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LOOKING FOR A job in Irish universities was demoralising as there were no permanent contracts for the type of role I was applying for.
In Ireland, you get a graduate visa for two years after completing a postgrad in order to find a job. This is difficult when the role you want doesn’t offer permanent contracts, which is the case for most graduate jobs in third levels these days.
Being from Malaysia, temporary and short-term contracts weren’t an option for me as I needed job security in order to apply for a work permit.
While completing my research masters in immunology in Trinity, I had become passionate about communicating science and public engagement. After graduation, I stayed in Trinity and worked in a science communication role developing a public science programme and organising events.
Low wages and no security
Even though this wasn’t a research role, I was classified as a research assistant, one of the lowest paid roles in academia. I was hired for four months initially and this was extended to six months.
These roles are highly skilled and they require a minimum of a masters or PhD yet they don’t get any recognition in terms of pay or security. Some positions I came across when job hunting were classified as admin roles which is ridiculous given the skill level they were looking for.
This lack of recognition affected my confidence, as you start to wonder if people are taking your job seriously and whether it’s just a tick box exercise to fulfil a requirement of their funding grants.
Currently, the Irish Universities Association research assistant payscale starts at under €23,000 which is not a livable salary in Dublin right now. With the way jobs are being offered in Irish universities, people are looking to move abroad for better conditions and lower living expenses.
Academia is going to end up with a lack of diversity and different voices, which will have a huge impact on the quality of work that Irish universities produce.
The harsh reality of academia
There’s so much emphasis on bringing international students to study here but not much support when you need to find a job. I felt like there was nowhere to go if I wanted to stay in this field.
The answer I received most often when job hunting was: ‘That’s just the way it is’. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to give me the role or interview, it was that I wasn’t going to have a future with them once my graduate visa expired.
Younger lab heads and lecturers are having conversations about how academia needs to change and evolve but there’s a lot of old thinking among senior scientists who feel because they went through this, then the younger generation should too.
It shouldn’t be that way. That’s a whole culture in academia that needs to change.
I feel very much at home in Ireland, having been here since starting my degree in bioscience in IT Carlow. However, I had to face the reality there was a chance I would have to go back to Malaysia or move out of the area I was qualified for and loved.
I kept fighting and looking for jobs but in the end I had to give up hope of finding a permanent job in an Irish university.
Luckily, a month before my graduate visa was about to expire, I was offered a public engagement job in a non-profit, Sense About Science. I’m really enjoying my new role and they’re really supportive.
This entire process was very stressful and a constant worry for two years. I only realised the effect it was having on me once I settled into my new job and a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.
Ilaina Khairulzaman is a public engagement professional and a Malaysian cailín who fell in love with Ireland.
Academic Uncertainty Investigation
Do you want to know more about how prevalent precarious contracts are in the third level sector in Ireland?
The Noteworthy team want to do an in-depth investigation into how universities and institutes of technology are allowed to employ so many researchers and lecturers on these contracts.
They also want to look at the impact that short-term and temporary contracts are having on the sector as a whole.
Here’s how to help support this proposal>
Discussions focused on “healthcare policy”… not sure how useful Leo will be here, or any Irish politician in fairness.
@Thesaltyurchin: he is a trained medical doctor and he was In charge of the country as we battled covid pandemic. I’m sure his credentials are a lot better than yours sitting on the taxi rank ..
@Ciaran: and given private confidential information to a rival
@Ciaran: oh yeah, he was great at quoting harry Potter and other movie’s!!
Mr V sold out Ireland to the wolves. Let in unknown people in numbers to take over our country and they are mysteriously claiming asylum.
My question is this. Why Ireland and what is Ireland showing to the rest of the world that we Irish can’t access the basic necessities? As there’s waiting lists for everything that we need to access from the NCT to Hospital waiting lists and housing .
@Tommy: disgrace.. I even had to wait in line to pay for my groceries this morning… what a horrible country …
Douche! That is all!
@damien leen: Damien, you must be as delicate as a snowflake to be so upset by this article.
Shows you politicians can stil go on making big bucks while still collecting pension for all did when in power here .
@martin finnegan: But he’s not collecting a pension like most he’s pension will be paid at 65.
@martin finnegan: genuine question ; how much do you call “big bucks?”
@Paul O’Mahoney: i just think he failed irish people when in power sure yet can still go around like he was a success a millionaire yes but not a success
@Ciaran: sorry well paid to talk his career in politics.
who cares..stay there
The journal seems obsessed with Leo, he’s a private citizen and what he does in his life really isn’t important anymore. Let the man live his life.
@Paul O’Mahoney: it’s possibly more to do with the keynote speaker at an Irish unity event being a man who argued against it throughout his career.
@Uí Braonáin: And yet he has attended previous events on the matter.
@Harry Paisley: Right sir name for that comment on fairness Paisley.
A most incompetent individual who will be handsomely rewarded for abject failure.
@Andrew Kenny: isn’t that what we’re all chasing?
United we stand divided we fall, wount be long now!! The anti Unity FFG parties have always been and are the biggest obstacle to everone comming together as one in Ireland the way God intended
He has nothing to offer anyone but the WOKE.
The worst Taoiseach in our nation’s history. I don’t know why people keep giving him an audience and attention. His left-wing progressive policies failed to achieve anything productive in this country and he should not be speaking at any sort of event like this. In any case, Irish Unity itself is a bit of a folly which fails to realise that Northern Ireland runs a budget deficit of nearly 15 billion pounds every year. It’s not a manner of whether there is an “appetite” for joining up the two countries as one, or whatever other word people like to use, we simply can’t afford such a move. We already have a national debt that’s increasing every year. There is no reason why we should burden ourselves with one big welfare hoover that is Northern Ireland.
I’m sorry but we don’t want input from the current political parties in America.
must be looking for a young fella dirty old leo
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