My name is Aoife Carty and I graduated from Maynooth University with a BBS Hons Business Management Degree. I initially worked for a Small Irish Clothing Brand working across marketing, admin, supplier & client relations, buying and sales. At the start of 2022 I joined Primark where I started as a trainee buyer in womenswear. I’m absolutely delighted to be working at Primark, in a fast paced and exciting environment that is constantly growing worldwide.
From running photoshoots, events and launching collections to fashion buying for Primark womenswear, every day has been different with challenges and rewards.
I didn’t always know what career path I wanted to take but I focused on what lectures and parts of my course interested me the most. I also spoke to the Careers Guidance Counsellor Eddie O’Connor which really helped me in deciding what path I wanted to pursue.
My lecturers and classmates from Maynooth have also been a great source of encouragement while studying on campus and after graduating.
Wishing all of the Maynooth staff, students and alumni a Happy International Women’s Day!
In 2020 I graduated from Maynooth University with a Business & Management degree. As part of my undergraduate degree I took part in the 3rd year Work Placement Programme which led me to a position with Enterprise Ireland in the High Potential Start Up Division. This exposed me to the world of startups and all that is involved in the journey from idea and concept stage through to key success factors of a successful investment pitch.
After graduating (mid-pandemic) I accepted an e-commerce role with an Irish retailer in the equestrian industry. This change of course brought invaluable experience through the eyes of a smaller Irish-owned firm targeting both domestic and international markets.
Since, I have recently accepted the opportunity to become a Business Analyst in PwC- Ireland’s largest professional services firm within their Advisory arm. This gave me an introduction to the professional services industry and the structures which surround it. I’m delighted to be working as part of a global network (156 countries) of people who hold a huge variety of skill sets across numerous competency areas and industries.
If I were to give some advice to those thinking of a career in business or have interest in a field where a business degree may be useful I would say;
- Don’t be afraid to discover your own path. The best thing about a business degree is the flexibility it will bring to your career. If you are going into a specific discipline or even a totally unrelated field, the lessons from your degree are transferable into both your career and in life.
- Challenge yourself, get involved, ask for feedback and always aim to improve (there’s always room for improvement)!
- My recommendation for anyone interested in this degree is to look into the 3rd year Placement Programme as it is a fantastic kickstarter for your career, it was for mine.
In September 2020, I stood outside the business department with a very wonderful lecturer to tell him I was giving up. I felt hopeless and was considering dropping out. I had never felt so small in my life. Exactly one year later, after graduating with top honours, winning several awards for my work in mental health, I was living in Austria, traveling the world.
My name is Jessica McMahon and I am twenty-one years old. I completed my bachelor's degree in Business Management and Anthropology in Maynooth University in 2021. I also have a higher diploma in Event Management from UCD.
This was an achievement I never could have imagined obtaining. I faced many obstacles for example, trying to overcome my learning difficulties, juggling eight jobs at once, learning to live with my mental health and fighting off the effects of a global pandemic.
It took time for me to learn that the world doesn’t throw anything at you, that we aren’t strong enough to carry. I met amazing people, took any help offered and worked until every assignment was complete.
Now I work as an English teacher in a small town in Austria called Graz, as a local event manager for students on Graz and in a Laboratory in the evenings pooling covid samples. I have travelled to more than twenty-four new countries, towns and cities since October. I also still stay connected with Maynooth as I work in the Maynooth Access Program, working with hundreds of students who entered Maynooth through the program just like I did.
If you want to know my career path, I cannot answer that right now. I needed to take some time to find out who I am and what would make me happy. I want to see the world, to help people and to grow into a young woman who will eventually get her PHD. The year made me realise that I will work with people, to help make their lives better and to help them overcome various obstacles. I cannot wait to make a difference to someone like how many made a difference for me. My family, my best friend, my housemates, classmates, the lecturer, tutor, and many more.
It is okay if you don’t know what you want in life yet, it's okay to struggle. What’s important is never giving up. You don’t loose when you fail, you loose when you give up.
My name is Laura Crossan. I am a recent graduate of Maynooth University’s BBA Business and Management degree and I currently work at Dunnes Stores.
Back in 2017, during my first week of University I began working as a Dunnes Stores Sales Assistant packing shelves. Fast forward to 2019, I progressed my way to the Store Management Team having secured this role for my Work Placement Year. Through hard work and dedication Dunnes Stores kindly offered me the opportunity to continue in this role. Upon my graduation, I accepted my current role as a Dunnes Stores HR Manager at one of their flagship stores, and I haven’t looked back since!
From working my way up the ladder I have gained many valuable insights into all elements of the business throughout my roles and now understand how to use my skills and knowledge obtained throughout my studies to successfully play an important role within the Dunnes Stores’ HR Management Team.
I have learned so much and now recognise what my time at Maynooth University has done to help me to get where I am in my career today. If there was one piece of advice I could offer to any student – I would highly recommend a Work Placement Year. It helped me kickstart my career and made me realise that anything is possible once you put your mind to it. Remember, this is only the start of your journey!
I graduated from Maynooth University with a BBA Hons International Business degree.
For the third year of my degree, I undertook a placement in Enterprise Ireland’s Brexit Unit. Enterprise Ireland is the government agency responsible for the development and growth of Irish companies in international markets. The work of the Brexit Unit involved working with companies across a variety of sectors to inform them of the challenges posed by Brexit and advise them of the supports available to them. I would highly recommend to any student to undertake a work placement if the option is available to them. My internship allowed me to realise my passion for business development and the work that Enterprise Ireland does to support Irish businesses.
After I graduated from Maynooth, I returned to Enterprise Ireland on their graduate programme. In my role as a Development Executive in the Fintech, Financial & Business Services department, I get to work directly with clients and support colleagues with various projects. As client companies can vary in size from start-ups to those that are more established, it is a great opportunity to gain insight into how companies of all sizes operate. I’m thoroughly enjoying getting to learn about the Fintech & Financial Services sector while also seeing how innovations in the sector are transforming everyday life. Enterprise Ireland is a diverse organisation and there are always opportunities for employees to learn & to develop their skillset. I hope to stay with Enterprise Ireland following the graduate programme, to continue to contribute to the meaningful work that they do in supporting Irish enterprises scale and internationalise.
I graduated in 2019 with a BCL in Law and Business. I am currently a trainee solicitor with William Fry, a corporate law firm in Dublin. I am due to qualify as a solicitor in 2023.
When I was in third year I took part in the placement programme offered by Maynooth University and this was when I first worked in William Fry. The programme gave me the opportunity to gain a year’s real practical experience in the field I wanted to work in, corporate law.
While I was in college I was also very involved with the Law Society. I was treasurer in second year and I took part in Moot Court Competitions. I also was Student Brand Ambassador for A&L Goodbody in second year.
Maynooth fostered my interests and afforded me with plenty of opportunities to extend and grow. The lecturers in both the Law and Business schools were, and still are hugely supportive.
I would advise students to make the most of the placement programme and to be proactive in accessing all the opportunities offered by Maynooth University - they are many!
My name is Emily Costigan. I graduated from Maynooth University last September after doing an undergraduate degree in International Business. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Maynooth and it allowed me to learn a lot about myself and my interests. I studied a class in sustainable development and responsible management and loved the class so much that I decided to pursue a masters degree in it. I am currently doing a masters degree in Sustainable Development in UCD. Without my undergraduate course, I would have never discovered what career path I want to take. I am looking forward to working in sustainability and making a difference to our planet!
As the saying goes, ‘the best way to predict the future is to create it’ which is what my time in Maynooth University has allowed me to do.
My love for Human Resources developed in Maynooth University! I remember my first lecture in the Arts Block and the excitement it brought to me. This excitement led me to choose all HR related topics in my final year including Ethics, Negotiations, Change Management and Conflict Management.
Following my time in Maynooth, I started working in the Financial Industry however, I missed the excitement Human Resources gave me. I finally followed my dream and started a masters in UCD Smurfit in HRM one year after graduating from Maynooth University. Upon finishing my degree, I started working for a HR consultant to gain valuable experience in the HR field.
I am currently working for Uniphar on the Supply Chain and Retail HR team. Uniphar has one of the most inspirational HR Leadership team’s I have ever worked with and because of this my learning continues every day. Uniphar Group hold monthly group wide HR meeting which connects HR professionals from all over the world, to allow us to keep up to date with projects happening outside our division and grow as one HR team across Uniphar Group.
Looking back on my time in Maynooth, I will always remember my first HRM class. From that day forward I started to make small choices that would help me follow the career path I wanted.
If I was to give one piece of advice to a current student, I would recommend that you start networking while you are in college with both your lecturers and classmates as you will never know how you may be able to help each other in your careers. Networking is a powerful tool to have in both life and career.
In 2020, I graduated virtually with a First Class Honours BBS Marketing (International) degree.
Since then I have kickstarted my career in the B2B marketing space and I am currently working as Marketing Manager for a Dublin based company called Spectrum who offer end to end marketing services in design, print management, warehouse storage, e-commerce fulfilment and distribution for companies such as Coca Cola, Unilever, Nestle and Bord Bia. I have worked on many exciting projects so far, developing a commercial marketing plan to assist the company’s growth strategy.
I have three pieces of advice for fellow female prospective/current students: '
- Immerse yourself – Outside of the lecture hall, college provides you with ample opportunity to meet new people, volunteer, establish relationships with faculty and participate in extra-curricular activities, which are the things that stand to you once you graduate. Employers are looking for more than just a strong degree nowadays. Get on LinkedIn and start building your network, you would be amazed at how things come full circle – one of my Maynooth connections from second year put me in contact with the company I ended up accepting my first marketing job with after college.
- Know your worth – The world after college can be a daunting place as you are anxious to secure a graduate programme/ job or be accepted for a Masters. I think it is important to look at it the other way – this is an exciting time where you are in control of your next move. Know your worth (the value you can bring, the offer you would be willing to accept) and make sure you negotiate for it. According to HBR, women are less likely to negotiate a job offer than men. Don’t be afraid! It’s your career and you are in control – as my Dad always tells me, ‘if you don’t ask, you don’t get’.
- Never stop learning – It is easy to assume that once you leave college, your days of learning are behind you – this should not be the case. As a business graduate, it is your responsibility to remain relevant and expect the unexpected. The marketing industry is constantly evolving and changing, so for me I always incorporate self-directed learning into my working week which includes reading articles, watching LinkedIn learning videos and attending seminars.
I graduated from Maynooth University with a first-class honours BBA Marketing in 2020. In the third year of my degree I did a one-year work placement in Enterprise Ireland, where I gained invaluable hands on experience. I strongly encourage students to avail of the placement year as this gave me a competitive edge over other graduates and gave me an idea of what direction I wanted my career to go in.
Following my graduation, I was offered a place on the HSE GradLink program, where I worked as a HR and Communications officer and subsequently was offered a position in the department. Due to the pandemic and having spare time during lockdown I also decided to start my MSc in Global Brand Management part time.
While I loved working in HR, I was eager to obtain a marketing role. I applied to Exyte for a different role, but the recruiter called me after viewing my LinkedIn profile and asked me to interview for my current Marketing and Communications position (This shows the importance of having an updated LinkedIn profile!). In this role I am responsible for the marketing and communications functions for Exyte throughout Northern Europe and Israel.
I credit not only my degree, but also my time in the Business and Finance Committee and my placement year for providing me with the foundations I could build my current career on.
As a trained dramatist and performer, I am passionate about understanding human behaviour. I consider certain acts and performances to significantly influence how we view our lives and values. I majored in Drama Theatre and Performance before beginning my MSc Business Management at Maynooth University. At the end of my BA, I realized I lacked some business knowledge since my undergraduate degree focused more on theatre practice. Nonetheless, I was still interested in human behaviour, and I wanted to use the knowledge I had previously acquired during my -bachelor's degree. MSc Business Management at Maynooth University was the right course for me in this sense. It offered non-business graduates a chance to lead business thinking, apply contemporary management theory practices, and conduct business research. The course also provided me with opportunities to explore the area of human behaviour through Marketing, Organization Development, and more. I am very grateful for all the support that many female professors and colleagues have extended during my master's journey; the university has also continuously encouraged and guided many female students worldwide to pursue their career paths in business.
Currently, I am a Business Development Manager at entomo. I have worked with many women worldwide from various departments, including Technology and Engineering, where we share ideas and support each other to exceed our performance expectations. I work for a company that develops innovative business management software that helps organizations improve their performance through augmented analytics, actionable insights, and behaviour science. Global Fortune 500 companies, large enterprises, and governments in Asia and the Middle East are our clients. Furthermore, my company is strongly committed to the UN Women and UN Global Compact Women Empowerment Principles. My company's dedication to embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion across our global teams is an aspiration that carries significant meaning as I aspire to be a leading person in business and the software industry.
My name is Lidia Gilca and I graduated from Maynooth University in 2018 with a MSc Economic and Financial Risk Analysis. Since graduating, I have had amazing opportunities to put the knowledge gained in the classroom to good use in the financial industry. I have worked for both Bank of Ireland and Grant Thornton Ireland. I currently live in Amsterdam employed by RiskQuest who are specialised in risk models for the financial sector. My role involves developing regulatory credit risk models with the aim of helping banks calculate their capital requirements. I enjoy a challenge and getting the opportunity to constantly learn and develop my skillset and my job not only allows it, but encourages it and supports it.
My advice to those finishing their studies and beginning their career is to step outside your comfort zone, facing things that seem scary will build confidence and will lead you on unexpected adventures. Be a lifelong learner, learning continuously and gaining new skills will make you very valuable in the workforce. And most importantly, enjoy what you do.
My name is Maureen Burke. I graduated from Maynooth University in September 2021 with a Bachelor of Civil Law. During my four years at Maynooth University, I was fortunate enough to avail of the study abroad year which I spent at Fordham University in New York City. Unfortunately, this experience was cut short due to the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic as I had to return to Ireland early. I completed that year and my final year online.
I am currently undertaking a Masters in Human Resource Management at DCU, and I have recently been offered a position with a reputable recruitment firm which I have accepted. My role within the company will be Legal Recruitment Consultant, which I’m very excited about as it encompasses both Law and HR, thus affording me an opportunity to transfer my learning into practice.
My experience at Maynooth University and the support of the academic team had an influence far beyond my expectations, for which I am very grateful. I would highly recommend to anyone currently at Maynooth or thinking about attending to utilise any opportunity you are presented with; join clubs and societies, do a study abroad year, or volunteer to help out with an event. The friends I made at Maynooth University are friends for life, and I wouldn’t have met them if I hadn’t jumped at the opportunities I was given.
My name is Molly and I graduated from Maynooth University in 2019 with a BA degree. I enjoyed the flexibility the Bachelor of Arts degree gave, as I could focus on areas that interested me the most, this is how I discovered my passion for HR. After graduation, I undertook a Masters degree in Human Resource Management in Trinity College Dublin.
After completing my Masters I landed a job in Utmost International, which is a leading provider in Insurance based Wealth Solutions. Throughout my 14 months in Utmost I learned critical skills that I needed in the corporate world, which was very beneficial as this was my first major exposure to corporate life.
In January 2022, I was extremely fortunate and was offered a job as a Recruitment Coordinator in Google! I am absolutely loving it and look forward to work everyday as each day is different and brings a new challenge. I feel extremely lucky to be able to work along side some of the most intelligent, inspiring and creative people everyday.
I have nothing but fond memories when I reflect on my time in Maynooth University. I met amazing people and learned so much. I feel honoured to have learned skills from such intelligent and influential woman that I still use to this day.
My name is Darby Fottrell and I am a BBA Business and Management Graduate from Maynooth University.
During my penultimate year in Maynooth I completed two internship programmes in Internal Communications and Marketing. Since graduating I have worked in the construction and FMCG sector. In the midst of the pandemic I joined Aldi to lead their employee communications in Ireland. No two days are the same and the fast paced environment of working in retail is challenging but rewarding. Since leaving Maynooth I have participated in a variety of postgraduate courses which have kept me on my toes, I am currently studying for a PgC in Sustainable Leadership in TUD.
My time in MU prepared me for the world of work, my Undergraduate internships prepared me for what life is like after you have thrown your graduation cap in the air. My lecturers in the School of Business helped guide me during my final days of my Degree and I am forever grateful for that.
My name is Sarah Mullaly and I graduated from Maynooth University with a BBA Hons Marketing degree in 2020. Graduating in 2020 was a very different feeling to that of previous years as I graduated during the Covid-19 pandemic, due to this I had to alter my plans of travelling and also finding a job to start my career was particularly difficult as most companies were focusing on maintaining the business as opposed to marketing and growing.
Due to this I continued to study and upskill completing a diploma in design and starting a post graduate degree in International Brand Management in Griffith College which I have since completed, before I finally found myself a job with IDA Ireland in 2021. Working in the marketing department I gained skills in digital marketing, relationship management, project management and develop my design skills creating marketing materials.
Today in 2022, I have just joined an exciting, up and coming company, Cali Cali Foods, where I will be working as part of a small team and dealing with Brand ambassadors and organic social content to create awareness and help to build the brand to its full potential. This young and innovative brand is a perfect fit for me with a mix of fast-paced marketing with fun, creative and innovative marketing ideas.
The advice I would give is sometimes things don’t go to plan and you just have to adapt and go with whatever is handed to you, and usually everything will work out the way it is supposed to. If I continued with my plan to travel straight of university, I would not have the educatipn, skills and experience I have today which I can take with me travelling whenever an opportunity arises but for now I will experience my travelling through the work of Cali Cali foods with their California inspired culture.
My name is Shauna De Little, and I currently work as Human Resources Executive for The Gowan Group. The Gowan Group is a holdings company with a broad portfolio, and so I work with a number of large motor brands in Ireland, such as Peugeot, Opel, Citroen and FCA Honda, as well as brands within the kitchen industry. I absolutely love my job and I believe I’ve found an area of business that best suits my skills. A large amount of my time is spent on recruitment and I get the opportunity to voice my ideas and work on interesting projects, following them through from concept to implementation.
I graduated from Maynooth University in 2018 with a BA Degree in Marketing. My time in Maynooth provided the perfect introduction to the world of business. Whilst the course focuses on the area of marketing, you are also given the chance to explore other areas of business, such as finance, supply chain and, indeed, human resources. I believe; however, the most valuable aspect of the course is the opportunity to complete a year’s work placement before your final year of studies. The process of applying for jobs, attending interviews and experiencing working life for the first time is invaluable.
Following graduation, I started working with Kitchen Accessories Ltd (KAL) as a Sales Administrator and moved into the area of Digital Marketing after some time. I learned so much during my time in KAL, including basic web design and software such as Photoshop and InDesign. In 2019, I decided to take a chance and pursue a career change towards HR, as I knew that, ultimately, this was the area for me. While working in KAL, I studied part time to attain my master’s degree in Human Resource Management from UCD Smurfit School of Business. Two years of studying and one pandemic later, I was delighted to make the move to Gowan Group, of which KAL is a subsidiary, to my current role.
My main piece of advice to current & prospective students is to not be afraid of trying new things. If you are unsure of what career path you want to take, the best way to do that is by talking to people and getting involved in different initiatives across the University. I would also say that no experience is bad experience. Even if you don’t plan to make a career out of something, you will be surprised in how it stands to you and how you can apply aspects of it to your chosen career path.
