General Manager

How I found this job:
Internet Ad.

Training provision in this company:
Full training provided: 1. "on-the-job". 2. off-site formal courses.

Career development / progression in this company:
Excellent - meritocracy - depends on performance.

Most important skills and knowledge I use in my job:
Sales, motivation, persistence, commitment, organisation, ability to work in target driven environment.

Most interesting part of my work:
Variety. Dealing with people.

Most challenging part of my work:
Hitting targets.

Advice for current TCD students entering the employment market:
Focus on areas / activities you enjoy.

Human Resources Manager

What my role involves:

• Partnering with the business leaders to drive best practice in all disciplines of the HR function.
• Attending Senior Management Team (SMT) meetings, and presenting and discussing HR updates.
• Managing all employee relations issues and terminations in a professional manner.
• Constantly monitor attrition / retention rates in the business. Drive all necessary actions with the business.
• Drive HR programmes and initiatives to strive for 100% quality and 100% completion.
• I ensure that all customers (employees and managers) interacting with me, or coming into the HR Team area, experience excellent HR Service.

Responsibility
I support the Services Business Unit in Cherrywood, approx 500 staff.

Career development
There are loads of opportunities in Dell, ideally I would like to be HR Director or HR Site Lead eventually.

Most important skills and knowledge I use in my job:

Command skills – I need to be able to influence senior management on a daily basis, and dealing with ambiguity is also a requirement for the job, because on occasion, I may not have all the facts but still need to be able to make decisions quickly in Dell.

Advice for current TCD students entering the employment market:
HR is very challenging and career progression can be very slow, but it is great for variety and from my experience working in a US multinational has been fantastic, I have a lot of freedom and autonomy to make my own choices on how best to drive the business unit I support. It really is all about building up experience and looking at issues differently and taking the initiative. Every year, I need to think about how to do things differently and freshen processes and procedures to ensure staff are engaged.

Human Resource Manager

How I found this job:
I knew the industry having done a summer internship with one of Unilever's big competitors, so I looked at the websites of a number of the big names and applied on line. The selection process was tough, but actually quite enjoyable. I started within 2 weeks of my final interview!

Training provision in this company:
Since I have joined I have been given 6 different roles in 6 very different parts of the business to help develop my breath of knowledge and ability.

The company is also supporting me - both financially and by giving me leave - while I achieve a CIPD qualification - a formal, 3rd level HR qualification.

Within the organisation I have done a huge amount of formal training - ranging from wide business understanding, including corporate finance training and functional awareness to very specific skills such as interviewing and employment law right through to personal development opportunities - including a 2 week Leadership Development programme.

Most important skills and knowledge I use in my job:
HR Skills - employment law, employee relations processes and procedures, interviewing and assessment design, personal coaching, business and commercial awareness Interpersonal Skills/Competencies - listening and advising is a huge part of my role, leadership, coaching and influencing.

Most interesting part of my work:
Being close to the business and really making a difference to the people I work with and for. I frequently get to sit with some very senior people and work with them to create a plan for growing and developing their people and their organisation - when this comes to reality it is deeply satisfying.

I also work very closely with the Trade Unions in negotiating new terms and conditions or pay deals, and this is really great work.

Most challenging part of my work:
Sometimes I have to give people very bad news and sometimes I need to deal with very difficult or stressed or generally unwell people. It is great if you can work with them to make the best of a bad situation, but occasionally this isn't possible.

Advice for current TCD students entering the employment market: Believe in your ability and look high! Try to avoid settling for the obvious choices and really look around and seek out opportunities. I have made a few significant career changes after making some very bad decisions and knowing now that I am in a job I enjoy, working for a company I'm happy to work for and who support and develop me has made a very positive impact on my life.

Sales Executive

How I found this job:
I was on a jobs website and I am a technical person so I was looking for a job in relation to computers. I was also looking for a job where I could talk to new people every day. I came across School of Sales.

They showed all the qualities I was looking for. A place that would find me work that I was happy with and all the support I needed.

Training provision in this company:
I was given a weeks training course in sales by a man who had years of experience in the field. They showed me how to conduct myself in a professional manner but still making customers feel welcome and appreciated.

Most important skills and knowledge I use in my job:
The most important skills I learned were how to talk to people and more importantly listen. I found out the biggest secret to sales. Listen to your customer and get the best solution for them. Sales is all about getting a solution to a customers problem.

Most interesting part of my work:
The most interesting part of my job is that no two days are the same. I am faced with new problems every day and new customers giving me a constant challenge. I have to keep in line with the latest technology because I have to know what my customers are talking about.

Most challenging part of my work:
My most challenging part of my job is to keep my motivation levels up. Anyone who tells you sales is easy are just lying. Thanks to the self motivation techniques I learnt in School of Sales I am able to keep myself motivated and keep hitting my targets.

Advice for current TCD students entering the employment market:
Look at all your options. What you think might be the right job for you often turns out wrong. Don't be afraid to take chances with new sectors and who knows it might pay off. It did for me.