Which Irish companies actually sponsor work permits?
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26,629 permits granted in 2026 so far
Download the Word (.docx) templates
Single column, standard fonts, real text. Edit in Word, Google Docs or Pages. No email required.
How to edit the Word template without breaking it
Ten minutes of care here is worth more than any design flourish.
1. Save a master copy first
Keep one untouched .docx as your master and edit a copy for each application. You will tailor the headline and top bullets every time, and you do not want to rebuild the structure when you overwrite something.
2. Replace the header block
Name, target job title, city and county, phone with +353 or your international dialling code, professional email and LinkedIn URL. Keep it in the body of the document, not in Word's header area, which many parsers skip. Delete the address, photo, date of birth and marital status placeholders.
3. Rewrite the summary in your own numbers
Three to four lines: years of relevant experience, your domain, two concrete results and the role you are targeting. Write it last, after you have found your strongest numbers in the experience section.
4. Mirror the advert in the core skills block
Six to eight grouped lines of tools, methods and domains, worded the way the job advert words them wherever it is genuinely true of you. This is where keyword matching happens.
5. Turn duties into results
Every bullet reads action, method, result. Use Word's bullet list, not a dash or a symbol you typed yourself. If you have no number, use scale: team size, budget, volume, geography.
6. Check the layout is still flat
Turn on formatting marks (Ctrl+Shift+8) and confirm there are no tables, text boxes or columns. Use Word's heading styles for section titles so the structure survives parsing.
7. Export to PDF and test it
File, Save as, PDF. Open the PDF and try to select the text. If nothing selects, it exported as an image and no ATS can read it. Then paste the text into a plain text file: if the order collapses, the layout is fighting the parser.
Word features to avoid on an Irish CV
These are the formatting choices we see most often behind a CV that gets no replies.
- ·Text boxes and shapes, which most parsers ignore completely, taking your contact details with them.
- ·Tables used for layout, which scramble the reading order when converted to plain text.
- ·Two column and sidebar templates, including most of the built-in Word resume designs.
- ·Contact details placed in Word's header or footer area.
- ·Icons, logos, photos and skill rating bars, which carry no readable text.
- ·Symbol fonts such as Wingdings for bullets, which come out as strange characters.
- ·Saving as .pages, .odt or an image PDF when you send the file.
Word, PDF or Google Docs?
Different stages of the same application want different files.
Word (.docx)
Your master copy, and what Irish recruitment agencies prefer, because they reformat CVs onto their own letterhead before sending them to clients.
What you send to employers and careers portals. It preserves the layout exactly and every modern ATS reads text-based PDFs.
Google Docs
Fine for editing. Upload the .docx, open with Google Docs, then download as PDF. Check the spacing afterwards, Google Docs shifts line breaks occasionally.
Next steps
See page one of every template before you download, in Word and PDF.
How to export, name and test a PDF CV so it survives applicant tracking systems.
The standard two page layout, section by section, and what to leave out.
Worked examples for graduates, professionals and career changers.
Full worked examples for software, marketing, finance, healthcare and graduate roles, with the exact bullets.
Upload your finished CV and get an instant score against Irish screening criteria.
What clients say about working with us
“Hugo is a friendly and dedicated professional who can help you with career coaching. He was very attentive to me, making calls to teach me strategies to get the perfect job and providing accurate and professional material.”
“I had an amazing experience with HULA Career! Their team provided outstanding support in improving my LinkedIn profile and CV, making them more professional and impactful. Their guidance was clear, personalized, and extremely helpful.”
“I've been a client of HULA Career for a while now, and working with them has been one of the best decisions I've made for my professional growth. From the very beginning, they made me feel seen and heard.”
“I had a very good experience with HULA! Hugo is an amazing professional who always goes beyond to provide the best service he can. I learned a lot from our sessions and would recommend 100% for anyone who needs help finding a new job.”
“HULA met my expectations perfectly. I was looking for guidance to create a standout resume, and they fully understood my needs. The team was extremely attentive and delivered excellent services.”
“They are excellent professionals and exceed expectations. They helped me in a practical way, but also in a psychological way so that I could position myself in the labour market in another country. Thank you so much, you're amazing.”
Finished editing it?
Run the file through our free ATS analysis, or book a free consultation and we will tell you honestly how it reads to an Irish recruiter.
Written by
Hugo F
Career coach and co-founder of HULA. He works every week with international professionals hiring into Ireland, the UK and Portugal, and coaches them through CV, LinkedIn, applications and interviews. More about Hugo.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I download a free Irish CV template in Word?+
Directly on this page. Three .docx templates built to the Irish two page format: a professional all-purpose template, a tech template and a finance template. No email address, no sign up, no watermark.
Does Word have a CV template that works in Ireland?+
Word ships with built-in resume templates, but almost all of them use text boxes, tables, columns or graphics, and those are the layouts applicant tracking systems parse worst. They are also written for the US resume convention rather than the Irish two page CV. Start from a plain single column .docx instead.
Can I edit the Word template in Google Docs or Pages?+
Yes. Upload the .docx to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs, or open it in Pages. Keep the single column structure, then export to PDF before applying. Do not save as .pages or .odt when you send it.
How do I keep a Word CV ATS friendly?+
Use one column with no text boxes or tables, standard heading styles, a normal font such as Calibri, Arial or Georgia at 10 to 11.5pt, bullet points from the Word bullet list rather than symbols, and no images, icons or skill rating bars. Put your contact details in the body of the document, never in the header or footer, because many parsers ignore those areas.
Should I send the Word file or a PDF?+
Send a PDF to employers and company careers sites, because it preserves layout. Keep the .docx as your master and send it when a recruitment agency asks, since agencies in Ireland often reformat CVs onto their own letterhead.
What should I name the file?+
Firstname-Lastname-CV.pdf, or add the role for a specific application, for example Maria-Silva-CV-Operations-Manager.pdf. Avoid cv-final-v3, it reads as careless before the document is opened.
Does the Word template work for the UK as well?+
Yes. The structure is the same. Change the phone number to +44, use UK spelling, mention your right to work status and add your degree classification for graduate roles.