Conor Kilmartin
As my time in Maynooth was nothing short of fantastic at all times, it's extremely hard to pinpoint one moment which stood out to me the most, what really made it for me were the lifelong friends I made!
I took advantage of the fact that Maynooth offers a wide range of societies throughout my time there, being involved with two in particular - MU Business Scoiety and MU Pride Soc. I was Treasurer on the Business Society Committee for two years, and President for one, and was also Vice President on the Pride Soc Committee. This allowed for me to meet some many interesting people, and win a few awards along the way (Society Person of the Year, Best Society Event, Societies League Table, and the Give a Little Do A Lot Award).
What I found unique about studying in Maynooth was the diverse culture within the University. Throughout my time, I encountered people from a variety of different backgrounds, whether it be religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc, which always allowed for something new to be learned.
Due to the heavy involvement I had with societies throughout my time in MU, I developed by strong communication skills due to the networking I did there. This has majorly impacted my career in a positive way, as due to working in teams at all times, it has allowed for me to effectively communicate with my team.
If I could go back in time and choose which University to attend again, I would 100% definitely still go to Maynooth. The experience, both in and out of class, which you will have is completely invaluable. I would say do it, go to Maynooth, and jump at every opportunity you get while you are there.
Before I went to Maynooth University, I'd never even considered a career in Assurance, I always wanted to be a teacher. However, my degree gave me the option of doing one year's work placement, which I jumped at the opportunity of doing. I interviewed, and successfully gained a place in EY for 12 months. Throughout my time, I was involved with a variety of different clients, and worked with a lot of different people, which made for an interesting day every day. I was offered a contract to return as a graduate once I'd completed my degree, which gave me something to work towards as a 2.1 was required. On successfully doing this, I returned to EY, and have built my knowledge on a daily basis through work on various clients and meeting new people.
As part of my job, not only am I working, but also studying as I am en route to becoming a Chartered Accountant. With this comes a set of exams once a year, which are challenging, but worth it in the end. This has led to my career highlight being passing the first set of exams in July of this year.
My role as an audit associate changes on a day to day basis, which makes for everyday providing something new and interesting. I usually have a lot of interaction with my client and teams, and further develop my knowledge of audit and accounting based on the tasks performed which I have been given responsibility for.
What I find the most interesting about my job is the people I work with, and the knowledge they have. I work with levels from intern right up to partner, so this provide for a wide base for me to gain experience both in a coaching position and also learning, and has assisted in making me better at my job.