Information for Non-Residents

Frequently asked questions by those considering relocation to the Isle of Man

Q. I am thinking of moving to the Isle of Man – what is my first step?

A. Answer the following questions :

Most people decided to move here for quality of life and those who are transferred here decide to stay beyond their original contract time for the same reason. If you have a family the quality of life here, in particular the safety of the island, has tremendous appeal. Although our work involves us dealing with financial institutions worldwide, it is still a rural community with wonderful scenery and a wealth of sporting facilities. If you come from a city or big town, however, you might miss the facilities these locations offers such as Art Galleries, Museums, West End shows. Many candidates feel that the decision to move here has to be one made by the whole family, especially if they have older children – a holiday here, preferably not in the summer so you can experience the inclement weather, would be a good idea. Always talk to the Work Permit Department at the Isle of Man Government if you have any doubts about your ability to gain a Work Permit, for example, if you have a criminal record it would be difficult to gain a Work Permit.

If you feel that you have answered the questions satisfactorily and are making the right decision to move here then arrange a visit, start talking to Estate Agents / Rental firms and send us your CV with the date you will be able to commence work - we will then arrange an interview appointment with you when you are on the island. We must emphasise, however, that it will be very unlikely that we will be able to find you a job until you are resident here.

Q. I am considering moving to the Isle of Man – will I need a Work Permit?

A. Click on Work Permit

Q. I have never been to the Isle of Man but I hear there is plenty of work there, if I come will you find me a job?

A. Is it advisable to move to a new location you have never ever visited? We always suggest you visit the island, even just for a short break, to see if you like it here.

Q. I am sending you my CV will you find me a job and then I can move over?

A. No. We have to meet all of our candidates for a registration interview, send us your CV by post or e-mail and we will let you know if we think we will be able to help you, but, we will then expect you to attend an interview at our offices

Q. If I attend an interview with you and then return to the UK (or elsewhere) will you then find me a job?

A. We would love to say ‘yes' but it just doesn't work like that. It is our experience that unless you are actually resident on the Isle of Man you will find it extremely difficult to find employment here. Exceptions may be Accountants, IT personnel and Company and Trust Administrators

Q. Will I find a job on the Isle of Man if I give up my existing job, sell my house and move there?

A. The Isle of Man currently has 1.5% unemployment so there is a lot of work available. You will, however, require a work permit, you will also require accommodation and this is relatively expensive. If you have work experience relevant to the financial services industry such as accountancy, secretarial, clerical/administration or IT you will be in a better position to obtain a permanent position once you are here. If you can provide the following then we may be able to offer you temporary work until we find you a permanent position:

Whilst we will register all candidates for permanent work we would encourage those new to the island to temp for a short period of time to ascertain that they wish to stay here long term. It may be that once you are offered permanent work it will not be the type of work you have previously encountered and may require a period of re-training, your salary will reflect this.

Q. I am coming to the island and I have accommodation sorted out. I have previously worked in the Retail Trade and don't know what sort of work to target now – I don't want to continue working in a shop – will you be able to help?

A. Just because you have worked in the Retail Trade does not necessarily mean you would be unwelcome in financial services your customer service skills would be welcomed and we have had considerable success in placing candidates from a Retail background. You would have to take a trainee position but you would still find the salary to be very competitive and the opportunities on offer would be very appealing.

Q. I come from the South of England and I find the salaries to be a little low in comparison – I'm disappointed, I thought that the Isle of Man paid excellent salaries.

A. We do consider the salaries on offer to be excellent, you have to remember that any salaries quoted on our list of vacancies are exclusive of benefits and our clients offer excellent benefits. All salaries are subject to Isle of Man tax – which is very different to that of the UK

Q. I've been reading the previous Q and A – why cant you find me a job if I send my CV from the UK – why do I need to visit the island and re-locate there first?

A. We know that it is hard to understand when staff are required here but it is just how it is. You have to appreciate that you would be moving to a totally different environment – you would have to find accommodation and how can you guarantee that you would like it here without even visiting? Look at it this way, if there was a job available in your home town and it was a choice between you or someone living hundreds of miles away – who would get the job? You have to re-locate to the island in order to find a permanent job – perhaps with the exception of the type of candidates previously mentioned

Q. I have Manx roots and I wish to return home. I do not require a work permit

A. You will know what the island is like and you have family to help you on arrival, we will do our best to find you a job but you should also return first and then look for a job – it shows commitment to re-location here. Send us your CV and we will see if we can advise you further.

Q. My partner has obtained a position on the Isle of Man – can you find me a job too

A. Send us your CV and details of referees and we will correspond with you. If we feel we are able to help you we will send you a work permit form to complete and arrange an interview appointment for the first day of your arrival. If all our procedures are completed satisfactorily then we will offer you immediate and continuous temporary work so you will have an income on your arrival – we will then help you find a permanent job.

Q. My husband has taken a job on the island and has a work permit for this job – will I need a permit too

A. Yes

Q. What sort of jobs are available on the Isle of Man

A. Have a look at our current list of vacancies!

Q. I have arranged for the Isle of Man Courier newspaper to be delivered to my home and have applied for several jobs direct. I have been offered two jobs without being interviewed, should I accept them?

A. It really is up to you, but does this seem a wise move? A flight from Liverpool is relatively inexpensive and would mean that you could visit the company concerned and spend some time on the island prior to making a decision – we would always advise candidates to do that.

Q. Why should I use Miracles Limited to find a job when there are so many available?

A. For that very reason. There are a lot of vacancies and you have to ask yourself if, in some cases, this is a result of a high turnover of staff. If a company uses Miracles Limited to find staff, however, then they will be a professional organisation who recruit equally professionally. We not only find a position for our candidates that can use their skills and work experience, we also fit the right person to the right company. We know the opportunities on offer and who will give training and study leave to their staff. In many cases we have recruited for our clients for over fifteen years and we know the very best companies on the Isle of Man. If you are making the effort to come here you need to find the best job available and the job with the best opportunities for promotion and training. It is essential that you choose your first job on the island wisely, you don't want to make a mistake and have to leave within a few months – it doesn't look good on your CV. Our clients are always looking for excellent staff but, as previously stated, they are professional organisations and, as such, are not desperate - they will not recruit those who move from job to job quickly.

Q. Will you help me to move over to the island?

A. We will do everything we can to help you. If you decide to come and have a date you are due to arrive we will prepare your CV, apply for your references, have a work permit application form prepared. As soon as we have interviewed you, on arrival or perhaps prior to that, and if our vetting procedures are satisfactory, we will offer you continuous temporary work until such time that we find you a permanent job. We will also provide you with Sick and Holiday Pay, whilst you temp, and membership of a local Health Club so that you can start to meet people and make friends. Our client companies welcome our temps and we will ensure that you join a team of existing temps so that you feel comfortable. As soon as you arrive on the island we will discuss permanent vacancies with you and, once you are settled here, will submit your details to our clients and arrange interview appointments. You will be allocated a Personal Consultant who will look after you every step of the way.

Q. I am moving to the island with my partner and will be available to commence work on 1st December 2006 – how can you help?

A.

Q. If I am sure I want to settle on the island and have worked as your temp for three or four weeks, what happens then?

A. We will contact you and tell you just what we have on offer on our permanent files. With your agreement we will submit your details to our clients and when we have obtained interviews for you we will make all the necessary arrangements. We will always discuss the vacancies in detail with you and will encourage you to take your time and to ensure you are choosing the right position for you.

Q. When we move to the island money will be tight, I will need work to tide me over until I find a permanent job, can you help?

A. Yes. We have immediate and continuous temporary work for our candidates subject to vetting procedures.

Our Consultants do not work on a commission basis, they are highly qualified and experienced professionals who work in recruitment because they obtain enormous job satisfaction from helping clients and candidates alike. We all have families and we all have reputations we wish to maintain, we are very active in the Manx community having representatives on the local College Business Studies Advisory Committee; we also have very close links with local charities as we have ‘adopted' a local Charity for the past ten years. It is in our interest to provide the right staff to our clients and the right jobs for our candidates, we do not recommend positions we think are unsuitable.

When you are new to a location you require help and guidance – we have been giving this help to new residents and clients new to the island, for over fifteen years – our reputation is such that you can ask anyone on the island and we are confident that they will recommend us to you.