Dublin is the center of Irish industry, so you’ll be working with people from all over Ireland, and, very likely people from all over the world. Ireland’s economic fortunes over the last 15 years have seen mass immigration in the boom time years followed by mass immigration in the last few years. This means you’ll find that Dublin is extremely cosmopolitan and international compared to US cities of similar size.

Part of the thrill of an internship abroad will be discovering the differences in how you and your co-workers relate to each other. You’ll hopefully return with new perspectives and new ideas about how to negotiate in cross-cultural situations.

Below you’ll find brief descriptions of each possible internship placement area:


ACCOUNTANCY & FINANCE

The fields of accountancy and finance offer interesting and challenging work and Dublin provides a superb, albeit highly competitive, atmosphere in which to gain internship experience. As a member of the European Union, Ireland provides an English language environment conducive to foreign investors and employees from around the globe, and houses the European headquarters of several large multinationals, amid many small and medium-sized enterprises and dynamic up-and-coming entrepreneurial businesses. 


ADVERTISING, MARKETING & PUBLIC RELATIONS

The advertising, marketing, and PR world is vibrant and vital in Dublin, with an exceptionally young workforce and strong industry standing. Businesses depend on effective brand management to compete in the bustling economy of a prosperous, cosmopolitan capital, and innovative advertising campaigns build on the Irish tradition of skillful, charming storytelling. A wide array of public relations firms in Dublin serve consumer businesses, strong and novel brands, non-profit organizations, and private firms. With the economy still recovering from a sharp recession, consumer confidence is paramount and new products being launched or established companies seeking to reposition themselves in a market depend entirely upon this field for success.


BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

Dublin and Ireland as a whole provide an English language environment conducive to foreign investors and employees from around the globe. Interning in a business administration capacity is an excellent way in which to gain an insight into the inner workings of a company and allows students to engage in a range of tasks throughout a variety of different departments through the lens of a global city.


BUSINESS & ECONOMICS

With advances in technology, business is taking place on an increasingly global scale and Dublin has been at the forefront of the internationalization of the Irish economy, attracting many global businesses to the city since the heady days of the Celtic Tiger economy. It is also home to numerous small and medium-sized enterprises and dynamic up-and-coming entrepreneurial businesses. 

Dublin is an excellent setting to participate in a business or economics internship and offers fascinating conditions in which to examine relevant issues and modern day trends in this field. Ireland’s political framework is a hybrid of free-market capitalism and European social democracy; a model of collaborative partnership between the state and private capital. The city is home to ambitious professionals from all over Europe and further afield, who bring their innovative perspective and language skills to businesses and enterprises of all sizes.

In addition to placements in for-profit businesses and financial organizations, there are opportunities within non-profit organizations that provide work for those with economic expertise.


CHARITY & NON-PROFIT

Going hand in hand with FIE's Values of Social Justice, Sustainability and Inclusivity, there are many Charity and Non-Profit organizations that are thriving in Dublin.  There are almost 10,000 registered charities, and an additional 20,000 non-profits across Ireland, of which 25% of these are in the capital city of Dublin. These can range from local outreach to international projects. This sector employs an incredible 190,000 staff, and additionally over 50,000 volunteers. The industry area of Charity and Non- Profits is not only a growing industry, but one that is gaining importance as the housing crisis, homelessness, sustainability efforts, LGBTQ Rights, refugee issues, and much more are continuously on the rise in Ireland.


COMMUNICATIONS

There are a multitude of companies that work in the areas of brand management, communications, and events management. Consumer businesses, specific brands, non-profit organizations, and individual firms rely on the communications field to generate business and press coverage. 


GRAPHIC DESIGN & WEB DESIGN

Hundreds of small, medium, and large graphic and web design studios have opened in the area in recent years, fed by a booming interest and increase in offerings from local colleges and universities. With skills needed in technology as well as art, students may find themselves working in an internship placement that employs people with both sets of expertise. 


HISTORICAL & CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS

Dublin is a premier destination to gain experience working in the historical and cultural sector. The Irish capital is home to a host of world-class cultural institutions, numerous museums, and a wide range of community-based arts services. Cultural activities are highly popular and greatly utilized by both visitors and residents, who visit major attractions as well as more intimate and specialized organizations that Dublin presents.

Internship opportunities are available in a range of smaller organizations. A placement within one of the specialized areas will provide an excellent way to gain insight into the cultural and historical sector.


HOTEL, CATERING & HOSPITALITY 

Dublin has grown as a year-round destination for holidaymakers from around the world, as well as a business center for foreign investors thanks to the headquarters of world-famous brands popping up in and around the city. Dublin hotels had the highest increase of any city in Europe in 2015 for Revenue per Available Room. Students with placements in the hotel, catering, and hospitality sector can expect an opportunity to experience a fast-paced and growing industry.


HUMAN RESOURCES

Students in an HR setting can expect to have a varied task list, as 'human resources' is a term that can cover anything from employee communications to helping research company regulations. This is a great industry to get to know Dublin and see the variety of people, practices, and policies typical of a multicultural gateway city with a global workforce. 


INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & MULTIMEDIA

Information Technology (IT) and Multimedia are an important part of everyday life, as conducting business electronically has become essential for public and private organizations, both large and small, across the globe. Companies and organizations utilize resources in technology for purchasing, marketing, administration, research, and sales. As a company’s online presence grows in importance, the information technology industry has likewise increased and become more wide-reaching, with varied opportunities for interns to gain experience in the field. 


JOURNALISM & MEDIA

Dublin sits at the heart of Ireland’s journalism and media industry. There is a thriving journalistic community which uses the city as its base, and it is a prime location for those interested in gaining experience in this field. Ireland has a long tradition of newspaper journalism, with daily circulation remaining consistently high over the last century. There has also been a significant increase in online journalism outlets in news, entertainment, and special interest topics, which are read nationally as well as globally. Furthermore, journalism has become a cross-industry skill as many businesses turn to social, web-based, and print media to market their business.   

There are fantastic opportunities available at independent news agencies, magazines, popular online sites, and media firms that produce exciting and inventive work. Many of the larger publications are heavily unionized, so FIE mainly works with small and medium-sized media companies. This enables students to get a more hands-on internship experience within one of Dublin innovative and independent journalism organizations.  


LEGAL & JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS

The Irish legal system is a mix of constitutional, statute and common law, subject to the provisions of international (most significantly the European Union) treaties ratified by the state.  Ireland’s constitution of 1937 was the first in the world to explicitly provide for the protection of individual human dignity, a concept which came to later prominence in the Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Ireland is similar to the US in the principle of the separation of powers, a developed system of constitutional rights and judicial review of primary legislation.


SPORTS

Sport is at the heart of Irish identity, from pride in the national teams performing rugby and soccer on a global stage to a passion for traditional games played throughout the country under the Gaelic Athletics Association. Indeed, the GAA was the first major organization established during the cultural revival that led to a successful campaign for Ireland’s political independence while Dublin reigns as the current county champion in Gaelic football. Most sports in Ireland are amateur and state funding is essential in providing facilities and the opportunity for young athletes to get involved and develop.


TRAVEL, TOURISM & LEISURE

The Irish travel proportionally more than almost any other nationality, while tourism is vital to the Irish economy, which all makes Dublin a great place to learn about this industry. Students may be involved with researching locations online, writing copy, events planning, attending trade fairs, liaising with clients, and assisting with business administration. In this sector, language skills are an important bonus.