Carl Murray
I really enjoyed the coursework, but the highlight for me was the people I met and the friendships I formed. I made some lifelong friends at Maynooth, and by final year, our class had become a tight-knit group. We all supported each other and worked together with great synergy.
Make an effort to put yourself out there and get involved in college life. Join some clubs and societies and attend social event. Be open minded, try new things, and meet new people. It gets harder to do these things with the same level of freedom once you graduate and move into the working world, so make the most of it!
Please tell us about your career journey so far (including your current role/position/field) *
I originally went on to study Applied Physics at DCU after secondary school, but that didn’t last very long—I dropped out during my first year.
After dropping out, I landed a job as a Design Engineer with a small company based in Dublin. I spent a couple of years there as a bit of a “jack of all trades.” Because it was such a small company, I had a lot of responsibility, but that also meant there were plenty of opportunities to take initiative and drive change in what was a very traditional environment. I re-designed one of the company’s core products from the ground up, taking it from concept sketch all the way to manufacture. I also sourced new component suppliers, which led to significant cost savings. That experience helped me realise I needed to be doing something where I could build things, solve problems, innovate, and put my entrepreneurial mindset to work—so I enrolled in the Product Design degree at Maynooth.
I really enjoyed the course and continued working part-time in the same job while studying. Eventually, I left that role when the opportunity came up to join Musgrave for a six-month internship as part of the course, working as a Customer Researcher. I got to do some really interesting research into shopping habits, branding, and in-store POS testing for brands like SuperValu and The Happy Pear. I loved the research aspect—identifying problems, sharing insights with the team, and recommending improvements that could drive real impact.
After graduating, my first job was with a tech company called WP Engine, where I joined as a User Researcher. It was similar to my work at Musgrave, but focused on a digital product rather than retail. I spent nearly two years there before an opportunity came up at IBM to do user research. I wasn’t actively job hunting at the time, but a recruiter reached out to me on LinkedIn, and one thing led to another—I found myself walking into their Dublin office a few weeks later. I knew IBM would be a great place to grow my career.
I enjoyed learning about user needs, identifying problems, and collaborating with product teams, but I’d had my sights set on Product Management for a while. As much as I liked user research, it didn’t fully satisfy my entrepreneurial, problem-solving mindset. IBM is full of opportunities—there are always openings and chances to move around—so when I saw a Product Manager role, I went for it and landed the job. I’m still new to the role, so I can’t say yet if it’s everything I imagined, but I know the skills I’m building will serve me well, no matter where my career takes me next.
What are the key insights gained during your time at MU that have helped you in your career journey? And what advice would you give to someone starting out or interested in your career or field? Please consider tactics such as networking, creative job searches, using the career centre, social media presence etc
Some quick tips for anyone starting their career: Opt for a hybrid or in-person role over fully remote. When you’re just starting out, it’s so important to meet people, build relationships, get your name out there, and grow your network—and it’s really hard to do that effectively through a screen. My first role was fully remote, and while I enjoyed the flexibility, I’ve built far stronger relationships at IBM by going into the office and socialising with colleagues. In my experience, you learn more and collaborate better in person.
Don’t stress too much about getting perfect grades. No one in the real world really cares. I was guilty of obsessing over this in college!
Polish your professional image. Put time and effort into your CV, personal website, and LinkedIn profile. These things do matter, and doing them well helps you stand out—which is half the battle. Show that you care and that you have a genuine interest in the field you’re trying to break into.
Keep learning. Springboard is a fantastic resource for free or heavily subsidised third-level courses. I’ve completed a couple of software development courses through it, right up to NFQ Level 8, for very little cost. It’s helped me diversify my skill set, and I can’t recommend it enough!