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Name: Sinead English
Degree: BA (1989) Economics & Social Studies

What are you doing with yourself these days?
For the last five years I have been running a career management and consultancy firm – Sinead English & Associates – Career Consultants.  I work with clients to help them through all aspects of the career management process. Sometimes that can mean helping someone to decide what career is right for them and other times it involves advising on CVs, Interview Skills or how to use networking to get a job. I do quite a lot of work with third level institutions and also with companies who are providing outplacement services to their employees.

Why did you choose your current career?
When I graduated from Trinity I went to London to work for Chase Manhattan Bank (now JP Morgan) as an investment banker. I spent 13 years there and loved the buzz of living in London and working in such a dynamic and challenging industry. A large percentage of my class – BESS – went to London to work after graduation and it was a great place to be. After our second child was born my husband John and I decided, like so many of my TCD classmates, to move back to Ireland. I resigned from JPM and we moved to Adare, Co Limerick.  
I had always had a huge interest in the gradate-recruitment process at JPM and was heavily involved in it each year. Upon my return to Ireland it seemed like a natural progression for me to work with third level institutions to prepare their students for the milk round process. The business started there and has grown from that into a career consultancy for clients across a number of sectors, not just education.  

How do you like to spend your free time?
One of the main reasons we moved back to Ireland was a to get a better balance of family vs work time – being an investment banker isn’t exactly the most family friendly career in the world! Any free time is spent with my family (we now have 3 children) and friends.

What are your strongest memories of Trinity?
Coffee and chocolate biscuit cake on the chocolate boxes in the Arts block, congratulating myself for managing to make it in time for 10am lectures...when I had to commute from ....Front Square, my inspirational Economics lecturers who gave me such a genuine interest in the subject, sitting in kitchens in Trinity Hall until the small hours chatting to my fellow Trinity Hall residents, the Pav on a Friday night...I could go on and on...

Are you still in touch with other alumni?
Absolutely! My Trinity Hall room-mate and fellow BESS student was my bridesmaid and is Godmother to one of our children. I made friends for life at TCD. We had our 20 year ESS reunion last year and it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces. Many of us stay in touch on LinkedIn but there is nothing like meeting up with one for a chat to get all the latest news on the class of 1989. One of the great things about living in Trinity Hall for the first two years was the amount of friends I made from other faculties. 

Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
That’s usually a question I prepare my interview coaching clients for!  Personally - continuing to enjoy living in Adare with my family - the oldest will be getting ready for University at that point! Professionally - continue to grow the business and help clients to find careers they enjoy.