Careers and Jobs

Unfortunately many employees in Ireland are on the wrong career path. They are stuck in dull jobs which do not fit their personality or skills. These employees accept this fate without doing anything about it.

What can you do?

Well you can try and understand yourself better. Identify your interests, your preferred behaviour in a working environment, your skill and key competencies. Understanding yourself will provide clarity and help you onto the right career path.

How do I do this?

Some individuals do a self assessment but other individual use the services of a career coach and range of career tests.

There are many career coaching services in Ireland which offer career direction and a wide portfolio of career tests. These include personality questionnaires, motivational questionnaires and interest inventories.

What are you waiting for? Get on the right career path now!!

I wrote recently about Facebook and how networking sites can wreck your career and job prospects BUT I did not mention TAX. Recent reports have Revenue Inspectors admitting to trawling networking sites for information on taxpayers. Revenue say that this is not a policy change and indicate that they will use whatever public information is available to provide information before an audit.

What information could they use?

If anyone has any ideas please post a comment.

I was thinking perhaps work history data or if individuals post information on properties of investments etc.

Expect the announcement today of congestion charges for Dublin in a new “pay-as-you-drive” scheme. The system will be similar to that introduce and operation in London. This scheme will be introduced to help top up government coffers due to reduced funds following the crash in the property sector. Or is it to address the traffic problems in the Dublin city center.

This plan is called “Sustainable Transport and Travel” and has an aim to promote the use of public transport over cars and free up congestion levels in the city. The system will work similar to tolls. Workers will pay to enter the city center cordon.

Government says that this is a necessary move because;

- Average rush hour speeds have dropped from 13km/hr in 2006 to 8km/hr today.
- Care usage is increasing obesity in Ireland.
- Increased traffic pollution is causing health problems

Will this plan improve the situation and reduce congestion or will things remain the same but just more expensive. Let’s face it the tool has not deterred workers from using the M50. Feedback from London suggests that the project will work as it has reduced car numbers by 20% but the jury is still out in Ireland.

This government announcement coincides with Work Life Balance day on 29th February. The WLB day is a great initiative and promotion WLB awareness. Unfortunately for workers in Ireland thought things just seem to be a downward spiral making Ireland a difficult place to work with little WLB.

It certainly does not seem to get any brighter for the Construction Sector. The latest report from Hook & MacDonald indicates that house building will fall further next year to almost 60% less than the 2006 record. This will mean a 38% to 48,000 completions this year.

I was speaking to a friend last week who indicated that his friend had negative equity on a house he bought 18 months previously. I read the papers and watch the news stories but this is when the demise of the sector really hit home. Ok there have been some positive announcement for the sector such as Arnotts but generally speaking it has been quite grim

Can infrastructure projects and commercial projects soften the blow for the construction sector?

I guess only time will tell.

I wrote yesterday about the great news released that PAYE workers had reclaimed 1.5bn in tax over the last 4 years BUT guess what!! Abuse and health scandals have just wiped this out. When you sit the cost of the Tribunals on top of this we are actually worse off.

So any good jobs news stories today?

FINANCIAL SERVICES – Cork was once known for its strong Pharmaceutical Sector (and GAA strikes) BUT now it seems that it is building its own little IFSC. Citco has announced that it is creating 150 new jobs. The company already employs 145 in Cork. The majority of the new roles will require 3rd level business/accountancy. Ireland is now has over 40 companies employing over 9000 staff in the funds administration sector.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) - More than half of senior technology executives are confident about the sector in 2008. Many see increases in employment in the sector. Over half believe that it is getting difficult to recruit IT staff.

Great news for workers today. PAYE workers have successfully reclaimed 1.5bn in overpaid taxes from the Revenue Commissioners in the past 4 years. Not only are the reclaim figures rising BUT also the number of PAYE workers querying the system and level of tax paid.

What is driving this change in PAYE workers attitudes and actions?

- Slowdown in the economy and the fact that PAYE workers are watching the pennies.
- Better access to information on tax
- Better information (easy to understand) from the Revenue
- Easier application forms and process to reclaim tax

I would guess it is a combination of all of the above. Some credit must be given to the revenue in that they are making the process more transparent and PAYE workers no longer need to be financial wizards. Revenue is also providing more information to PAYE workers through advertising, post and the internet. I would have to say that the tightening of the economy has driven many workers to investigate this issue more.

Anyway for those PAYE workers who have not received their slice of the 1.5bn pie there are 10 ways to claim back tax.

1. Mortgage Interest Relief
2. Medical Expenses
3. College Fees
4. Bin charges
5. Trade Union Membership
6. Medical Insurance
7. Old Age tax credit
8. Rent relief
9. Rent-a-room relief
10. Dependent Relative

For more information on the above check out revenue.ie.

Spend your new found wealth wisely.

SHOCKER: One in five people are claiming disability benefit but are actually fit to work. 22,038 individuals are claiming disability benefits but when examined 4,722 were deemed fit to work. I would never have guessed this!!

So who is benefiting from the fraud – looks like everyone!!

1. The claimant – Yes the taxpayer is getting hit in the pocket again. While we are miserable at work those defrauding the system are relaxing in St Stephen’s Green funded by us.
2. The doctors – Correct me if I am wrong but I guess they are making a living handing out sick notes.
3. Investigators – Wow there is a whole new career path here. All you need to do is grow a thick mustache like magnum and spend your days hiding in a skip outside claimants houses with your camera. What a great job!!
4. The Irish Workers – Reduced travel time to work as there are 4,722 less cars on the road during rush hour traffic. And dwellers in the city center will gain from reduced noise pollution which is now a huge problem according to the Herald.
5. Government – This is 4,722 people they do not have to find jobs for and they can manipulate their figures to keep them of the published unemployed figures.

So the morale of the story is that Fraud pays – not!! If you know anyone cheating the system direct them towards this site for inspiration to get back on the tools.