I completed a Business Studies degree in the University of Limerick and obtained a first-class honours degree. My areas of specialisation are Human Resources and management, encompassing many forms such as Project Management, Change Management and Management Consulting.
My college placement enabled me to gain vast recruitment experience in a Fortune500 company. Entering in to such a large company on placement was quite a big step. However, the culture was second to none, which enabled me to flourish.
In-house recruitment is quite different to life in a recruitment agency. I am fortunate enough to have experienced in house before taking the leap into becoming a Recruitment Consultant.
Originally, my career was due to begin as a HR Generalist until I completed my college placement. I had fantastic opportunities to present to senior leaders on a weekly basis in Ireland and the UK. This involved providing updates on the open roles within the business. This also gave me exposure to different areas of the pharmaceutical industry, such as generic and private-label pharmaceuticals. Other aspects which enhanced my interest in the recruitment space were building relationships with clients and recruitment systems e.g. Taleo. I was given these opportunities due to my professionalism and strong work ethic. I pride myself on giving my all and satisfying the needs of the customer/client. This has opened many avenues for me in my professional career and given me an abundance of opportunities.
I was certain that I wanted to experience the “recruitment buzz” at some stage in my career. Upon meeting with Optimize Recruitment and the MD Eoin Carey, I was certain this was the right company to begin my career with. An SME in the marble city of Kilkenny with a warm family feel, Optimize provides temporary and permanent staffing solutions to clients across Ireland.
There are many divisions within Optimize, including HR, Marketing, Sales, Construction, Engineering, Manufacturing, Production, Office Administration, Accountancy & Finance. Optimize also offers add-on services such as psychometric testing, executive searches, CV workshops and specialist contract support services.
The consultants have diverse backgrounds in all areas of recruitment and are specialist in their field having studied and worked within their divisions prior to recruitment. This is hugely beneficial both from an employer and a candidate perspective as it enables them to share industry knowledge and insights into their field of expertise.
The company promotes active physical and mental health by providing subsidised corporate gym membership and organised weekly gym classes for all employees. Fresh fruit is available in the office for all employees. It is a refreshing environment to be in.
Settling into the company has been relatively easy. Millennials, Generation Y tend to like feedback from their managers. Said individuals measure their own success by the meaningfulness of their work.
This is partly why I chose to work for Optimize Recruitment. Eoin has check-in meetings with me weekly and this is hugely important to me personally. I also measure success by the meaningfulness of my work. I believe our work is value adding and highly rewarding. This gives me enthusiasm and drive daily.
The main take away from this article is that working hard creates many opportunities. When choosing your next career move, don’t just look at salary on offer, review the culture of the business, size of the operation, the training aspects within the business and see if it is a good fit for you, at this stage of your career development.
Furthermore, employers should be aware that sitting in an office for the day without exercise is not productive. Encourage employees to get up and active as it is a great stimulant for the brain and productivity.
Health body, health mind!
