deiseanna gairme in institiúide an AE

Employer Insights Getting the job

In 2008 I did a Masters in Advanced Engineering in DIT, with subjects picked to set me up for a career in renewable energy.

I started to become very interested in ocean energy and realised how important it is for Ireland. My thesis was about wave energy in Ireland, and this led me to see what companies might be looking for someone with my qualifications. Wavebob had not advertised any positions, but I sent in a CV anyway as I knew they were doing work that I wanted to be a part of.

Following some initial phone calls, and then an interview, I was offered a graduate engineer position.

Elva BannonMechatronic Engineer

I was contacted by a recruitment consultant who described the role and enquired if I was interested. I expressed an interest and an interview was arranged. I was interviewed by HR and my current boss. It was a general interview exploring pharmaceutical experience to date, general interests etc.

I was invited to attend for a second interview, again with HR and my current boss. This was a more specific interview based on the star interview model (situation, task, action taken, result). I was presented with a number of situations (20-30) to describe what was the action I had taken and the outcome. Th recruitment consultant then arranged a medical test and reference check.and I was informed in a number of days that I had been successful and the company would like to make an offer. The company contacted me directly and made an offer. I had some extra requests and these were met. I accepted the role. The entire process took about two months.

Michael BohaneQA Manager I began to think a career in tax would suit me so I decided to apply for a summer internship. I attended a talk about Deloitte in UCD and I was struck with the enthusiasm the speakers had for their jobs so I applied for an internship there. Both the application and interview processes were handled smoothly and professionally.

While the interviews for the professional services firms can be quite competitive, I really felt that every effort was made to make my interview less daunting, the staff in Deloitte really put me at ease. I have since discovered that this friendliness and helpful attitude exists throughout Deloitte. Anna Holohan Tax Manager Fishing is the family business so I grew up with it. Alan O'NeillFisherman

I worked in the child law area in the private sector for many years and then an opportunity came up to work in Tusla.

Diego GallagherSenior Solicitor I applied in the last recruitment campaign in December 2013. I passed all assessments and test and was invited to Garda College in Templemore for a 34 week training period, which I enjoyed a lot. Emilia GilroyGarda I saw it advertised on a Jobs website. Working in a broker role and having more direct contact with clients was always something I was curious about and wanted to try so it seemed like the perfect fit for me.  Kevin MoranInsurance Administrator

After studying science, I did a one-year Higher Diploma in Education in UCC. This involved studying the theory of educational practice as well as having practical work experience.

I was very fortunate to remain almost immediately in the school that I did my teacher training in.

Cian O'MahonyScience Teacher I set up on my own / Self Employed Barry McEnteeChartered Physiotherapist Padraig ParleTeacher - Special Needs I had been an External Relations assistant at the 2016 Space Studies Program helping to promote the exciting day to day activities of it, and with it being held in Ireland in 2017 I managed to join the host organisation team at the Cork Institute of Technology to bring my social media and communications expertise to the team. Jonathan FaullSpace Social Media and Communications

• Saw the job ad on LinkedIn – Applied
• Had a competency based interview
• Follow up coffee with two different team members
• Started in the role within three weeks of accepting

Ross O'BrienGraduate Recruitment Team Lead I was actively looking for a new job in Scotland or Ireland at the time. My current job was advertised on the HSE careers website: www.careersinhealthcare.ie. It appealed to me because as part of the job you got to complete a Masters in Clinical Pharmacy and depending on where you were placed in interview, choose which hospital you worked in (the scheme involved the major teaching hospitals in HSE West and South).

I applied online and was shortlisted for an interview which assessed the candidates suitability for the job itself and the Masters. I got a phone call a few days later to say I had been successful. Rachel BerryPharmacist It was a career I was always interested in. I submitted a written application form which I was then selected from and called for interview. On completion of this interview I was then selected and called for a second interview, psychometric testing, medicals and a fitness test. The offer arrived the same day as the CAO offers. David FlemingSub Lieutenant - Navy When the position was advertised, I submitted my application. From there I was successful in obtaining an interview, resulting in the position being offered to me which I accepted. Hugh Heraghty Fish Farm Manager I made the most of my time on the Graduate Programme and utilised all the networks I made throughout no matter what department or level of seniority they may have been. Denise HarringtonSupply Chain Analyst I grew up on the farm and I always had an interest in livestock so it was a natural choice to go farming. Bryan DanielsFarmer - Dairy My current job became an opportunity when the last person in that role left to get a bigger job. I spoke to people in the bank who would be making the decisions and positioned myself to get that role. I went through lots of interviews and had to do a lot of work to be prepared for that. The key part though is the importance of building your network and getting to know people all along your career journey as you will always need people to try and help you along the way. Brian DelahuntyHead of Corporate Banking Through the CAO I applied for PE teaching in University of Limerick. At the time I had to complete a movement and ability test but I think that has since been removed as part of the requirements. I passed that test and once I acquired the points from the Leaving Cert. I was accepted into the course. Mary JoyceSecondary School Teacher A friend working within the company. Donal KanePlumber / Construction Super. Main challenges Biggest challenge is meeting customer needs in an efficient and effective manner. Madonna DalyBusiness Manager Construction Projects are very competitively priced these days. There are challenges with completing most projects within the budgets set out. While it is not easy to achieve sometimes it is a good challenge to work with the construction team and see if we can look at new ways to complete the project differently in order to make it more cost efficient. Eileen FahertyElectrician / Quantity Surveyor Meeting deadlines for orders. Ray PowerPotter It would have to be working with people from across different countries, industries and cultures: it’s important to keep good communication with everybody. Jonathan FaullSpace Social Media and Communications To try to accommodate all walks of people, as the products I work on could potentially be in every home. Liam McCaulR&D Engineer Dealing with difficult people, administration – necessary but very time consuming.  Niamh YatesValidation Engineer You have to test yourself negotiating with people from other countries. Kevin KearyParliamentary Assistant Most exciting and challenging things that I do are in relation to creative problem solving - figuring out how to stay ahead of what is coming - sometimes no planning can prepare you such as the last 16 months, but taking and applying learning and experiences, and collaborating with colleagues is really energising! Oonagh KellyHead of HR My main challenge in my current role in the ISIF was joining the team remotely. I was the first member in the ISIF to join in a work-from-home environment. It took a good bit of work and effort on my part to learn different tasks on the job virtually. A bigger challenge that I still face while working from home is developing strong working relationships with everyone on the team, especially those that I may not work with on a regular basis. I have always found it a lot easier to build rapport through in person interaction. However, it has been a year of working remotely for me and I am always learning ways to make it work. Madhuvratha VasudevanSenior Investment Analyst The main challenge is having to deal with different managers who have different managerial styles and each department has different needs. There is also a challenge to ensure that each ward has sufficient staff, particularly when staff are out sick. Ejiro O'Hare StrattonClinical Nurse Manager 2 Some days, we would have a challenge for sales, some days we've technical problems, or staffing issues, or weather; we're down in Midleton so when you've bad storms the river floods and breaks its banks or you get power cuts. It very much varies depending on the time of year and what's going on. Rory Fitzpatrick CEO of the National Space Centre The main challenge in the job is successfully balancing the wide range of responsibilities associated with the role. This can lead to some tension between the desire to perfect lectures and a wish to move my publication plan forward.

Managing this tension requires self-discipline and clear boundaries on the amount of time allocated to each component of the role. As an early career lecturer I spend a lot of time trying to ensure appropriate and engaging content and teaching delivery methods. This can be challenging as there are a variety of different audiences to consider - undergraduates, postgraduates and executive students with significant work experience.

However, I have a really supportive group of colleagues who I can chat to and the culture here is very supportive of innovative teaching methods. I'm still very much learning what works effectively through trial and error. Aoife Mc DermottLecturer 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

The challenges are many and varied, again any number can arise during a patrol or even over a day, from someone in your division who faces a domestic problem that needs advice/help, adverse weather or a search and rescue situation which requires everyone’s complete concentration.

David FlemingSub Lieutenant - Navy Negative stereotyping towards Gardaí can be challenging, however if treated fairly people more often than not respond very positively. Emilia GilroyGarda Writing. The idea of making it scientific, concise and understandable at the same time are relatively challenging for me (especially coming from a person whose country is not a native English-speaking country). That’s why I have to read more journals than others so that I can grasp a solid and coherent way to write my paper Kelvin E Lau HowPHD Student RCSI

Currently all the changes in covid-19 guidelines – constantly remaining vigilant to try to ensure that we follow all the guidelines in an effort to keep staff and guests safe.

People’s interpretation of how everything should be done.

Employment legislation – there’s so much information out there

Dealing with people – you cannot please 100% of the people 100% of the time! Social media can be great for promoting hotels and marketing purposes, however can be very dangerous and challenging for businesses when people use it to promote personal opinion and grievances. Laura DevlinHR Manager - Hotel 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 There can be challenges for example where a client asks for something immediately and the manager/partner on the client is not in the office. However, I have found that working as part of a large corporate tax group there is always someone willing and available to assist with any problems I have. Anna Holohan Tax Manager Written interview unavailable... Mary McCaugheyHead of Communications Typical day Check to-do list written previous evening. Check emails & reply. Weave and organise completion of various production tasks

Allocate time to marketing & promotion, finance management & accounts. Updating my Website. Ongoing maintenance of equipment. Liz ChristyTextile Design/Handweaver I arrive at 7am, get some coffee and check my emails and instant messages. Then I work on projects that have the highest priority or have people waiting on me to do something. There are meetings scattered throughout the day, some are walking meetings which gives us a chance to get some fresh air! Megan WalshMechanical Engineer As we work with teams in Germany and in San Jose California, my morning begins by checking any emails or messages I may have received during the night time hours here. Our team will have a quick morning meeting where we discuss the ongoing work and identify any ‘blockers’ – concerns/problems that prevent us from getting our job done that day. After the morning meeting, I spend the rest of my day in the lab testing whether the system or assay is meeting the user requirements. This means my testing is focused on making sure that the instrument works as it is supposed to do and as it is designed. Any problems I discover, which we refer to as defects or bugs, will be reported back into the product development cycle where they will be fixed. My team channels the voice of the customer, who typically works in a hospital lab, to ensure we meet the high standards expected by them. Patricia ClearySenior Systems Verification & Validation Scientist 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 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 Each engineer in the Yield Analysis group is assigned a product for which he/she is responsible. Day-to-day work involves monitoring end of line yields and if/when there are any yield depressions performing analytical functions to try to understand what may be the problem.

A typical day usually involves meeting with the other members of the group to discuss issues and meeting other engineers in the Fab to try to resolve those problems. Most days throw up different problems and issues and thus each day is usually slightly different from the last! Deborah CaffreyElectronic Engineer A typical day consists of a high paced professional environment. From the minute you log on until the minute you log off it's a high paced professional environment which is challenging and therefore extremely rewarding. Everyone pulls together working as a team helping each other out and learning from each other to achieve a shared goal. Jack BarryAnalyst, Transfer Agency There is a lot of diversity working with J&J and there isn’t any set routine. I like to rise early - in a previous life I used to do a lot of training. With this job, some days I’m working offsite, some days I’m working in different countries or with people in different time zones so there are no two days the same. I generally finish about six in the evening. Donal Og CusackAutomation/Energy Engineer A typical day can vary a lot, but generally consists of activities such as writing code, analyzing data, and researching and applying machine learning and mathematical techniques. However, we follow the Agile working process, so every day there are standup meetings where everyone gives an update on what they've been working on, and every other week we have planning and review meetings Catherine AhearnData Scientist 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 Work starts at 7:30am starting with a morning meeting with all my team, telling them the targets for the day and how many bookings we have in etc and what everyones duties for the day are. Client 1 comes to the spa at 8am and treatments begin. I spend my day checking in guests, ensuring they have a 5 star service , dealing with all accounts and daily reports etc.

1 hour for lunch time and 1 hour for dinner time. The spa closes at 7pm and I can let my hair down, enjoy time in the crew pool or crew areas or even go watch a show in the theatre, On my days off, I have the opportunity to get off the ship and explore whatever place we are in. Kate WalshBeauty Therapist No two days are the same. See below for the range of tasks and activities involved! Shane SargeantDepartment of Foreign Affairs Back to back meetings, most of which have decision points. It can feel sometimes like I'm not making much headway, but when you stand back, each of those decisions is a step on the broader plan. Richard KinsellaManaging Director 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 There is no typical day especially when out fishing. It varies from time of year and what fish you are catching. The weather also plays a huge part. Alan O'NeillFisherman I am usually in to train at 8 in the morning until 4 or 5 in the afternoon. The day is usually consisted of meetings, gym and field sessions. Ian McKinleyRugby Player After being paraded by my supervisor at 7 am I would usually head out on the mountain bike patrolling around the district. I would inspect shops, post offices, off licences, and public houses and interact with the public and local community dealing with any issues they may have.

I would investigate crimes, taking statements and collecting CCTV footages. I would respond to calls such as public misconduct and theft incidents.

During my meal break sometimes I would go to the gym in my station to keep fit. After the meal break I would patrol the district again. At the end of the tour I would record the incidents which I responded to on our computer system. I would do a report in relation to any issues highlighted by the community. Nan Hu Garda A typical day would involve preparing any variations that are due on a project. Most construction projects are fast moving and clients require costs turned around in a quick manner so this is always our focus.

I would then work on any weekly reports due such as labour spends reports or project cost projections. This would involve working with Project Managers and Contracts Mangers to get the various elements of information required to produce the report.

As with all construction professionals a lot of time is spent answering emails on various cost queries from clients, PQS and our Accounts and Purchasing. If a project is coming to an end a large amount of time will be spent preparing the Final Account and agreeing it with the relevant parties. It is always good to close off a project and get the final account signed, particularly on a large or lengthy project. Eileen FahertyElectrician / Quantity Surveyor A typical day at Johnston Central Library, will begin at 9.45 am. In the morning there is lots to do such as shelving returned stock, or displaying the new batch of daily papers.

The library doors open at 10.30am, and immediately the show gets on the road, it can be very busy, but we have an excellent staff team to share the workload. The mornings are also reserved for schools to visit and select new books. My job also requires me to offer storytelling, games and activities to the schools who visit us.

Another area of work is that of the libraries excellent local history service. Each staff member has had training in local history studies and our assistance may be sought on a wide range of topics. I will often assist at events held in the library, these may include author visits or the launch of an art exhibition.

The library provides internet access which is very popular. The front desk duties involve registering new clients, issuing and checking in loan materials on our automated system. The library also facilitates groups with a meeting area; those who avail of this service include Irish language groups, reading groups and other community-based bodies. Jonathan SmythLibrary Assistant Luckily, on this contract we had no day duties which meant that unless we had rehearsals for the shows we were completely free during the day. For that reason when we docked in a city I was free to get off the ship and explore which was really incredible. I knew that straight away after this contract I was going to be choreographing a musical back home though so some days I needed to spend time during the day preparing for that too so that I had it all choreographed and ready to go.

Sometimes in the afternoons we would have rehearsals for the shows just to clean up any problems or change things if one of the dancers was injured. Then I would go back to my cabin and start my make-up for the show. We always warmed up together as a group before the show to make sure we could give it 100%. After the show we would prepare all of our costumes for the next day and see if anything needed fixing, cool down and go to bed to do it all again the next day. Megan McEvoyDancer Further training... Yes, I believe in continuous learning and seeking new challenges. There are always industry events, projects, trainings as well as online education opportunities. Semin Soher PowerSenior Inflation Trader There is always something new to learn. At this time, I’m interested in learning how to evaluate outreach activities in a meaningful way. Karen O'FlahertyScience Communicator

Since graduating from College I have attended a number of courses to develop skills in specific areas. These have included courses on handwriting, posture & seating and sensory integration. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is vital for keeping your skills up to date as OT is a dynamic profession.

I hope to continue to attend professional courses to further develop my skills. In particular I would be interested in undergoing additional sensory integration training as this is an area of particular interest to me and it is relevant to my current caseload.

In the future there is the option of undertaking a Masters in Occupational Therapy or a Masters in Intellectual Disability. This is something I might be interested in doing in due course.

Tomas FlanaganOccupational Therapist I took the postgraduate diploma in statistics and the PhD after my undergraduate course. For the next year I'm planning to focus on settling in here and learning as much as I can from my teaching experience.

After that I would like to take a formal course to improve my teaching. There is a qualification in Third Level Teaching and Learning offered in Ireland, and an International Teachers Programme abroad. Either of those would be super.

In the meantime DCU offer courses to support lecturers, so I will be taking those from January. I would also like to undertake a professional qualification from the Chartered Institute of Professional Development, the body for HR managers. DCU offers courses accredited by the CIPD and a lot of the members of my group have this qualification. It's not essential, but it is something I would like to do. Aoife Mc DermottLecturer 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 would like to when I find the time! Fergal FeehelyApprentice Painter Decorator 1. IT training 2. Languages Fergal DonnellyEuropean Commission 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 I try to get training as much as possible - ideally weekly, but at the very least once a month. I also hope in the near future to work towards taking the next level of the BHS teaching qualification, the BHS II. Luke DreaEvent Rider It is definitely my intention to return to education in the very near future. I am out of college two years and even now I can see the advantage to continuous education.

The one thing that is always recommended by engineers that I have encountered is to take any and all education that you can. Apart from the fact that it makes you infinitely more qualified for different jobs, it keeps you up to date with new technologies and methodologies.

Sometimes a company will contribute towards costs and give you time to attend college if it is related to upskilling for a role which the company values. To date, I have witnessed a number of people transition from one type of career to a completely different career within the same company.

Education is the tool that allows you to change your work life to whatever you wish depending on how you go about it. Lynsey GarganManufacturing Engineer I don't plan any further formal training, but I have a singing teacher (a bit like a coach for an athlete) with whom I regularly study, it's important to touch base with a pair of trusted ears. As a singer (differently to instrumentalists) we depend a lot on outside feedback, because often we can't discern ourselves how well something is carrying in a concert hall, or what sound is best for a particular phrase, so having an expert you trust is really important! Sharon CartyOpera Singer I only plan to keep up with developments in International Standards relating to trams. Ciaran MacSamhrainEngineer - Transport Infrastructure Ireland I qualified as a Chartered Accountant last year so I am looking forward to the next educational step in my career. I completed a couple of online course late last year in areas of personal interest including watches and art history. It's important to have a genuine desire to learn and spend the time to do so. Otherwise, it can be quite a slog. Michael McDermottAssociate Director, International Corporate Banking In the Garda College I have completed a suicide intervention course which has proved to be a very worthwhile course.

In the future I hope that I can further my education and build on the degree that I will attain at the end of the training. I think that furthering education will be crucial if I want to progress my career in years to come. Peter CliffordProbationer Garda As above I’m currently doing the FCII and a degree in International Finance & Banking. I’m also participating in a number of internal Aon courses. Karl CurranAssociate Director On the Northern Trust partner portal there are ample courses added to your own personal plan which I complete whenever I have free time enabling me to be the best at my job as I can be. It gives me a better understanding as to what my role entails as well as a better understanding of the role of Northern Trust and other partners. Jack BarryAnalyst, Transfer Agency Yes I plan to go back this year and finish off my engineering exams for the class one engineer. Brendan CavanaghShips Engineer I am always open to upskilling; I regularly attend webinars so that I am up to date on current matters. Jenny DonnellyAsset Manager In the Defence Forces you are constantly furthering your career by undertaking military and educational courses. Tom TooherLieutenant - Army 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) Advice if considering this job You need to work with people in the industry as knowledge is everything  - where to buy, who from, when etc. Health and safety courses and a pleasant manner and drive are also important. Nicola O'HigginsFishmonger Some of the best people I know still aren’t sure what they want to do, my advice would be to give it a go. If you don’t like it you can always try something else. Whatever is in your heart follow it, don’t be something just because someone in your family is. Whether you’re looking to be a leader, a designer or come up with new ideas and a better way of doing things, make sure it’s something that fills you with passion. Donal Og CusackAutomation/Energy Engineer I would advise them to get themselves physically fit and to maintain it. I would also say that a sense of humour is very important and the ability to laugh at themselves. They should have self discipline and be prepared to accept imposed discipline. Punctuality is very important as is respect for others. If they had sporting interests that would be a help. Louise Mc DonaldPrivate (Line) 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 Science research and lecturing needs people who are curious, creative, stubborn (they like problems that take ages to solve). You need to like communication – you’ll be teaching, writing, debating and discussing science all day, everyday. If you like to be challenged intellectually, are creative about ways to solve problems, like working with teams people from the four corners of the world, then science is for you. It’s more David Attenborough than Sheldon Cooper. Shane BerginPhysics Lecturer It can take time to get to know people with learning disabilities, patience and good listen skills are very important. Deirdre LavelleCare Assistant For anyone who even vaguely considers a trade or a management job they shouldn’t hesitate to pursue it as it can surprise you how capable you can become despite any reservations you may have.

It could even introduce you to different roles in the industry that you hadn’t realised were available to you or felt where out of your reach. Colin ButterlySite Manager - Trade Entry The Tourism industry is extremely rewarding, you will meet people from all corners of the earth who are interested in our beautiful country and see you as the link to their perfect travel experience. There are so many opportunities in the industry and it will take you any where you want to go! Catherine O'Grady PowersOwner Gleenkeen Farms The advice I would give is firstly talk to someone you may know that is already in the trade and ask them any questions that you may have or ask them about some of there first hand experiences.

Another good piece of advice would be to go onto YouTube and search some basic electrics, keep in mind that these are the kind of things that you will face when you go to the college phases of your apprenticeship . There are books and e-books that can be purchased to get an understanding. Mark MaguireApprentice Electrician I would advise any college student considering a career in tax to undertake a summer internship or placement in a firm offering tax services. I found this an excellent way to understand what a job in tax would actually involve. Researching careers in tax online also shows the endless and exciting opportunities that a tax qualification can offer. I have found the more I have learned about tax, the more I understand how varied roles in tax can be. Anna Holohan Tax Manager

I would advise anyone interested in Occupational Therapy to read up on the profession or else try to meet a qualified Occupational Therapist and talk to them about their work.

The internet can be a great resource in getting information. Also information from the universities might indicate if this is a course that is suited to you. A lot of the course work relies on you being a self-directed learner. This makes the course different to other more mainstream/academic courses as the onus is on the student to complete a lot of work independently.

As this is a caring profession an interest in working with people is a must. You also need to be a good communicator as you will be working closely with clients, families and other staff on an ongoing basis.

Organisational skills are essential to enable you to manage a caseload.

Tomas FlanaganOccupational Therapist I think a career in tax is very rewarding and is an enjoyable career. There are a varied number of jobs which are available to someone with a tax qualification, including private practice, industry, Revenue, lecturing etc. The role of a tax adviser in practice or indeed within Revenue is, in my experience, extremely varied and challenging.

I would advise college students who are considering a career in tax to look into placements offered by their colleges / summer internships. I know from my time spent in private practice that a great number of the bigger accountancy / tax practice offer such positions to college students. This is a great way for such students to get a feel for what a career in tax entails and will help them in making a decision as to whether or not tax is something that they would enjoy. Edel ButlerAdministrative Officer You need to be interested in people, and want to help them. Interests in Creative Arts can help as well as having a degree in Social Studies and having plenty of work experience. Naoise PyeSocial Care Worker Think long and hard, listen to advise, plan well and be ready to make sacrifices for job satisfaction… Liz ChristyTextile Design/Handweaver

Get some experience working with both children and the elderly and feel comfortable working with both. Throughout college you will take part in clinical placements where you will be required to work with various age groups.

Work hard in school and achieve good Leaving Cert. results in order to get the necessary points for entry into the course.

Research the career thoroughly and arrange to speak with a speech and language therapist to discuss the job further.

Think about the personal characteristics mentioned below that are important for the job and think about whether you possess these characteristics

Lisa KellySpeech and Language I would advise them to ensure they enjoy working with young people. If possible try to get some teaching experience; I started out as a substitute teacher before applying for my H Dip in Education. Paul GalvanResource Teacher Some may think that you can go untrained into fishing. The best advice I would give people considering fishing as a profession is to get training. Fishing is an all encompassing career - when you need to go fishing, the rest of your life goes on hold unfortunately. It is very unpredictabe because you could be fishing non stop for three weeks and tied up for two. Alan O'NeillFisherman

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 It's extremely important to be enthusiastic and excited about the JET Programme, but the JET Coordinator also needs to be very organised. Edel CarletonJET Coordinator - Japanese Embassy Take the time to get your head around the subjects. Sometimes it can be tempting to just learn off methods and exam questions to get a good degree but at the end of the day that won’t help you in industry. You may find then that you’re back at square one having to learn how to code for yourself when there’s no examples to copy and paste, and no friendly classmate to give you their code. The best thing I do for my own learning in college is take the time to really understand what’s going on in assignments and exam questions, because once you get it using it becomes so much easier. Claire PurcellSoftware Engineer The lifestyle Yes. It is reasonably paid. I'm lucky to have a secure job, although increasingly people can spend relatively significant periods of time doing contract work. It is quite a family-friendly role, in that the working hours have some flexibility and there is scope to vary the time spent on non-teaching related activities, if required.

There are clear criteria for progression - related to teaching, research contribution and personal contribution to the running of the business school. Working in a university provides access to all of the associated leisure facilities - there is a superb sports center here, though I don't make as much use of it as I should. Aoife Mc DermottLecturer The workload is massive but the job is rewarding. In a sense it is still a vocation. It also has great variety. I am also my own boss most of the time. The job is not paid as much as it should be for the work involved but it does allow me to have a lifestyle that I am happy with. Paul MeanySchool Principal Working on shift allows me to lead a very flexible lifestyle which would not be possible with a 9 – 5 job. Typically I work a 3 or 4 day week, with each day comprising of 12 hour shifts. This means there is a lot of time off during the week to have a life outside of Intel. Rebecca TigheProcess Engineer It enables me to have a happy work life balance. I work long hours but my job is very sociable. I meet a lot of people within the job, but outside of that I play sport in my free time with the Belgian GAA club and I also do some travelling at the weekends. Kevin KearyParliamentary Assistant

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 I'm paid well enough. As regards to whether I'm happy; it's like being paid to do your hobby, to go and have fun. It's like boys toys: space, the final frontier, Star Trek. I grew up with Star Trek, so for me every day is fun. I set up the company in 2010, so I created the job myself, effectively. Rory Fitzpatrick CEO of the National Space Centre On a day-to-day basis, my job has more flexibility than most. The quality and quantity of your research is what matters – not how long you spend in the office. Saying that, it can be easy to spend a lot of time working, particularly when you are close to finally solving a problem, or if you have a deadline approaching.While the job security of an early-career academic researcher is not great (academics generally spend several years on short-term contracts before finding a permanent job), this is somewhat compensated for by the ability to work on problems you find interesting and with the best minds in the world. Nuala CaffreyResearch Fellow in Computational Physics

Where I live is very important to me as I love out door activities, working in Letrim is pretty much ideal for all I want to.

I have to say that being an Energy Manager/Plant Optimisation Engineer allows me more freedom than certain other career choices would have. For example I am lucky to be able to solve problems that will allow other employees to make a better contribution, not only to the business but also for themselves.

I have a good work balance in that I am in the office and out about roughly 50/50 split and its never boring as different opportunities come my way all the time.

Jonathan PugsleyEnergy Manager Thankfully in my current job, I am able to balance my work life commitments. When I trained with KPMG, they gave me more than adequate study leave when I was pursuing the Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) qualification which was great. It can be difficult to go to lectures some evenings after work and at the weekends but if you can’t make it they’re also available online to catch up on in your own time. Lorcan KellyTax Consultant I believe it does, my manager always promotes a healthy work-life balance and helps with managing workload and expectations. Ross McKeoghMusgrave Retail Graduate Programme

There are many opportunities in Ireland in the medical device arena as Ireland could be described as the “silicone valley” of medical devices in Europe. A majority of the large multinationals are located here which means that there are a lot of people with the skills specifically required for the industry.

Most of these multinationals are located in North America, hence we are often required to travel to the US. I have travelled to a number of different countries both during my postgrad & with my job. Also, because people are living longer & have certain lifestyle expectations, there will almost certainly always be a need for new medical devices. Unlike a lot of other industries, this would suggest that there will always be funding available to develop products for new areas. Also as a result of human DNA mapping, more & more diseases will become manageable, possibly through the help of medical devices

Sinead KennyDesign Engineer Yes, I always loved having a routine mid-week. The job has ideal hours of 09:00am – 17:15pm Monday to Friday giving me plenty of free time in the evening for leisure activities such as the gym and sport and with weekends off it enable me plenty of time for socialising, relaxing and spending time with family. Furthermore, the opportunities available within Northern Trust to progress within the company and develop me as a professional keeps me motivated which I feel is very important to a successful career and feeling fulfilled and happy within myself. Jack BarryAnalyst, Transfer Agency 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 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 Yes it does. ESA is a family friendly organization. There are many perks such as home leave, generous paternity and child benefits. Also the wages are very good so we can have a comfortable life. Neil MurreyAerothermodynamics and Propulsion Design Engineer Absolutely, the work life balance within Musgrave is completely in sync. Shane O'SheaSuperValu Regional Support Manager

As I am a Guidance Counsellor in a second level school I work the same hours as most teachers. These school hours allow for great opportunities to get involved in extra curricular activities after school. The hours also allow for one to develop and partake in hobbies and pastimes. Weekends are free, thus allowing for good quality time with family.

While a school Guidance Counsellor will never be a millionaire on the salary, it is a comfortable salary which will allow for a decent standard of living, where a nice house, car, etc. are within reach.

There is a lot more to my career than just offering career guidance. The Guidance Counsellor can give a great deal of time heping students cope with personal problems. We provide guidance to our students in relation to their future path to further education as well as future career. Certainly this career does suit someone who values a good quality of life with plenty of time to spent with family and pursue leisure activities, while at the same time gaining great satisfaction from helping young people make important decisions on their journey through school life.

Brian HowardGuidance Counsellor

While ashore, yes there are very little restrictions on my lifestyle. I am married and play both hurling and football for my local GAA Club Barryroe so therefore I enjoy a good work life balance.

However, while on my Sea Rotation (which ended just over two weeks ago) this obviously becomes more difficult. Being at Sea and away from home for four week periods makes any lifestyle difficult for myself and of course my family. But that’s the career I chose.

David FlemingSub Lieutenant - Navy Working as a Paramedic some sacrifices have to be made and sometimes it’s difficult to keep a regular lifestyle mostly because of working shift work and unsociable hours like weekends, nights and special occasions such as Christmas. However you can still have the lifestyle you desire, there are many Paramedics in the service all from different backgrounds and with different interests keeping the lifestyle they enjoy. Keith HayesAmbulance / Paramedic Being honest, to a degree yes, but not fully. The nature and reality of private practice is that we are busiest outside of everyone else's 9-5 schedule. This means early mornings, which are great, and I enjoy. Late evenings however impact on family life, social life, and sporting endeavours.

I haven't been as involved in my chosen sport of Gaelic football as I'd like to have been this past few years as its quite the challenge to juggle work and making training, especially when GAA fixtures change so frequently and at such short notice.

I have a comfortable lifestyle thanks to putting in long hours and working hard, this is something that I enjoy so it's never an issue for me aside from the aforementioned clash with my own sporting interests. Barry McEnteeChartered Physiotherapist Whats cool Being involved in peoples lives at such a basic level is really 'cool'! It is cool to have such great opportunities to relate to our clients in a real and meaningful way and see the difference your team can make on the lives of those in your care.

You have some great times, great fun with your clients, you get the opportunity to expose them to great challenges and to see them develop new skills and participate in society in a meaningful way.

I love to see a client find a new skill or hobby or to be involved in making something happen in their lives which before would have seemed impossible i.e. that they would find employment in mainstream society or that they would join a film club. Naoise PyeSocial Care Worker

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 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 Filling the boat with fish in one go. Alan O'NeillFisherman 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 The opportunity to make a difference in the lives of over 400 teenagers each year. Paul MeanySchool Principal The comradery with my classmates. We all bonded very quickly and there is a good atmosphere in class all the time. Mark Spain Garda Trainee You will get to know all the latest book releases and may have opportunities to meet a visiting author. Librarians will have an input in creating and organising library events.

The Library is a place where you are working within a team, and we are people who enjoy working among the public. I think you also need to have a liking for knowledge and learning, a good general knowledge is an asset.

It can be very satisfying to successfully assist people find what they want, whether this may be on, (for example), building a garden shed or screen writing. Each morning I look forward to my days work, that to me is cool. Jonathan SmythLibrary Assistant 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 Working outside in the sunshine!  Again, there isn't much I don't like. Maria O'NeillCivil Engineer 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) I love lots of things about my job, the friendly/laid-back environment, the people, the place, but most of all I love what I do! Writing code and having something to demo is such a satisfying feeling Claire PurcellSoftware Engineer

I love that my role is both logical and creative, which is quite unique. Another part of my role which I love is hosting webinars, I did an internal webinar recently on sustainable fashion and we had the founder and designer Aoife McNamara on, and it was really inspiring!

You can see a clip of this here.

Amy O’DwyerAssociate Sustainability Advisor I love people management and I love building a rapport with my busiest clients who I’m in frequent contact with. The ability to build strong relationships with clients is important in this job and it’s something I enjoy. Orla AherneInvestment Consultant I love getting to sing beautiful music! That makes me so happy. And it's an amazing perk of the job to get to dress up as other people and see the world through their eyes. I also love the achievement of working really hard at something that is technically difficult, and then coming together with other people to make something really beautiful that lots of people can enjoy, as well as the storytelling element that we singers get to use very directly, because of having text to communicate to an audience. Sharon CartyOpera Singer

I don’t know about cool, but there is a buzz – even after 25 plus years in the profession – when you do something that changes someone’s viewpoint on health and safety and they start to do things the right way in order to protect themselves.

There’s loads of cool stuff with astronomy. I’ve been fortunate enough to do some work with RTÉ – both live and recorded. I even got to do a film review on the Moon landings. As well as meeting the RTÉ folks like Dave Fanning and Derek Mooney, it’s great to communicate the message that astronomy is interesting, fun and very accessible to everyone.

The coolest astronomy thing, though, has to be having an asteroid bearing my name. With all my achievements, one very kind colleague put my name forward to the International Astronomical Union and they named asteroid number 21782 after me. So asteroid Davemcdonald will be whizzing around the solar system for a few billion years after I’m well gone. Now that’s cool!

Dave McDonaldAstronomer I love travelling and meeting other people. You get to go to conferences and meetings abroad and meet other people who love your subject as much as you do. I love that I am my own boss (to a certain degree), though your supervisors are there for you to turn to for support. Cecilia FenechEnvironmental Scientist 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 get to work with people from the full Musgrave network. Denise HarringtonSupply Chain Analyst My job offers me exposure to a highly diverse pool of assets. As managers of taxpayers’ money, the team collectively holds a huge responsibility. The Fund is unique in its investment mandate; however, it is also highly agile in dealing with any new issues that may arise. A good example of this would be the setting up of the Pandemic Stabilisation and Recovery Fund, a €2bn fund to support medium and large enterprises in Ireland affected by Covid-19. Finally, is a fantastic team with people from many different backgrounds, giving me the opportunity to learn something new every day. Madhuvratha VasudevanSenior Investment Analyst Not so cool I'm sure there are, but nothing springs to mind. Richard KinsellaManaging Director It can be difficult working on legacy applications. It is important to upskill and to learn new technologies. Lynda O'LearySystems Engineer There are times where the pressure is turned up and additional effort and work is required this only happens a couple of times a year, but you need to be mentally prepared to put in the work that is needed. Ross McKeoghMusgrave Retail Graduate Programme Budget control. In the pharmaceutical industry the financial aspect of running the dept is very important and all spend has to be controlled.  Budget compliance is reviewed monthly with the finance group and this can be quite tiring having to justify spend to non-science people whose sole focus is bottom line (which they need to be of course). Michael BohaneQA Manager

Like many social work departments, there is more work than staff available to do it.

Jonathan O’ReillyPrincipal Social Worker I do not like billing but it is a very necessary part of working in a commercial firm! We need to record the time spent on client files and account for every minute while in the office and this can be difficult. Niamh CacciatoSolicitor Occasionally there can be an important deadline to meet that requires extra hours in the office but this is the exception rather than the norm. Anna Holohan Tax Manager It’s safe to say we still undertake a number of ‘tick box’ exercises. What can feel like pointless tasks which don’t seem to benefit anyone, either the customer or the business. We do our best to challenge some of these tasks, but at times there can be a mentality that it’s easier to just get them done. It’s always a nice win when you can shut down these types of tasks, and I always encourage people to stand back and question everything they do. But in saying that, there are moments of the week where you can feel like time was wasted on something that is now just saved in a folder on the off chance someone might need to refer to it in years from now. In those instances, I can’t help but think that surely we could have spent our time better! Lara MulveySenior Product Manager AIB Every job can have its frustrating side. It can be difficult to get twenty eight different countries to move in the one direction and to agree on how to do things. You tend to need a lot of patience and persuasion. It’s such a big institution it can feel a bit impersonal but you could get that in any job. Catherine DaySecretary General

The long working hours - some weeks you can work as much as 100 hours although the average is nearer to 60 hours per week.

Dr Jan SteinerAnaesthetist It can be dirty sometimes. Fergal FeehelyApprentice Painter Decorator A school is run on tight budgets and limited supports and this makes management difficult at times. Paul MeanySchool Principal I am not too fond of admin / paperwork but this is an essential part of the job here so I need to keep myself motivated to keep on top of it! Catherine O'Grady PowersOwner Gleenkeen Farms Being part of a big company means there is lots of processes, but you get used to them quickly! Jenny DonnellyAsset Manager Getting up at 5:30 am to come to work. I’ve never been a good morning person. Rebecca TigheProcess Engineer When you don’t perform well it’s not a nice feeling. Ian McKinleyRugby Player Gender, racial and sexual biases in the workplace. Sinead O'Sullivan CEO of Fusion Space Technologies

Grievance & Disciplinary issues, both staff and guest. It’s never easy dealing with someone who isn’t happy.

It awful having to pull a staff member aside and tell them they’ve done something wrong. Mostly everyone tries hard – telling someone it’s not working out is never easy! Laura DevlinHR Manager - Hotel

• Waiting lists and time pressures can create stress at times
• The behaviour of clients can be challenging at times
• Dealing with children and adults with difficulties can be emotionally upsetting. However the knowledge that as a profession we can help them is uplifting in these situations
• Occasionally we come across difficult or upsetting situations that cannot be changed by our profession alone. This can be difficult.

Lisa KellySpeech and Language I definitely don’t like getting up at 5.30 on cold winter mornings and commuting to work. Peter CliffordProbationer Garda