deiseanna gairme in institiúide an AE

Employer Insights Getting the job I took over my fathers business in 2008, the worst possible time for those in the construction business. We originally had a staff of eight men which was cut back to two, we now have four men employed and we can see further prospects for employment in the near future. Fergal FeehelyApprentice Painter Decorator Initially I got a phone call from Chairman of the  Board of Management (B.O.M.) to take a subbing position in the school. That then became temporary some six months later. The job was then advertised and I applied for it.

The interview panel consisted of the Chairperson of the B.O.M, a retired Primary Principal and a Bishop's nominee as this was a diocesan school. I was questioned about the school, its ethos, how I would teach certain subjects and my extra-curricular interests.

I was told that I was successful through a phone call from the Chairperson. Deirdre SayersPrimary School Teacher I went straight from school into the professional rugby system so it was merely based on how you were performing and what potential you could have in the future. Ian McKinleyRugby Player

I worked “front line” as a Care Assistant at the beginning of my “route” to becoming a Clinical Psychologist. One of the organisations I worked in was St Michael’s House. Right from the beginning I had huge respect for the way this service was run. I felt the staff interacted with people in a way which was very dignified and enabling.

I learnt so much about the area and myself. I decided then that I would really try to become part of the organisation when I’d qualified as a Clinical Psychologist. Then an opportunity arose to involve St Michael’s House in some research I did as part of my training. This gave me more links with the organisation, and at this time I also heard that the organisation was going to be recruiting Clinical Psychologists at my grade.

I applied for the post following a newspaper advertisement, and also on the organisation’s web site. I was interviewed by a panel and was delighted to be offered the post of Clinical Psychologist in the organisation.

Elaine MacDonaldPsychologist - Clinical I started in the Commission at graduate entry grade. I never intended to stay so long but I found it really interesting. Catherine DaySecretary General I was offered this job when the previous incumbent moved on. By coincidence, I was looking for a change from the job I had at that time so it was opportune. Karen O'FlahertyScience Communicator I wasn't all too sure what area of business I wanted to go into, but I knew I wanted to use my language. SAP would have always been at the careers fairs, but I never took any interest as I didn't have any background in IT. However, after uploading my CV to Monster.ie and a couple of phone calls with the recruiter from the company, I figured out that there were many different options for those without IT experience. I went for the interview and was won over by the place. Interviews were never a strong point for me, so I was over the moon to get the call for the second round. I put a lot of work into preparing and it paid off in the end. Laura GlendonMultilingual Software Support SAP

I was working in the Energy Sector for another organisation and recruitment agency contacted me about a role working at Fidelity International. At the time I had never considered working in Financial Services so I had to do quite a bit of research to work out how the role would be different from my current role and how I could address that in an interview. I attended four interviews, with my potential manager, her manager and also with people I would be working with.

There was also a personality questionnaire and an aptitude test. It sounds daunting but everyone was really nice and friendly, it also made me realise that working in Financial Services wasn't going to be all that different from working in the Energy sector! There were more similarities than differences.

Kathryn ReevesLearning and Development Lead While I was at Leicester doing my PhD, the job advert was sent around a mailing list that I had subscribed to. I applied straight away, and it was actually the first application I made so I was very lucky!

The interview required me to give an overview talk discussing my research and ideas for future work, followed by technical questions, and then a personal interview. I was then offered the job and I accepted straight away. Caitriona JackmanPlanetary Scientist I had been hoping to get back into library work and spent many months scanning the newspapers. Eventually an advert appeared and I phoned Cavan County Council for an application form. After forwarding the application, I was called for interview.

Initially, a panel of successful candidates was prepared by the Council Interview Board. Some months later I got a phone call asking me if I would like to work for Cavan County Council as a Librarian. I could only have said yes, and to this day I have never looked back. Jonathan SmythLibrary Assistant While in college both myself and a friend discussed joining the army after viewing it at a careers day. On completion of our degrees we both applied to join the army and were called for interviews. On passing the interview we were selected to attend a medical and then on completion of that a fitness test had to be passed. On passing all three sections I was contacted by ManPower (now Fas) who then confirmed my acceptance. Keith LynchPrivate (Line) While in college, a recruiter came into my college to discuss working at sea and within the first 5 minutes of the presentation I was sold and haven't looked back since. I had an interview a few weeks later and a practical assessment and a public speaking exercise. I then received an email telling me I would be contacted soon if I was successful. Low and behold, the phone rang and it was that day my life completely changed. I went and did 6 weeks intense training in London in all aspects of beauty for the company and learned their way of doing treatments etc. Kate WalshBeauty Therapist There is a new JET Coordinator selected each year, and an email is usually sent out to current Irish JETs in Japan, so when I had made my decision to move back home again I decided to apply for the position that year. As I was still in Japan when I was applying, I had my interviews for the position over Skype. I found out I was successful for the position in May, finished up on the JET programme and returned to Ireland in August and began working at the Embassy at the beginning of September. Edel CarletonJET Coordinator - Japanese Embassy Fishing is the family business so I grew up with it. Alan O'NeillFisherman After some time off directly after college, I applied for an ICT Graduate placement. ICT Ireland provides graduates with the opportunity for placements with participating companies. I was successful in getting an 11 month placement in Intel, in the Unit Level Failure Analysis group.

After the 11 month placement I was offered a full time position within the same group. After working for approximately 1 year in that role I changed job role to work with the Yield Analysis group. Deborah CaffreyElectronic Engineer

My current job was advertised in the national newspapers. Before applying for the job I phoned the Occupational Therapy Manager in St. Michael's House to get some additional information on the post. Then I sent in my CV and was called for interview.

I was interviewed by the OT Manager, one of the Senior OTs and someone from Human Resources. The interview lasted about 30 minutes. A few days after the interview I was contacted to inform me that I was successful in the interview and I was being offered the job dependant on a medical exam. The medical was completed the following week and I was then sent a contract to sign, to formally accept the post.

Tomas FlanaganOccupational Therapist I got my first job with St Michael's House through answering an advert in a local newspaper. I attended an interview with a panel of three people and was informed by letter that I had been successful. I was then covering a maternity leave vacancy, when a full time post became available in the unit.  I applies for the position, attended an interview and was successful. Deirdre LavelleCare Assistant Prior to my current role, I was team coach of the Finance Operations area for three years and when the opportunity for promotion arose, I put myself forward.

I completed an interview with the Operations Manager and one week later I was offered the position. My predecessor had over 40 years’ experience and I was very lucky to have him as a mentor. With his guidance and support, I felt I was ready to take on the challenge. Sarah TenantyFinance Operations My current job was a leap of faith as I switched to the sell side after 18 years on the buy side. It is a challenge to set up a new business line from scratch, but also a learning opportunity. But of course, the first challenge was to convince my new boss and my new company to hire me and provide me with resources to set up inflation trading. Luckily our visions were similar, and I convinced them. I'm happy that we beat our targets three years in a row now. Semin Soher PowerSenior Inflation Trader My husband saw a gap in the market for selling fish in Wicklow and after two years of looking for premises, we finally found one and just went for it! Nicola O'HigginsFishmonger Main challenges In the current climate, tendering can be very difficult. It can be hard to ensure jobs are priced above cost and still within customers budgets.

There is a lot more to this occupation than people realise and there is always a problem you haven't yet encountered. An example would be damp issues or alkaline issues which need specialist knowledge to treat properly. Fergal FeehelyApprentice Painter Decorator Dealing with things that don’t work is the main challenge. You are doing research into a new area, so many things work, but many things do not work. It is not a series of great discoveries, but a series of non-discoveries and hopefully one discovery over a period of years. Cecilia FenechEnvironmental Scientist

Sometimes the cases are difficult and take longer than expected but I am aways well supported. We have also got support from other areas in Tusla like Data Protection so we work together as a team.

Diego GallagherSenior Solicitor Managing my time during the school day is the biggest challenge. For example, timing practical work to be finished before the pupils have to be off to their next class is always a challenge! Cian O'MahonyScience Teacher Managing a busy caseload can be a challenge at times particularly when you are splitting your time between a number of locations. Also due to the current economic situation there is less money available to develop services and fund equipment. Tomas FlanaganOccupational Therapist The main challenges I feel would be the deadlines. Other teams rely on us completing our tasks on time in order to get our NAVs to the clients on time, so it's important to manage our times and ensure we have sufficient training in order to complete our tasks to a high standard Abbie RiceAssociate Accountant/IFS Apprentice Husband is in full time education and I am the only earner. Staying focused and keeping it going through very tough times. Staying positive. Liz ChristyTextile Design/Handweaver Keeping track of multiple projects and ensuring each is adequately resourced on any given day is the main challenge. Just because a project is due to start two months from now doesn't mean nothing needs to be done today. Also projects may encounter big hurdles which will pull resources from the group and this may have knock-on effects to other projects. That can be difficult to manage to ensure minimal delays occur elsewhere. Fergus O'ConnellQuality Officer Balancing all departments’ priorities. Sara Hickey Assistant Trading Manager Energy projects including wind farms take years to develop. It can be many years before you see the fruits of your labour. Also, you may work a lot on a specific project, but it may not go ahead for various reasons. Des LalorWind Engineer

The most challenging aspect is managing all of the different tasks that need to be completed as part of my role. Once you move into a senior management position in any company, there is a lot of responsibility that rests on your shoulders. With experience you get used to that and it doesn't cause me an issue, but it certainly keeps me busy! I think the word "perspective" is a great word to have in your head as you go through a career.

There have been many occasions in my career where things have become a challenge or things have gone wrong but having perspective and always doing your best is the key here. My experience has shown that no matter how bad you think things are at a point in time, by working hard and showing integrity you can make sure they work out in the end. There's no point getting stressed or worried, you can only do your best.

Brian DelahuntyHead of Corporate Banking The constant striving to achieve perfection in all tasks I complete. Working under time constraints and strict deadlines in a disciplined environment. Your interpersonal skills and communication ability must be excellent. Tom TooherLieutenant - Army Management of a training process in a busy environment (how to find the time to upskills people when the production plan shows no time!) Mark MeehanSTEM Learning Head Troubleshooting excursions in order to understand them and prevent them in the future is challenging. Training into a new environment is always a challenge. Adapting from a college environment to a working environment is a huge change and a challenge I am still overcoming. Rebecca TigheProcess Engineer I recently worked on a project where the scope of the project was constantly changing and we were under considerable pressure to complete the project by an agreed deadline. How I dealt with this is by working efficiently, being decisive and helping out the team in whatever way I could to ensure we met our commitment to our client. Sinead LewSenior Tax Manager Working in a fast-paced environment can also be challenging at times. It is an environment that demands high productivity at high standards.  Laura FinneganProcess Development Engineer Constantly learning new weapons and warfare tactics keep me alert and challenged. Life in the Defences Forces is an endless learning curve and so we are always improving ourselves and those around us. Overseas operations are a very challenging feature of my career and one which I welcome as they give me the opportunity to put into practice my training and skills. Being away from home, friends and family is a major challenge facing any soilder. Keith LynchPrivate (Line)

Waiting lists for services and supports for example, play therapy, mental health services etc.

Fiona O'SullivanChild Protection and Welfare Social Worker Cost / Time constraints. Sourcing correctly skilled and knowledgeable labour. Donal KanePlumber / Construction Super. So far in my training the main challenges would be getting used to the change of lifestyle inside the college. Aishling ButlerGarda Trainee Typical day

I should preface this by saying there is no ‘typical day’ in my experience of social work, with each dawn bringing its own new learning, opportunities and challenges. However, I would routinely start the day by reviewing my work priorities’ list for the week, checking my calendar and responding to emails that may have been sent the previous evening. After a brief check in with my teams, the day generally consists of a cocktail of meetings with my teams, advocacy on behalf of them, strategy meetings with external agencies, and ensuring that the department is operating efficiently. As a Principal Social Worker, my role is less ‘front line’ now, and my responsibility is to provide support and governance to my various teams to ensure that the young people we work with are getting the best service they can.

Jonathan O’ReillyPrincipal Social Worker The typical type of work I do includes working on group reorganisations, financing project and trade transfers. More recently, I have also been involved in a number of large property transactions. I am constantly in contact with other professional bodies, such as solicitors and banks. I would be in regular contact with Revenue, as part of my day to day work. Sinead LewSenior Tax Manager

My husband goes to the market very early to get the fish and I bring the children to school and creche and go to the shop for 9.15am. Then I set up the counter with the fresh fish. It is hard to be creative and also set up as quickly as you can.

The day starts. I serve customers and fill in details of the fish for traceability. The customers are the biggest bonus to my day. You keep the counter looking good with your product topped up with ice and make sure everything is super clean. You can never have any bad smell in such a small shop. So hygiene is a big thing.

Nicola O'HigginsFishmonger My average day starts at about 7.30am, as does that of my employees. Our workforce is organised in three crews of two or, sometimes, three men. On a Monday, we would normally go on a run of maintenance contracts, maybe seven or eight sites and I would work with one of the crews during that run. On Tuesdays, we tend to concentrate on new landscaping jobs. I would organise the materials for the job and any deliveries of materials. I'd then set out the planting and allocate various tasks to my helpers, make sure that everything is going smoothly and that the job is finished well. Our work days finish at four in the afternoon. On Wednesdays, after allocating the various tasks to the staff and ensuring that everyone is on site, I spend the rest of the day in the office. This is a vitally important part of my work, although the least enjoyable. Accounts and credit control have to examined , bills paid, lodgement of cheques received and wages for the week prepared. There is usually correspondence to be dealt with as well as quotations and tenders for future work prepared. A lot of time is spent on business calls not only on Wednesdays but throughout the week. The other days are taken up in much the same way as Mondays and Tuesdays. Contact has to maintained with the clients on a regular basis to ensure that they are satisfied with the service we are providing. Also regular contact with suppliers, such as Nuserymen, is very important to make sure that we know which plants or other materials can be sourced at any one time. Paul DowlingHorticulturist I manage on behalf of the Bank the lending requests from various businesses. Providing finance to SMEs for various projects to help grow their businesses. Projects such as business acquisition, capital investment in equipment and premises, property acquisition, etc.This can be very rewarding when you see business grow and become more successfully with your help. Madonna DalyBusiness Manager It’s split half and half between the ‘people’ side and the technical side. Yesterday for example, I spent the morning working with a team on their yearly goals and I spent the afternoon getting up to speed on some of ESB’ plans regarding Solar energy. Des LalorWind Engineer As a social care worker you are working 'on the floor' with the clients so you are supporting them with their lives on a daily,hourly basis. In the morning you will be helping them get ready to go to their place of work, supporting them to have showers maybe and get ready, to prepare and have breakfast and to get all they need for their day ahead.

You may be involved in taking them to their place of work, using public transport or if they travel independently just making sure they are organised and have all they need and don't miss the bus!

Once that is done you may need to clean the house and then start your administration, keeping reports, scheduling meetings with psychologists or social workers about work in progress, family matters, with doctors regarding medical issues, working on house maintenance, staff rosters, budgets, maintaining lines of communication between staff and the wider organisation.

You may have meetings in the house with these people to discuss the well-being of the clients, their progress, if their happy with their lives and if not how we can help them become happier. You may have staff meetings to discuss house issues and development plans. You may need to go to their place of work to liaise with staff there and discuss their progress and any difficulties.

You will be working with a lot of people from many different disciplines i.e.Service managers, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Social Workers, Speech and Language Therapists, Physiotherapists, Psychiatrists and you will need to keep all involved in the know and working together.

Once the clients are home you then need to support them in whatever they need to do that evening, be it doing their laundry or phoning their parents or if they want to go out shopping, to the cinema or meeting friends. Maybe they attend a club which you facilitate. Also you support them in making dinner and other household tasks which they can participate in.

You support them to attend to their personal hygiene and encourage healthy and positive living habits. You support them in sharing their living environment, respecting each other and their property. You will support them learning social skills, how to get along with each other and how to treat each other properly. Naoise PyeSocial Care Worker Check emails, set up tasks for work crews, site meetings, walk all work areas and meet all work crew, carry out health and safety and quality checks and pre plan upcoming works. Donal KanePlumber / Construction Super. My day in the office typically starts at about 08.30 and ends about 18.00 The activities of the day generally fall into one of 3 categories
(i) Planning
(ii) Reporting and
(iii) Problem solving.

Typically the day involves lots of meetings - these can range from meetings with other members of the management team, to meeting with investors, existing and potential customers, lawyers, accountants and bank managers.

Generally speaking these meetings revolve around getting and providing updates on the progress of the Company compared against the objectives set out in the Company's business plan. Often times these meetings will inform the next iteration of the business plan itself and the strategies the Company must employ to achieve these objectives.

During busy periods I would often take work home in the evening and at weekends - but as I said earlier I am getting better at achieving a proper work/life balance. Brian KellyScience Entrepreneur A typical day for me can be very diverse which is why I love my role, usually there is a number of meetings in the diary with property managers to discuss any arrears and how we plan to deal with this, we also have a number of team meetings to discuss any issues with the properties. We are hands on with communicating with our tenants, so this is daily also. Jenny DonnellyAsset Manager The best thing about the job is there is no typical day. This was probably the biggest draw for me to the job. I love the unpredictable nature of it and that we can get called to any incident at any time.

Some days when it is extremely busy I find we are very reactive due to the high volume of calls. Other days when it is a bit quieter we can be more proactive and we can get out and prevent incidents from happening before they unfold. Peter CliffordProbationer Garda There is no typical day in An Garda Síochána there is huge variety in the job. We could be doing anything from walking the beat to attending community meetings to visiting schools or being involved in the regular policing of the district which involve arrests, searches and interviewing. Niamh BriggsGarda I am currently working on a project where I am determining the equipment that is required to make the medicine. When the equipment is made I then test it to ensure it is working correctly and the medicine it makes meets the requirements that will make it work and keep patients safe Niamh YatesValidation Engineer

There is no typical day. For example one day I could be involved in training soldiers, another in unit administration, another I could even be deployed overseas.

I am mainly employed in a leadership/management role with responsibilities for unit training, career development and operations. There is constant pressure being placed in a leadership role but that's just part of the job. The rewards are good, good opportunities to travel and to be promoted.

Tom TooherLieutenant - Army A typical day in Customer Care for me consists of Working directly with my team leaders to plan and organise call centre operations for the day ahead.

- Resolving complex insurance issues and managing customer complaints.
- Monitoring and analysing trends, metrics and customer feedback to ensure that we are consistently offering an excellent service.
- Liaising with other operational managers to ensure a concerted approach to organisational goals and projects
- Supporting and mentoring staff towards achieving goals and targets daily
- Working closely with Insurer Partners to resolve any potential issues and improve delivery and efficacy of service between both parties in the best interests of our mutual customers.
- Looking at process and service enhancements that will positively impact our customer’s experience. Nicole FeigheryCustomer Care Manager I start my day with a good strong coffee! I work in the RCI department in BD Dun Laoghaire and most of my projects involve working with colleagues overseas. In the morning, I start with my project action items, this could vary from R&D support work to liaising with external vendors. Then the afternoon usually comprises of meetings with my overseas colleague to discuss the progress of our project. Xiaona HouProduct Engineer

There really isn’t a typical day in health and safety. There are common themes though – lots of questions from clients, deadlines to meet, novel or complex problems that take time to work through and a need to communicate all this in plain understandable language.

For the astronomy side of things, a typical day would involve checking the weather. If we’re all go for a clear night, it’s a case of planning targets, writing scripts for the automation software and then getting the equipment ready for a night’s run of taking images. The images are then analysed and data generated. Thus is then formatted before being sent to the Jet Propulsion Lab or the Minor Planet Centre.

Dave McDonaldAstronomer In many ways there is no typical day. In any day one might be involved in a host of different activities. Such activities could include taking a careers class, doing one to one careers interviews, conducting psychometric tests, having one to one counselling sessions, liasing with parents and teachers, administrative work and attending career related or continuous professional training events. At different stages of the year different priorities come to the fore. Brian HowardGuidance Counsellor Scientific research is a cycle of a) devising an experiment to find the answer to a particular question, b) running that experiment - whether on a computer or in an experimental laboratory, c) analysing the results and d) publishing your conclusions. A typical day depends on where in this cycle you are and, of course, you could be trying to answer several questions at once! A typical day for me includes reading the relevant literature to see what people already know, using computer code to model the properties of new materials, and writing up my methods and results so that I can communicate them to my colleagues. Nuala CaffreyResearch Fellow in Computational Physics There isn't really a typical day! If I'm in the middle of a production, this normally lasts for 6 weeks (if it's a new show) and there will be two rehearsal sessions, in a rehearsal room, with piano, for 4 weeks. Then there's what's called a Sitzprobe (German for Seated rehearsal) where the orchestra and the singers meet for the first time, and go through the opera from start to finish (the singers are usually seated, and there's no acting and no costumes).

Then for the final two weeks there are a series of rehearsals for the different departments to get stuff ready for opening night-Stage and Orchestra for the conductor to iron out any musical issues, and some Tech rehearsals where the lighting/costume/set departments can run things and check how they look, and finally Dress rehearsals where everything is run together in anticipation of opening night. There's a lot that goes into making opera run smoothly!

If I'm not in rehearsals for an opera I may be preparing roles or concert programmes, usually it will take up to a year of practicing a big opera role for it to be comfortable to sing, a bit like an athlete preparing for a big race, you need to do a little bit each day for a long time for the muscles in your body to become strong and develop the muscle memory for each piece. Of course you can (and often have to) work on a few different pieces at once, and things almost always overlap, so the skill of learning how to pace yourself is really important. You're very much responsible for your own preparation. Sharon CartyOpera Singer Further training... I am always open to upskilling; I regularly attend webinars so that I am up to date on current matters. Jenny DonnellyAsset Manager I have undertaken a part time masters over the last 2 years. As part of my role I must take part in continued professional development (CPD) which ensures that professional personal continue to develop themselves after they have obtained their degree and job.

Construction like many other industries is always evolving and so you have to be willing to learn new techniques to complete your role efficiently and effectively, Aidan MaherSite Manager - Grad Entry I am continually learning from master turners and learning excellence in teaching and instruction from practitioners. Glenn LucasWoodturner Im a life long learner and I have signed up to do a corporate coaching wellness diploma – with the impact of the pandemic on everyone I want to make sure it’s a topic I can support in. Sabrina StauntonDesign & Strategy Development Manager AIB I have taken various courses and certifications to learn more and improve my skills, and I plan to continue training in areas relevant to me. Megan WalshMechanical Engineer I have partaken in a number of training programmes since taking on my current job including Performance Management, Conflict resolution, Lead Auditing, Internal auditing among others.

I am currently studying a Masters in Pharmaceutical Technology in Trinity College Dublin. Fergus O'ConnellQuality Officer One of the main features of my job is constant improvement and training. I will, throughout my career in the Defense Forces, take part in many training courses and development programmes including; Snipers Course, Mowag Driving Course, Potential NCO's Course and RECCE Course. Keith LynchPrivate (Line) I qualified as a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA). It really appealed to me that it is such a well-recognised qualification and I thought that it would give me a really good base from which to build by skills and ultimately my career. Sinead LewSenior Tax Manager I always look to do some level of new training every year and this year I will do training through Barclays to keep me moving forward. Brian DelahuntyHead of Corporate Banking Further expanding my knowledge and understanding of sprint mechanics Barry McEnteeChartered Physiotherapist The training I have undertaken includes a very basic computers course before my first computer purchase, a Monaghan County Enterprise Board business skills course, training with Fáilte Ireland and a Leader funded website and internet skills course/2.0 skills course. 

I am also embarking on stage two of the Leader funded Web2.0 skills course with a view to attaining digital media skills to market and develop online aspect of business.  Liz ChristyTextile Design/Handweaver In the Defence Forces you are constantly furthering your career by undertaking military and educational courses. Tom TooherLieutenant - Army Several H+S and construction management courses and welding courses. I plan on doing a project management course and CAD course in the near future. Donal KanePlumber / Construction Super. I have done a number of different courses for my job. I did a Filleting Course one year ago. I also did a Forklift Course two years ago and I've have done two HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) Courses in the past few years. Brendan WhiteFish Filleter I plan to complete a masters in Employee Relations. I have done a year already but have taken some time out due to family circumstances. Another thing I would love to do is to do a course in employment law. Ejiro O'Hare StrattonClinical Nurse Manager 2 I have gone on several public speaking and media training courses. Also, because my job requires a reasonably high level of computer programming skill, I am always learning on the job.

I may at some point do some further training, but I’m less than two years out of my PhD, so I think I need a little bit of a break from exams! Caitriona JackmanPlanetary Scientist I decided to pursue the Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) qualification on joining Deloitte. I had undertaken some lectures with the Irish Tax Institute as part of my Masters in Smurfit and found them to be extremely well organised and professional. I knew that I would have excellent support pursuing my tax qualification.
Deloitte have really supported me in pursuing the CTA qualification. They offered me paid study leave for my exams and in house training sessions which made the experience of sitting my first set of exams as stress free as possible. Anna Holohan Tax Manager Yes I have and willing to do more. Rasaq FaladeGarda Reserve Not immediately as I’ve just finished my Higher Diploma within the last year and that was very intense, with a massive commitment needed from me and my family. However there is compulsory refresher training and clinical up skilling on an ongoing basis that I’ll need to do. As you can see from above there is never a shortage of courses or further education open to Paramedics and Advanced Paramedics and no doubt in the near future there will be a course or position that I fancy advertised on the notice board. Keith HayesAmbulance / Paramedic Besides inservice in both PE and Geography which I have taken and plan to do in the future I have no plans for further training at present. Mary JoyceSecondary School Teacher Advice if considering this job

Be open minded – a career in Finance doesn’t sound the most riveting at times. But if I told you that I worked in one of Ireland’s leading technology companies would that change your view?

You don’t need to be the most tech savy individual, but once you have a passion for all things digital, and want to create customer first solutions, considering a job in this field could definitely be something for you.

 

Lara MulveySenior Product Manager AIB Ideally, try and get a job in the industry for a summer, or get a bit of experience before you go into it. You have to be happy with working outside, and doing physical work. If you are not prepared to work hard or are looking for a soft job, don't go into Landscaping. Design is very sexy at the moment, everyone wants to be a designer, a Landscape Designer. It's different on the ground, you have to be out there on sites in all weather and you have to make sure projects are managed well and you're able to muck in with everyone else. Biology is most important for anyone going into Horticulture or Landscaping as it covers propagation and helps with the identification of plant names, species and families through the universal use of Latin. Chemistry is also helpful as the use of various chemicals is a constant in horticulture. The chemical content and dangers of fertilizers, herbicides and insecticides in use in Amenity Horticulture needs to be understood anyone going into this business. Geography would be a relevant subject as well. Also, the simple things like having a full, clean driving licence, which can make you a lot more employable if you are trying for a job with a Landscape Conractor. This indicates that you are more mobile and can also drive a company van if needed. Be sure you're happy with the outdoor life. Having taken a Horticulture course will give you an advantage. However, it's possible to take a job first and study later, e.g. in IT Blanchardstown it is possible to study at night. I think you cannot beat doing the Diploma Course in the National Botanic Gardens because it is a good practical course which also covers all the theory and is invaluable for gaining plant knowledge. Paul DowlingHorticulturist While I find my career extremely rewarding there are some aspects of it that I hadn't been prepared for. It's a very harsh industry and you need to have thick skin. You could go to 10 auditions and get a no before you get a yes and this process can be quite draining. For that reason it requires not only extreme dedication but also a lot of passion as without the love for dance sometimes it could all seem too much.

I would say to anyone hoping to dance professionally to get into as many technical dance classes as they can now as they'll help you greatly in your training. Pay attention in business studies as soon you'll be promoting yourself as a business be it as a teacher, choreographer or performer. Confidence is key in this career and while that is individual to each person, in general, the more experience and knowledge you have the more confident you're going to be so watch videos, read books and most importantly go to see performances to get a feel for what's involved. Megan McEvoyDancer Anyone considering this job should be ready to work thoughtfully rather than reactively. Also they should be emotionally present and ready to facilitate meaningful conversation. Rasaq FaladeGarda Reserve I would advise to any young person to go to college first and/or travelling and gain some life experience as this will help you deal/cope with situations a lot better. Niamh BriggsGarda Get making as soon as possible. Do plenty of classes with a range of different teachers. Find your unique style and product. Get as much relevant feedback as possible and use it to the best of your ability. Make a business plan and amend and change it regularly. Get into shows and exhibitions and build up a cv. Glenn LucasWoodturner If you are unsure I would recommend coming to an open day in the college and if possible also doing the Garda Reserve. It gives the best insight imaginable into the work of Gardaí. Mark Spain Garda Trainee Someone who wants to be where I am today shall need bucket loads of ambition and not be afraid of hard work.  They will need to not be afraid of starting at the very bottom of that big high ladder but at the same time have the eagerness and determination to get to the top of that ladder because the opportunities are there.

Education is very important.  It may only seem like a silly piece of paper but it's that Cert, Diploma or Degree that gets you that job and not the man/woman beside you.

The one thing that is vital in not alone this job, but any job, and alot of people don't seem to have it, is common sense. It's something so simple but really important. if you have no cop-on then nobody wants to know you. Kieran MageeFarm Manager - Dry Stock The best bit of advice I could give anyone thinking about going into dairy farming is to go out and get experience first hand on a farm. This way you will know if you enjoy it and have a passion to do it first hand. If you do then studying agriculture in school and then onto an ag college is a great foundation to get the required knowledge you will need in the future. Bryan DanielsFarmer - Dairy My advice would be that if you are not afraid of hard work that construction can be a very rewarding industry. It is a constantly changing industry which is interesting to work in.

To be a QS the main values would be to be interested in dealing with financial data and be happy to work as part of a team. Having an interest in construction generally outside of the commercials will also help as it keeps you interested in the projects you are working on apart from what they cost. Eileen FahertyElectrician / Quantity Surveyor

This career involves working with people in a caring capacity. If you have no interest in helping people personally or educationally then this may be the wrong profession for you.

Empathy, patience and respect are important qualities for this job, in addition to be able to relate well to the person you are dealing with. As there is also a large amount of information to be handled in the job, good organisational, IT and time management skills are also quite important.

Brian HowardGuidance Counsellor

Think about your strengths – what is engaging and exciting for you and how can you pivot and continue learning throughout your career. Don’t try to fit a particular mould. I fell into HR – it was never my plan but over 20 years later I still learn something new every day.

Education wise, I would say do something you love starting out – I loved French, wanted to live in France and so picked a degree that gave me maximum exposure to that! I only speak French on holidays now but I loved every second of my degree. Oonagh KellyHead of HR Engineering in general is an extremely broad career and can lead to you many different applications and many different parts of the world. It’s also a career which can give you a set of skills highly adaptable to other careers. In Intel the same applies. Day to day the job changes so being able to change with the job is important. Make sure you are adaptable and can apply your skills in many different situations. Rebecca TigheProcess Engineer Go for it – it’s a great job. Des LalorWind Engineer Go for it! It's the sort of job that you'll never know unless you try. If you're starting out, I'd advise making sure you have a really good singing teacher, and then trying to get as much experience as you can. Start with singing in a choir and an opera chorus, so you can see how rehearsals work, and what goes into learning and performing music, then go and audition for conductors and opera companies. Sharon CartyOpera Singer Need to love what you do when you run your own company. It is hard work so you need to be committed. You also need to have a positive attitude and be able to embrace challenges. Fiona UyemaChef Do not go into teaching solely for holidays, and definitely not if you want to be rich! You need to like children be patient, kind and be able to work with many types of people. Deirdre SayersPrimary School Teacher

Whilst in secondary school, I changed my mind many a time regarding the career path I wanted to pursue! I always knew that I wanted to work with people but was unsure about the profession which would most suit my interests and skills in this regard.

While in school, I definitely found that being unsure about the type or area of work you want to pursue is a very difficult and confusing position to be in, especially given the array of career choices now available and the pressure one feels in trying to make one’s mind up.

To this end, I would strongly advise anybody in this position to research courses and job descriptions well in order to make the most informed decision possible at that time in your life. 

I recommend one tries to gain as much work experience as possible as it will provide you with valuable insight into your skills, ability, likes/dislikes for certain areas of employment!!!!

Also I would research the courses and job areas as much as possible so that you can make an informed decision regarding your choices. If you can't gain enough information in school, contact the college directly or arrange to talk to somebody who facilitates the course. In particular, it would be really valuable to talk to somebody in the profession to gain a realistic and practical insight into the job.

Mary Ita HeffernanSocial Worker When I filled in my CAO form, I had no idea that "Computational Material Scientist" was a job. I chose my course based only on the fact that physics and maths were my favourite subjects. If you know you love science, but aren't sure exactly what jobs exist, rest assured that people with scientific training will always be in demand by employers. Nuala CaffreyResearch Fellow in Computational Physics Anything is possible. Take chances. Don’t be afraid of failure. Lynda O'LearySystems Engineer The lifestyle I currently work fixed 12 hour shifts, so if I work two days, I get two days off and then can have a lot of time to focus on my own hobbies, and get shopping etc.  However, I’ve only every other weekend off so it can be difficult at times to catch up with friends and family, and to fit in around sporting activities.  Hospital and Community Pharmacy have more ‘normal’ hours in general although being on-call is still expected as is the case with most clinical roles. Rachel BennettIndustrial Pharmacist Aviva offers a great work/ life balance. They understand the importance of family life and wellbeing of their employees. Within Aviva there is a number of communities and wellbeing events also that you can benefit from. Jenny DonnellyAsset Manager Yes I’m lucky that Johnson & Johnson are such a fantastic company to work for and that the job enables me to travel a lot which I really enjoy. Donal Og CusackAutomation/Energy Engineer Once you reach a certain level everyone in the room is pretty smart, and so the part of my education that has proven most useful is communications. Being able to present and discuss complex topics amongst your peers is essential and even though it doesn’t seem like it at the time school and college set you up well for this. Shane McDonaghRenewable Energy Engineer Absolutely, the work life balance within Musgrave is completely in sync. Shane O'SheaSuperValu Regional Support Manager I'm lucky to be part of a supportive team that encourages work/life balance, it is so important to remember to keep active and see friends and family even during busy times. Amy O’DwyerAssociate Sustainability Advisor Yes, definitely. The flexible working hours in BD allow me to start my job early and finish early. This is really valuable to me as it allows me to spend more time in the evening with my 14-month-old child. In BD, we are always encouraged to continue learning new skills which is very important for the R&D medical device industry. Xiaona HouProduct Engineer Absolutely! Having a balanced lifestyle is very important to maintain high levels of work output. However, I’ve had prestigious engineering jobs that have had over 100 hour working weeks, and I now use balance as a main piece of criteria when choosing a new position. Sinead O'Sullivan CEO of Fusion Space Technologies Yes, it is part-time with relatively flexible hours so it gives me the opportunity to do other jobs and study as well as spend quality time with my family. Rasaq FaladeGarda Reserve Yes. The time off is very substantial. After working for six days straight you get four days off in a row.

As a family man it means I can spend time with my children and do any jobs I need to during these four days. Peter CliffordProbationer Garda

My current job is nine to five, Monday to Friday with around 5 weeks annual leave per year so it allows plenty of time for leisure activities, family, friends etc. Other hospitals I have worked in had a weekend/on-call rota but it was easy enough to organise my social life around this. The job comes with a decent salary and I am pretty much able to take holidays and treat myself to the odd shopping trip or whatever as I please (within reason)!  I am very happy with the lifestyle working as a hospital pharmacist allows me to have.

There are opportunities for career progression as a hospital pharmacist although compared to the NHS the HSE has some catching up to do. Hopefully the role will develop in the coming years as it has in the NHS where pharmacists are becoming highly specialised, have prescribing rights and are integrated more fully into the healthcare team. From my experience of the HSE there isn't really a structured training/career path after registration that all pharmacists follow but there are plenty of opportunities if you go out and look for them.

Rachel BerryPharmacist My job allows me to have a good work life balance. Flexi time allows me to work at hours that suit my lifestyle, and I can always come in earlier on a particular day if I need to leave earlier. Because most of my work is done on a computer, there are options to work from home as well if you aren’t able to come into work on a particular day. The atmosphere in the office is very friendly and relaxed which really goes a long way I think. Catherine AhearnData Scientist Yes, absolutely. As a Third Secretary I can expect to spend large parts of my career working at Irish embassies abroad which is a prospect I find very exciting. At the same time I will spend time based at Headquarters in Ireland which means I will always retain that strong connection with home. I am currently based at Ireland's Permanent Representation to the EU which is Ireland's largest diplomatic mission abroad. Shane SargeantDepartment of Foreign Affairs Tourism is working what can be deemed anti-social hours and that’s not for everyone. If you have family members who are retired or working odd shifts you can work out family time. I myself like walking the cliffs of Howth mid-week, going shopping and swimming when its very quiet and for that I trade, I suppose, getting out early on a Sunday morning for work. The weekend work has also helped me to go to college and work simultaneously. Mary Jo SheridanTourism Manager - Dublinia Yes certainly, the hours can sometimes be long but also very rewarding. It's what I love and it's what I know so I'll be sticking to it. Fergal FeehelyApprentice Painter Decorator Under normal circumstances the job does allow a reasonable work-life balance. But science communication, and especially working in news, is not a 9-to-5 job. There are times when personal plans have to take second place to work. Karen O'FlahertyScience Communicator Yes, I usually work a five day week, times can be flexible when required. Hugh Heraghty Fish Farm Manager I get to travel a lot which is fantastic and also my days are not always structed the same which I like. Ian McKinleyRugby Player

Absolutely. The job itself lends itself to a normal 9 to 5 scenario, with the opportunity to delve deep into projects and spend all day on them if so desired. Also, my employer is particularly accepting and accommodating of the work-life balance. Initiatives such as telecommuting and skewed hours are commonplace here so it is possible to define much of your own working patterns (within some limits).

Sabbatical banks are used to great effect in this company too, i.e. where you carry forward a number of days holidays each year for 5 or 7 years and then can take them all in one chunk.  Incentives such as this allowed me to go traveling through Australia and South East Asia for three months last year.

The location of the campus is perfect for me. i.e. 20 km west of Dublin, outside the heavy commute region but still within NiteLink range so I can get a 3:30am bus home on a Saturday night. The work-life balance has always been addressed openly here and various services exist to cater for this, such as the on-site gym where I play indoor soccer on a Friday.

Jason RuaneComputer Programmer Most of the time. Getting the work / lifestyle balance is critical if you are going to able to deliver results on a continuous basis, otherwise you will run out of steam very quickly. I won’t lie to you, being an engineer in the workforce today can be a very demanding role, but this can be said of most career options. The nature of projects and customers is that you often find yourself having to work outside of the ‘normal hours’ to meet deadlines. This is particularly true when you work for a small company. Sometimes you will find yourself having to re-arrange planned events outside of work, but you can make up for this time during quieter times (if they ever occur!!) However, the satisfaction of providing a solution for a customer, which results in a sale, has a real feel good factor, which is hard to beat! Shane CallananElectronic Engineer Whats cool I like the satisfaction you get at the end of the week when you see all the planning and the work co-ordinated well to present a new piece of construction. Colin ButterlySite Manager - Trade Entry

Building relationships with the families that I work with, sometimes once I am first allocated to the case, it can be difficult for the family to open up and trust the service. It is important that we meet the families where they are at and be very mindful of any power dynamics in the relationship.

Fiona O'SullivanChild Protection and Welfare Social Worker The job itself is very rewarding to look back after you have put a high standard of workmanship into it and seeing where it came from and where it is at now.

At the start of the job, the building will be stripped bare and it’s a great sense of achievement as the weeks go on and the job is starting to form.

I like all the challenges and technical information you learn throughout your apprenticeship in both on the job phases and off the job phases. Im a 3rd year apprentice now and I like passing on the information that I have learned so far in my apprenticeship to new apprentices only starting and seeing them gaining from this.

I like all the opportunities that come up throughout the apprenticeship. I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to travel to africa and work over there with my company. There are also a lot of courses available to further your knowledge and skills. Mark MaguireApprentice Electrician Meeting and working with people Barry McEnteeChartered Physiotherapist

I spend much of my time building and controlling some seriously powerful computers, way beyond what PCs are capable of. I get to work with hardware sometimes worth upwards of a million euro. I get to work as part of a team that are producing stuff worth literally billions of euro.

I get to hang out with some of the world's most techy geeks; eg. having lunch with an astrophysicist, a plasma physicist and an ex-systems administrator for the world's most powerful supercomputer (not all at the same time though :-). I sometimes go on expensive business trips to the US or middle-East; and naturally get to spend some holiday time there too.

Jason RuaneComputer Programmer My friends think that it is exciting and cool that I fire weapons and carry out war games in the mountains etc.  I also find it exciting and really enjoyable. My friends also think it is cool that we get to travel over seas for long periods of time. I like the fact that I get to meet a lot of different people and make many friends. Louise Mc DonaldPrivate (Line) In painting we get to experience a wide range of skills from paperhanging to shotblasting and we are never in the same place for too long. You also get to work on different sites and different buildings totally transforming them from what they were. Fergal FeehelyApprentice Painter Decorator I have yet to discover what's cool about work, but the ability to make a living from what I'm interested in is what encourages me to do it. Denis ReidyFarmer - Dairy

Variety of the role- couple of months is marketing strategy.

Being a brand ambassador for the bank.

Ross O'BrienGraduate Recruitment Team Lead

I like it that my job is always challenging and never boring. Throughout the economic cycle, change is constant within financial markets. Interacting with our clients, hearing what it is that they are mostly focused on, allows us to tailor our solutions and be relevant.

Currently as economies are recovering from the pandemic, we are hearing more on how to hedge inflation risks, if house prices are reflecting asset price bubbles and on ESG investing. We have the opportunity to offer guidance and use our expertise to support our customers.

Semin Soher PowerSenior Inflation Trader The thing I regard as the 'coolest' with Intel is, although all engineers within Intel have a full workload each day, Intel encourage a good work/life balance. There is a flexibility within Intel that allows its employees to effectively balance their working and personal lives. Deborah CaffreyElectronic Engineer I love the variety in my job, the people- staff and customers, when its busy and the day fly’s. There are days on my feet when I see on the App I have done over 9000 steps and 30 flights of stairs, just doing my duties and I have days when I’m at a desk all day with a list of tasks to complete and crossing each one off before heading home feels great. I like working in not-for-profit, I work for our visitors and not for shareholders pockets! Mary Jo SheridanTourism Manager - Dublinia Getting problems solved and corrective actions implemented so I am confident I will never see the issue again. Managing a group of people and seeing the group succeed in achieving its objective Michael BohaneQA Manager I like the diverse nature of the role, its very exciting as no two days are the same. We regularly get out to inspect properties also which is great. Jenny DonnellyAsset Manager

Anything with a bit of adrenalin attached is cool. Whether it is boarding a trawler in very bad weather, a gunnery shoot, exercising ships gunners. Approaching a port with a large concentration of traffic, anything that is challenging really.

Also the opportunity to travel the world, though my career to date I have been lucky enough to have been to many different places, from Singapore to L.A. Argentina, Hong Kong, India and Egypt.

David FlemingSub Lieutenant - Navy

The best things about my job:

• Working with great people every day who are fun to be around
• Working on some of the biggest deals in the Irish and Global market
• Meeting new people every week and learning about their businesses
• Seeing how technology is changing the world around us
• Having a chance to progress in the company through hard work
• Being able to work flexibly, and ensure a good balance between work and family life

Brian DelahuntyHead of Corporate Banking Knowing that what I do every day is seeking innovative solutions which strive to improve healthcare products. Xiaona HouProduct Engineer Impact - I get to make decisions that drive change. Richard KinsellaManaging Director Completing design analysis and testing. Seeing a product that you have brought through the design phase, through the manufacturing phase, and then successfully completing the test phase is awesome! Elaine KellyMechanical Design Engineer I am very much a people person and love the opportunities which this job provides. Steven KilgannonGarda Trainee Not so cool If material is returned to the library in a damaged state, I will have to ask for the cost of the item in order to replace it. This is not always popular with members but you must persist firmly when pursuing such a matter.

Sometimes, collecting overdue fines can be a point of contention, again staying calm but acting firmly is required. In essence we are providing a service and must be seen to do so effectively. Jonathan SmythLibrary Assistant I have thought about this question and have asked a number of my colleagues.... None of us could think of anything that is not 'cool' about our jobs. For me, this is a dream job and I would not change a day of the time spent on the Air Corps so far. Oisin McGrathLieutenant - Pilot - Air Corp Some days can be very challenging and stressful when things aren’t working out or constant setbacks start creeping in making it hard to switch off.

As you get more experienced you tend to find different ways as a person to deal with these situations. Colin ButterlySite Manager - Trade Entry Sometimes the paperwork can be time consuming, but necessary to do the job. Madonna DalyBusiness Manager Not taking time to reflect on your achievements Sara Hickey Assistant Trading Manager The problems that we face can be very unique and need tailored solutions, so the work can be meticulous at times (but interesting too)! Megan WalshMechanical Engineer I don't have the best work-life balance at my current job, but since the pandemic I'm working from home as well as the office and trying to introduce more flexibility around my working hours. Semin Soher PowerSenior Inflation Trader There is very little I do not like about my job but if I had to select one it would have to be the the lack of control I have over my day-to-day activities as my day is timetabled by others. However generally I find this a minor annoyance. Keith LynchPrivate (Line) People constantly asking if you can get them cheaper car insurance! Karl CurranAssociate Director Long production times and paperwork can be a bit boring sometimes. Owen HughesManufacturing Technician If there is something I don’t like about it, it would have to be the public scrutiny and negative perception. Saying that, it truly is coming from minority of people and most encounters are very positive. Emilia GilroyGarda The countless emails to trawl through on a daily basis. Darryl DayIQ Engineer

It can be stressful at times, in particular I struggle with the thresholds, sometimes it feels like we know that the children are not living in the best environment, but we have to wait until the incident happens before we have enough evidence to apply for a Care Order.

Fiona O'SullivanChild Protection and Welfare Social Worker The things that are not cool but are necessary aspects of the job are dealing with bed pans, commodes, cleaning up after clients have had a toiletry accident or have vomited, smells can be bad sometimes. Dealing with the death of clients, most of our clients are long stay residents and you get to know them and their relatives very well, so this is not one of the nicest parts of the job. Lydia PeppardCare Assistant The pay at the moment. Coming from a full time job it was very hard to adapt to the allowance paid during training. Mark Spain Garda Trainee I'm not a fan of having to memorise music! Sharon CartyOpera Singer At present nothing, outside the college it's the level of respect towards the organisation in recent times. Steven KilgannonGarda Trainee Special Needs teaching can be enjoyable and rewarding. However there is a lot of paperwork. Padraig ParleTeacher - Special Needs Some aspects of the job can be quite mundane e.g. checking drug orders but at the end of the day the ward needs the drugs and it is an essential service. Rachel BerryPharmacist Definitely drafting meeting minutes. I don’t think anyone enjoys that. Orla AherneInvestment Consultant