deiseanna gairme in institiúide an AE

Employer Insights Getting the job I set up on my own / Self Employed Barry McEnteeChartered Physiotherapist 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 I had completed an internship in the summer of second year and I was lucky enough to be offered a job at the end of my internship! This can save you a lot of valuable time during your final year as you don’t have to fill out applications forms / attend interviews.

The recruitment and selection process gives you an opportunity to meet people from the various firms at career fairs, opening evenings etc. I found that this gave me a sense of what each firm is like and what a career in tax would entail. When I was lucky enough to get called for interviews and ultimately get job offers, I felt I was able to make a much more informed decision. Sinead LewSenior Tax Manager I have previously worked for my employer so it was promotion. Being due to displaying leadership attributes as well as a flare for the retail area and the drive to increase turnover there.  Mary Jo SheridanTourism Manager - Dublinia I did my apprenticeship on the sister ship of the one I'm on now. The two boats are identical so I already knew the workings of the two vessels so there was a job opening here and I asked for it and got it. Brendan CavanaghShips Engineer While still living in America I heard that Wyeth were opening a plant in Clondalkin, Dublin which is where I grew up. I was excited about the prospect of actually working in a Biotech plant in Clondalkin. I applied online and then when I moved back to Ireland I went to an assessment centre which also included an interview. The assessment centre included some role-playing and aptitude tests. I was called soon after and told that I got the job. Brian O'ConnorAnalytical Chemist I was working in the agency side of the business carrying out commercial lettings on behalf of landlords, I spotted my current job on LinkedIn and it really appealed to me as I always had an interest in working for Aviva. My experience is predominantly in retail, so this aligned with Aviva's fund having a number of retail assets. I had an interest in moving to the client side also.

Given it was during a pandemic having applied online everything was done virtually from initial discussions to interviews, the interview process consisted of two interviews with the second being a presentation. My direct line manager called to say I was successful, and this was followed up with an offer letter from HR. Jenny DonnellyAsset Manager

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 Community Policing was an area that always interested me and when a vacancy came up, I applied through my Sergeant and my application was accepted. Niamh BriggsGarda

Each year from December to February, Air Corps cadetships are advertised on National TV and the National Newspapers. Applications for this can be found online or by applying to the Defence Force competitions section.

I applied by sending for an application form and filling it in. The applications are generally due in at the end of Febuaury (the online applications are more popular now). Within one month of applying, I received a letter inviting me for fitness testing at Baldonnel. Details for the fitness test can be found in the Cadetship booklet, which is available online/career days/Defence Force competition section.

On passing my fitness test I was invited to attend a preliminary interview. This was with 3 air corps personnel and took place in Baldonnel also. This was a competency based interview, details of which is in the cadetship booklet. I was successful in the preliminary  interview and was then invited to attend for Apptitude testing. This took a full day, and involved a number of apptitude tests including numerical tests, mechanical reasoning and verbal reasoning.

I was notified that I was successful in the apptitude tests and was called to the final interview stage. This includes a final interview, hand-eye co-ordination tests and a psychological evaluation. This also takes a full day and took place in PARC Aviation, Swords, Co.Dublin. It is from this stage that the final Air Corps candidates are chosen.

I was chosen in my year to be one of four cadets to be taken in. (Classes have normally between 5-10 people) I was notified on the day the CAO offers came out of my success in the process and I accepted my place. I was then called for a Medical evaluation at the end of August and started my training at the end of September.

Oisin McGrathLieutenant - Pilot - Air Corp I applied with CV and got in when a sudden vacancy occurred. Dr Jan SteinerAnaesthetist

I heard about the cadetship after attending a talk with an Army Officer at a careers evening in UCD. I enlisted and completed my training.

After being commissioned as an army officer I was posted to my unit which is based in Dublin. I had to do two interviews, a fitness test and a full medical. I was notified via post and phone.

Tom TooherLieutenant - Army I studied Law and Business and qualified as a Solicitor before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs. Edith DelaneyThird Secretary Desk Officer My current job arose from a restructuring of the Quality Function within IVAX. I was a QA (Quality Assurance) analyst in the Inhalations business for three years when I applied for a Senior QA Officer role. I was interviewed and offered a role in the Solid Dose business. One of the key questions in the interview was 'what would you change'. The company was looking for new ideas. My manager called me into his office and told the company wanted to offer me a position telling me that my work ethic and ability to make hard decisions played a big part in their decision. Fergus O'ConnellQuality Officer Setup on my own in 1992. Ray PowerPotter I responded to an advertisement which appeared in the Irish Independent newspaper. I attended an interview in the school and the school principal rang me the following day to say I was successful in my application. Brian CadiganPrimary School Teacher On LinkedIn, I reached out to the Irish Network in San Diego group. Megan WalshMechanical Engineer 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 I finished my PhD and heard that a position was to become available at the university where I studied. I applied by filling in a very detailed application form (it took me several weeks to write my answers and be happy with them), I taught a sample lesson and made a presentation about my plans for the job if I were to be successful, I sat an interview with a selection panel, and got told by phone that evening that I got the job. Dr. Patrick CadwellLecturer 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 Main challenges At present managing properties when there has been a number of store closures due to Covid 19 has been challenging, our tenants turnover has naturally been impacted so we are closely liaising with them to assist where possible but also having our investors interest and keep rent collections as high as possible. Jenny DonnellyAsset Manager It’s important to understand what the political priorities of the Commission are and to try and deliver them while keeping the machine running reasonably smoothly at the same time. It’s a constant challenge to make sure you have the right information before you make decisions. Catherine DaySecretary General 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 As with any job in a very regulated industry such as pharmaceuticals, the admin and paperwork can be quite heavy. But this is necessary to ensure the highest quality products are delivered to our patients and customers. Gillian MorganManufacturing Process Specialist 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 challenges are:

-Taking in a lot of information and techniques to perform your job to a high standard.

- Coming towards the end of the job , there are deadlines which may require you to work late hours and weekends. Mark MaguireApprentice Electrician Staying in control of my to-do list is the main challenge… You need to be very organised in this job. You need to plan ahead, know what meetings are coming up, make sure those who work with you on a particular client are aware of the upcoming meeting and what’s required for it.

Keeping up-to-speed can be challenging – what’s moving markets, any developments with investment managers or funds. Sustainability continues to gather momentum and it can be challenging to stay up-to-date with regulatory developments in that area.

The job can be tiring. I find it takes a lot of energy and proactivity to keep on top of all the tasks that are ongoing with all my clients…to keep projects moving. At times, it can feel like you’re being pulled in different directions and it’s really important not to drop a ball.

Having said that, I’m very lucky to work in a team of highly-motivated, hard-working and conscientious people. We work well together as a team, helping each other out as and when necessary. There’s always someone ready and willing to help if you have a problem or if you simply need to bounce an idea off someone. Orla AherneInvestment Consultant

Maintaining the attention of a playful and curious little child for the purpose of psychological assessment is certainly a challenge! Understanding the speech of a person with communication difficulties also sometimes stretches my powers of listening and interpretation.

Working with staff groups who are struggling to understand and meet the needs of their service users sometimes really draws upon my abilities to motivate and explain psychological interventions in clear terms.

Organising and responding to referrals tests my capacity to gather information and prioritise effectively. The hugely varied nature of human behaviour, psychological difficulties, and the constant research activity means that I need to keep up to speed with developments in the field by reading psychological journals, attending special interest groups, and conferences.

Elaine MacDonaldPsychologist - Clinical 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 It was certainly a challenge to balance studying for a professional qualification and work full time, however, the Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) programme offered by the Irish Tax Institute caters for this challenge by providing weekend lectures and electronic access to materials. In particular, the professional skills workshop offered the opportunity to discuss and solve real-life tax problems that I could then apply in my day to day work. Caroline AustinSenior Associate Solicitor You have to test yourself negotiating with people from other countries. Kevin KearyParliamentary Assistant The demands of the new technologies has meant that fabrication tools are ever increasing in size and complexity. These tools have thousands and thousands of metres of required facilities that all have to be modelled in increasingly smaller footprints, while still maintaining strict safety standards, functionality and ever stricter cost budgets. Its proving to be a tougher and tougher challenge to manage such a large scoped project with these constraints. Darryl DayIQ Engineer The main challenge is juggling work, family, friends and trying to find some time-out time amidst it all. The main challenge at work at the moment is the market place and trying to get fairly paid for our produce. Kieran MageeFarm Manager - Dry Stock The main challenges for me are managing expectations of those to whom I am presenting data and analysis as people can have differing or conflicting views. Denise HarringtonSupply Chain Analyst Main challenges for me right now include aligning the cool algorithms that the technical team can create with customers, and trying to commercialize them. Some of the technology we can create is very cool, but getting people to see the value of it and buy it can be very difficult. Sinead O'Sullivan CEO of Fusion Space Technologies Tax law is always changing, so it’s really important that I keep up to speed on these changes! Lorcan KellyTax Consultant The main challenges are: - the ever tightening quotas - the increasing costs of running vessels. - finding crew - Departmental constraints Alan O'NeillFisherman 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 Cost / Time constraints. Sourcing correctly skilled and knowledgeable labour. Donal KanePlumber / Construction Super. Written interview unavailable... Mary McCaugheyHead of Communications Typical day I get up around 7.30 start work at 8.00. I go around all the stock and make sure everything is alive and well. I then make any important phone calls that need to be made.

I get tea from 10.00 until 10.30.  I call in with all my staff make sure all is well with them. I then sort out any problems they may have.

I try to get any meetings out of the way at this stage. Dinner is from 1.00 until 2.00.

Usually we try to get all the maintenance jobs completed around this time of the day. We get finished up between 5 and 6 but being a farmer there are certain times of the year when we have to work longer hours or get up in the middle of the night to check sick or pregnant animals.

It is also a big task battling not only a time scale but the weather.  A lot of our work is weather dependant and this can cause a lot of pressure which would not exist in an office job. Kieran MageeFarm Manager - Dry Stock 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 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 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

It’s interesting to consider whether a ‘typical’ day looked different pre and post Covid. Working remotely took some time to get used to in the first few months, but now over a year in, the ‘typical day’ is much the same thanks to the remote working capabilities. I don’t miss the commutes but would love a face – face coffee with work friends which is hard to replicate over Zoom.

In my current role, I’m working on AIB’s Digital Team. I’ve always had an interest in all things digital, and it’s exciting to work in an environment that is ever evolving.

The day begins with a large coffee! I try to login at about 8.30am and catch up on emails from the day before. When 9am hits, it can often mean meetings. At times, back to back meetings become tiring, but where possible I block at some time to make sure I don’t fall too far behind on the ‘to do list’.

 

Every meeting should have a clear set purpose, and we’re getting better at that on the team. At some meetings I do the presenting, while at others different stakeholders may be the chair. No matter the session, making sure we achieve specific objectives from each meetings is key. Workshops are always an enjoyable part of the week, where we get together and get creative. I really enjoy being part of more collaborative exercises which often energise me for the rest of the day.

After some lunch, it can either be back to meetings or time to get some work done! I’m working on a large project at the minute, which has pressing deadlines and lots of spinning plates.

There’s nothing better than when a project you’re working on hits a big delivery milestone. Taking the time to acknowledge such achievements is so important. It’s always good to take the time to reflect and soak in the lessons we’ve learned, not just when stuff goes well, but equally as important when things go wrong.

I aim to log off by 5pm, but if I’m honest with myself I often find that hard. In reality, it’s closer to 6 / 7pm when my husband gets back from work. Although I may work late some evenings, I do try take back these hours and leave a little earlier on a Friday, when I have something nice planned. That balance and flexibility to the workday really helps during the longer weeks!

Lara MulveySenior Product Manager AIB 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 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

I don’t tend to have a typical day; each day is different depending on the work in hand.

If I am painting, once I begin I tend to work for hours, then maybe not work on it for days and then come back to the canvas with fresh eyes. Some paintings take only days, some take months. Most of my paintings are explorations of the surfaces of other worlds. If I am doing a drawing workshop I pack the equipment in the car the evening before, so getting to the venue is my only pressure.

It’s very rewarding to impart the excitement of our solar system and space exploration via drawing to children. Sometimes several workshops in one day can be a challenge, especially if the venues are distant from each other. I have to be very flexible when I arrive as each venue is different and I need to adapt my presentation, equipment etc on the spot to suit the attendees.

If I choose to do a Moon drawing for a book or an article I am on tenterhooks hoping for a clear evening. On an ideal night I have the telescope set up early in the best position to follow my target. I might observe the area I intend to draw several times before I am ready to start. My drawing easel and pastels are ready and I have to be very focused indeed to capture the lunar feature in as much detail as possible. Full-phase Moon drawings can take up to two hours or more to complete, other features perhaps an hour.

Photography is involved if it’s a step-by-step article or book chapter that can be very awkward in the flow of the drawing. Mostly I would write an outline report on my drawing soon as it is finished.

Deirdre KelleghanAmateur Astronomer The average day starts with distributing the sales information for the previous day. That is usually followed by a catch up with team members to discuss that day’s priorities and divide workload as required. This work can be individual projects or group assignments. Ross McKeoghMusgrave Retail Graduate Programme No day is ever the same in Intel as the challenges we face are constantly changing. Essentially my day-to-day role is to sustain a manufacturing process which allows equipment to operate in a safe and effective manner, while producing top of class, defect free products.

A typical day begins with arriving on site in Leixlip at 6:30am and heading into the cleanroom for shift passdown. Production in Intel is carried out in a super clean environment, which means that employees have to wear what we call bunny suits in order to maintain a certain level of cleanliness, which is 10,000 times cleaner than an operating theatre. Passdown involves both engineers and technicians and is where any issues and progress over the last 12 hours is discussed.

It is the role of the engineer to lead this passdown and ensure that tool operations and plans can continue as they had for the previous 12 hours. This is vital to maintain the status of excellence which is required to allow 24 by 7 manufacturing succeed in Intel.

At 8:30 am there is a second passdown meeting again led by the shift engineer. This meeting involves tool owners, Equipment engineers, team leaders and other people who are vital in running a manufacturing process. Here the tool plans for any maintenance or experiments and the goals for the day are decided amongst the team. It is the shift engineer’s role to decide on the priority of these tasks and communicate them to the team of technicians who operate the machines.

Throughout the day the engineer takes responsibility for ensuring these plans are completed and communicating the advancement of plans to team leaders and tool owners.

Another major part of everyday operations is monitoring and maintain a low defect performance. This involves monitoring inline defect data to ensure tools are consistently producing the best standard products.

Training is also a huge part of my day in Intel. As a new hire in the company I typically have classes to attend, Web based training to complete and spend time with experienced engineers in order to develop my skill set for the job. Rebecca TigheProcess Engineer 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 Because I am self-employed, I have to be very self-motivated and always provide quality and positive Leadership for my team, sometimes this can be challenging as I have to juggle a lot; we have a large working sheep farm coupled with my Husband Jim spending long stints away for work, we also have a 4 and ½ year old wonderful boy. While challenging this juggle is very rewarding, we live in a beautiful place, surrounded by wonderful people and happy Customers. Catherine O'Grady PowersOwner Gleenkeen Farms I have a meeting every morning with the HR team followed by a review of metrics for a different topic in the Training arena on a daily basis. During the day I'll meet various business leaders across all roles to promote and drive a learning strategy that gives results to the organization & the people within.  Mark MeehanSTEM Learning Head

A normal day in the army starts at 08:25. You would be on parade at that time where an NCO would inspect your uniform and make sure everybody is there and then do some foot drill with us. From 09:00 until 11:00 we are tasked with jobs that come from our superiors which can be anything from cleaning, weapons, training or lectures. We then have a tea break. Then physical training would be organised for us.

After lunch we have another parade followed by more tasks. On a normal day we would finish at 16:30, however you are expected to prepare everything for the next day e.g. clean and iron your uniform and prepare what equipment is needed for the next day.

Louise Mc DonaldPrivate (Line) A typical day would start with me checking emails for any urgent items and addressing those first. We deal with a lot of our international offices so invariably when I arrive into work there are emails from our US offices.

I would then plan my day out, action any items which need to be actioned and perhaps visit a client or insurer later in the day. Karl CurranAssociate Director

My typical day starts with checking in on any projects currently ongoing (a lot can change since the previous day). Everyday is different in so far as each day will present different challenges or issues which require immediate attention.

My current role is overseeing the process validation group of the solid dose business. Project timelines can be anywhere from a few days to several months. Each one has key milestones which must be delivered on time or the whole project will be delayed.

A big challenge is to ensure I always know what needs to be done today in order to be able to do what needs to be done tomorrow. I am constantly looking out days, weeks and months ahead planning activities for the group.

Rewards don't happen every day but they do come. The pressures of the job are often high as projects deadlines don't move but that can sometimes work to your advantage. It helps focus the mind. Is it enjoyable? - on the whole yes. As one project ends you are already heavily involved in others so there is little time to relax. Most days involve a lot of meetings between which actions from those meetings need to be done.

Fergus O'ConnellQuality Officer A typical day is hard to describe, given that there are many facets to my role. However, it usually included several call and video calls with clients and colleagues alike. I really enjoy the people and problem solving element to my day-to-day work life, which provides me with high levels of job satisfaction. There are inevitably some high pressured days in banking but I enjoy the fast-paced nature of the banking world! Michael McDermottAssociate Director, International Corporate Banking We have class from 9am - 5pm every day where we have very practical classes learning the legal aspect as well as the practical policy elements. There is also a high emphasis on physical fitness for duty. Mark Spain Garda Trainee 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 I work on many different projects daily. Some projects are located close to home and others are worldwide. My typical day includes: carrying out detailed design calculations on a structure for large scale projects, regular meetings with people from other disciplines and travelling to site when required. I have done a lot of travelling around Europe recently to carry out visual building inspections for a global client. Shauna HurleyStructural Engineer Further training...

After completing my BSc in Physiotherapy, and then changing my career path, I worried a lot about doing the ‘right’ course this time around. In hindsight I probably was overthinking things! Within my first few years in AIB, I finished my exams to become a Qualified Financial Advisor (QFA). This was a big achievement, and felt like a real milestone in establishing my career on the business side. I took a few years off studying to find a course that suited where I wanted to go, and recently completed a Diploma in Digital Transformation (Financial Services) awarded by UCD. I was delighted to receive a first class honours in this course, as it almost proved to myself that this is an area in which I thrive. This Diploma is a stepping stone to a wider Masters in Financial Services which I’m hoping to complete over the coming three years.

AIB have supported all my post graduate education to date – definitely another perk to the job!  Lara MulveySenior Product Manager AIB 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 Yes, I do ongoing training – I dedicate about 5% of my time to training. Des LalorWind Engineer I'm doing ongoing courses in safety, though probably at this stage in my career I'll be doing more at the business end of things, doing courses on communications and management and things like that. I have attended some small courses on spraying and chainsaws, things like that at various times over the years. Some of these are run by Teagasc,FETAC, ALCI and others. I attend business seminars, as well as other relevant seminars, on a regular basis in order to keep up to date with industry trends. Paul DowlingHorticulturist I have done coaching qualifications with an eye on the future. Ian McKinleyRugby Player As part of the job there a lot of job specific courses that can be completed during your trade . I have completed mobile tower assembly, boom and scissor lift driving, confined space training, occupational first aid, abrasive wheel training. I hope to follow up at the end of my trade and do engineering. Mark MaguireApprentice Electrician Yes, I am planning to take the CFA Certificate in ESG Investing, wish me luck! Amy O’DwyerAssociate Sustainability Advisor I would definitely consider further studies in the future. I finished my undergraduate degree in May. At the minute, I am enjoying work life and using the skills I have developed through my honour’s degree in Engineering. Kevin O'HaganDesign Engineer Studying for the Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) qualification was a key aspect of my training. Edel ButlerAdministrative Officer I am always open to upskilling; I regularly attend webinars so that I am up to date on current matters. Jenny DonnellyAsset Manager Intel encourages continual training. I have undertaken many training courses within Intel focused towards better understanding and knowledge of my job role and the manufacturing processes. Deborah CaffreyElectronic Engineer I intend to sit my Sergeant Exams this year. Niamh BriggsGarda I think continuous upskilling is very important as the industry is constantly changing and you need to adapt. Elaine KellyMechanical Design Engineer I'm planning to undertake a coaching qualification Kathryn ReevesLearning and Development Lead 1. IT training 2. Languages Fergal DonnellyEuropean Commission Intel actively promotes training and development as a core part of my job role. I find myself in a classroom almost every week! I currently have plans to complete a project management course to aid in my current role. Darryl DayIQ Engineer 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 Yes, I am undertaking level 8 Business Studies with Dublin Business School. Mary Jo SheridanTourism Manager - Dublinia I continue to avail of all of the wonderful training workshops and online courses made available to us by Failte Ireland and the LEO Offices. We are extremely lucky in this country for all of the supports and resources available to businesses. Catherine O'Grady PowersOwner Gleenkeen Farms

There are ongoing training opportunities in this job which are organised and facilitated by the HSE. Training pertinent to Social Work is actively promoted by the agency. For example, I have completed courses in the following:

• domestic violence,
  
• mental health,
  
• framework of assessments when working with families and children,
• attachment theory in practice etc.
  

Also there are opportunities for a social worker to take on students for their college placements which mainly involves being their ‘mentor’ while they gain work experience in your agency setting.

At present, I am also considering doing a part-time two year course in addiction studies and counselling. The benefits of a Social Work Qualification is that it opens many 'doors' and provides much opportunity to explore or specialise in other related areas.

Mary Ita HeffernanSocial Worker Advice if considering this job It can take time to get to know people with learning disabilities, patience and good listen skills are very important. Deirdre LavelleCare Assistant Take every opportunity that comes your way, don’t be afraid of a challenge. Don’t be afraid to throw yourself into things, you’ll learn on the job. Denise HarringtonSupply Chain Analyst 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 Work hard, push your boundaries, have belief in your abilities, set personal goals and seek feedback. For those who have not completed a college degree or third level education – seek a career path that will give you the opportunity to further your education and learning. Sarah TenantyFinance Operations The most important thing to keep in mind is that this is more of a life style than a job. Luke DreaEvent Rider 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 1.Be open to new ideas. Think critically, and not just about the ideas of others. Be hard on your beliefs. Take them out onto the verandah and beat them with a cricket bat. Be intellectually rigorous. Identify your biases, your prejudices, your privilege. 2.Dedicate one's self to the pursuit of short-term goals. Be micro-ambitious.

Put your head down and work with pride on whatever is in front of you, you never know where you might end up. Be aware that the next worthy pursuit will appear in your periphery and when you least expect it. 3.You don't need to already know what you're going to do with the rest of your life. Many people who were sure of their career path at age 20 end up having midlife crises now. 4.Be able to speak in public and also in a foreign language. If you can do all that and tell a joke, you've cracked it. Fergal DonnellyEuropean Commission 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 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 like working with others, and like problem solving then its definitely worth considering. Do you ever look at a bridge/skyscraper etc. and wonder how they did that? Or better still, are you looking at the way the road at home is laid out and thinking if they had of done something differently it would have been better.

Engineering is not a career people think about and say its helping people, but in many ways it is rewarding and just as much about helping people. Engineers design things used everyday that help people get to work, provide clean water, provide sewerage systems, care for the environment....

Maria O'NeillCivil Engineer Research the exams and the career progression through accountancy and see if this is something you can see yourself in long term.  Ross McKeoghMusgrave Retail Graduate Programme It helps to have a logical mind and to be fond of puzzles and problem solving. I spend a lot of time trouble shooting and this can be a stressful task if you are not motivated by challenges. Neil MurreyAerothermodynamics and Propulsion Design Engineer 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 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 To prepare your work place first thing in the morning would be the most important part of my job. Brendan WhiteFish Filleter 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 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 Hard work, passion for your category, having a focus for what you want to achieve and keeping on top of new trends to really drive your area. Sara Hickey Assistant Trading Manager Find something that you’re passionate about and it will make your life a lot more enjoyable.  David McKeownSpace Scientist If you look at the staff we have here, they've come from all over the place. Some have been ex-Navy or have been Comms officers on ships; we have people who have been involved in building work and ended up coming here..it really is very random how people have ended up here. Often people have studied science in school, but often they haven't done science degrees, but have ended up meandering through various different industries to get here; so most of all it's to follow what you're interested in and what you enjoy doing. Like I say to the gang here, if they're not waking up in the morning wanting to go in to work, they need to change jobs. Rory Fitzpatrick CEO of the National Space Centre The lifestyle

Fishing is a very unpredictable job. While, financially, it can be in line with other jobs, it can have a negative impact on your home life. You cannot plan holidays etc. because the fishing season is so dependent on the weather.

You could be at home for a week between trips or you could be home a couple of hours. It is hard to peruse any planned leisure activities when you cannot tell anyone when you will be at home or when you will be at sea.

Alan O'NeillFisherman My job allows me a good lifestyle with regard to owing our own home, providing for my children's education and leisure activities. It also allows me to indulge in my hobby of showing dogs. Deirdre LavelleCare Assistant Working with Intel does allow me to maintain a good work/life balance. My boss is quite understanding of my life priorities and allows me to maintain a healthy balance between work and home. Deborah CaffreyElectronic Engineer 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

My job allows me to have a good work life balance, it's a 9-5 day job with good terms of employment.

There is good flexibility for working around personal commitments. There are many opportunities across Finance and lots that allow you to progress to senior decision making roles or in sectors that you have a personal interest in. Job security has remained strong even in recession times.

Madonna DalyBusiness Manager With hard work always comes rewards and I feel my current role allows me to have a good lifestyle. Although my days at work can be quite long and demanding, I have every weekend free to spend with my family and friends. I have sociable working hours and my commute to the office is less than ten minutes. In my current role, I have also had the opportunity to travel to countries such as Switzerland, Germany & the UK. Working for a large multi-national like Zurich gives me great job security along with an excellent benefits package. Sarah TenantyFinance Operations If I was to think about it honestly, it does and it doesn’t. I do really enjoy what I’m doing so I could be considered a workaholic – but I love my work. I would nearly go as far as to consider my work one of the main aspects of my lifestyle. Oz IlbrahmiManufacturing Specialist 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 Teaching affords you the holidays like no other job. Where possible I like to travel during the summer and get away on shorter breaks during the year. In time, it will be a job that will facilitate family life easier than other professions. Mary JoyceSecondary School Teacher Yes Mark MaguireApprentice Electrician Yes I’m very happy with my lifestyle. My job is doing something that interests me every day, and Flexi-time allows me to continue doing things I love outside of work at times that suit me, like exercising and spending time with friends. There’s a really great atmosphere in my workplace and people are more like friends than work colleagues, and we have quite a relaxed, yet efficient working environment. Claire PurcellSoftware Engineer Absolutely. I get the best of both worlds. I work from home and do analysis myself, but also have the opportunity to go to different sites across Cork, Kildare and Belfast and meet new people. Denise HarringtonSupply Chain Analyst

My current role allows me to maintain a healthy work / life balance. I have a family with four children which takes up a large amount of time. I am active in a number of sports especially rugby and triathlon, also time consuming. I have progressed in my career satisfactorily so far but I would still have ambitions to progress further.

The company I currently work with encourages such ambition and allows people to seek responsibility and develop. It is important for a company to reward good / excellent performance and I am fortunate to work for such a company. Financial reward, while not being the most important aspect, is still important. My current role within the pharmaceutical industry pays well especially since I gained the Qualified Person qualification in 2001.

Michael BohaneQA Manager I would like to have more time for leisure & social activities!

The job is interesting but weekend work & early starts are to be expected in agriculture. Denis ReidyFarmer - Dairy My job allows me to work flexible hours where I can be off during the week which allows me more free time to spend with family and also to pursue other interests.

I like the different hours and the variety in your week where you can have - 3 lie-ins a week or other times you can be finished work at 12 midday and have the whole day to yourself.

Each week is different and that suits me as I don't like to follow a strict routine, I like the freedom to be different! Naoise PyeSocial Care Worker

Lots of my friends don't work in corporate jobs and when I was younger I used to wonder if maybe I should have chosen something more glamourous or more obviously beneficial like a charity but over time I realised that I was really lucky to work for a corporate company. Firstly, you get a lot of benefits such as healthcare, bonuses, plush office environment, wellbeing initiatives, generous pension schemes and more which means your working environment is nice and you don't have to worry about money so much.

But the thing it took me a while to realise is that if you can make a difference working at a large corporate the difference you can make to the larger world is actually huge, when big companies start focusing on things like Diversity and Sustainability this can influence things at a global level. Working for an international company I also get to work with people all over the world and in the past I used to travel to some of our other offices in Europe and India which was fantastic as your colleagues would take you out to dinner and show you the sights. One time I got to visit the Taj Mahal

Kathryn ReevesLearning and Development Lead Yes, I work 8am to 4:15pm daily, with the exception of staying on a bit later when work is busier, however even staying on later is still allowing plenty of time in the evenings. Abbie RiceAssociate Accountant/IFS Apprentice Working with horses involves long tiring hours of very hard work especially during the busy competition season. This, in my opinion is a non-negotiable part of the hands-on side of an equestrian career and people should bear this in mind.

In my situation I take advantage of our crap Irish winter and try to make up some time for myself when the weather is bad and the days are dark either by getting down time at home or by getting away in the winter when things are quiet. Luke DreaEvent Rider My job does allow me a lifestyle that I am happy with. I drop the children off to school in the morning and start work at 9.30 am. I finish work in the afternoon and I am home the same time as the kids. I spend quality time with them every afternoon and I am there for the homework. I am also there to bring them to other activities outside school that they want to be involved in. There is enough time too for myself and family life as a whole. Ejiro O'Hare StrattonClinical Nurse Manager 2 My profession is a “caring” profession – I am involved in protecting people’s health at work. I guess that’s one of the reasons I chose it. It certainly has been very good to me on the earning front. And while it has taken a few years to save up for life’s “luxuries”, I am certainly in a very healthy position to take great vacations, have a nice house and spend a significant portion of my earnings on my hobby. Dave McDonaldAstronomer Whats cool Everything that I do is for myself. There is great job satisfaction and I am my own boss so can manage my scheduele to fit my needs Bryan DanielsFarmer - Dairy There are not many people who can say that they make a living out of their passion but luckily I am one of those people. I can do my favourite thing in the world and get paid for it and I will never take that for granted. Nothing will ever quite beat the adrenaline rush when you finally finish the show and hear the audience applause. For me that feeling will never get old. Megan McEvoyDancer

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’m genuinely blown away by the energy in the department! Everyone who works there, regardless of their job, brings their all to the workplace daily. There is a consistent hum of productivity and collegiality, and it is inspiring.

Jonathan O’ReillyPrincipal Social Worker

The ability to get things done – I’m generally the go to person if something is needed to be fixed, Knowledge – it’s nice to be the go to person if someone has a problem /difficulty, even though I don’t know all the answers, I’ll do my best to find out.

The ability to help /fix things is very fulfilling. I don’t know though if I could be perceived as cool! Laura DevlinHR Manager - Hotel 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 love the variety my job presents. I love to meet different customers and hear how they started in business and what their future ambitions are and how I can help them get there. Madonna DalyBusiness Manager Seeing the service users happy and growing in confidence. Enjoying new experiences. Working with the service users and getting to know them. Working with nice people Deirdre LavelleCare Assistant The children in this school enjoy a small teacher pupil ratio of 9:1. As a result teachers get to know the pupils a lot better and see progress a lot more clearly. Also, with small numbers, you don't have to be so strict and can have quite a relaxed classroom atmosphere. It is also cool to know you are making a real difference in peoples lives. Padraig ParleTeacher - Special Needs The product I am working on at the minute. It enables you to control your heating from anywhere in the world, brilliant. The travelling also helps. Liam McCaulR&D Engineer I like the fact that my job gets me involved with all aspects of the business - planning, purchasing, finance, engineering, human resources etc. It is this diversity of contacts which ensures that each day is different and interesting. I also like the pressure in my job. I'm never short of something to do. Fergus O'ConnellQuality Officer The variety of things I get to do and the freedom I have to do it. What are the main challenges? Working in a university comes with a lot of administrative tasks – I hate doing them. Also, the lack of female lecturer colleagues… The majority of lecturers and professors are men – based on lots of rubbish reasons. The university is working hard to change this trend. I’m a real feminist when it comes to making the needed changes. Shane BerginPhysics Lecturer My favourite part of the job is the problem-solving nature of it all. My job is very numbers based which sometimes can lead to tricky equations to be worked out but is very satisfying once completed Abbie RiceAssociate Accountant/IFS Apprentice What I really like about my job is that it's very social. I did not expect that coming into an office environment. There's a very friendly atmosphere in here, which makes any stressful day a lot easier. We also do a lot of events and meet ups outside of work too, which is great for team building. Another thing I must include is the free tea, coffee and on-site lunches. It saves so much time in the mornings! Laura GlendonMultilingual Software Support SAP 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 It’s very interesting because no two days are the same so that’s good. You get a sense that you’re representing your own country and also you have the opportunity to develop a broader outlook on the world.

You also gain friendships with people from all over Europe that all have interesting things to say and as a result, have a very active social life. You’re never stuck for too long behind your desk either. Kevin KearyParliamentary Assistant Working with individuals with learning difficulties is very rewarding-this is my favourite part of the job. Tomas FlanaganOccupational Therapist Meeting so many different nationalities and getting to see the world -now 46 countries! Kate WalshBeauty Therapist Job satisfaction is the best thing for me. It is very rewarding to see a client progress and do well based on your work with them. Also the working hours and annual leave allows me to enjoy other aspects of life including hobbies and traveling.

There is also a great deal of variety in this career. Every client we meet is different and a day's work is rarely dull. I also get the opportunity to liaise with and meet a variety of other professionals such as occupational therapists, physiotherapists, psychologists, teachers. I'm also lucky in that my work colleagues have also become friends. Lisa KellySpeech and Language

Working with people from all over the globe is really great. You get to see how different people can solve the same problem in many different ways. It’s also a fantastic way to experience different cultures when you get the opportunity to travel to these locations.

Over the last few years I've been lucky enough to travel extensively throughout the States, Europe, Israel, China and Korea, and work with engineers from all of these places. You also get to realise that beneath it all, engineers are the same all over the world. There are technical problems to solve, and we love to solve them!!!

Shane CallananElectronic Engineer Not so cool For me personally, the long hours sometimes take their toll - I need to constantly remind myself to get the work-life balance correct. Brian KellyScience Entrepreneur The unsociable hours when on tactical operations. Tom TooherLieutenant - Army As we are very busy through the winter months it can be very cold. We cannot have any heat on in the factory floor due to the nature of our products. This is not nice through the winter months. Brendan WhiteFish Filleter There's always parts of any job that can get on your nerves but it's important to remember the positives and not to focus of the negatives. I'm very grateful that the positives far outweigh any negatives at work! Michael McDermottAssociate Director, International Corporate Banking People constantly asking if you can get them cheaper car insurance! Karl CurranAssociate Director 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 Currently, working from home every day is not too enjoyable, I enjoy some variety in terms of office/home/on site work. Shane O'SheaSuperValu Regional Support Manager Not having enough resources to run all the great outreach activities that we could do. Karen O'FlahertyScience Communicator

Sometimes the cases are difficult and take longer than expected but it is important that enough time is given to complicated matters.

Diego GallagherSenior Solicitor

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

Jonathan O’ReillyPrincipal Social Worker 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

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 Repetition, so that would be opening and locking the building, completing daily cash sheets, it can become boring. Mary Jo SheridanTourism Manager - Dublinia Special Needs teaching can be enjoyable and rewarding. However there is a lot of paperwork. Padraig ParleTeacher - Special Needs 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 I would not say that there is really anything I don’t like about my job. If had to mention something, I would say I am not very fond of operational tasks in any job, which is, fortunately, only a very tiny part of my job. Madhuvratha VasudevanSenior Investment Analyst Sometimes people can be seasick, which they don't boast about and thats not cool. The anti-social aspect of the job is not cool; having to work weekends and during holidays. Sometimes cramped living/working conditions on board a boat are not great. Government rules and regulations which are making the job very hard and are forcing a lot of fishermen to go to sea in very bad weather. Liz O'TooleSkipper Managers who don't care or who are disinterested in what one does. Fergal DonnellyEuropean Commission 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 So far I can't say I dislike anything. Things are challenging but you grow to like the tasks. Aishling ButlerGarda Trainee