everyone is paid the same; forgetting the WRC.