Graham Young
Communication skills and quick technical learning and ability. Project Management is essential for what I do. I learnt to manage projects effectively through my time in Maynooth. If you want to get a leg up in this industry I would advise also learning Prince 2 and ITIL foundation. It's essential in a Operational work-space and makes you stand out from the crowd. All customer focused experience is valuable too and never sell yourself short, if you've worked in a shop or a supermarket you've learnt skills in customer awareness in a direct way, show you've got that experience so use it for your CV
After Maynooth University I decided to get experience to make my application more appealing to Vodafone Ireland. I worked for a 3rd party vendor to the company on the Government Work Placement Scheme. This gave me the extra edge I needed and after much preparation and study of the company’s background, aims and development I applied for the Graduate scheme. Vodafone hired 20 people from 2000 applicants. My edge was my experience, people networking, my CV, my linkedin profile and my match to the company’s culture.
I manage the Transition of new applications and services to the company that have relation to IT Operations. The skills for my job and skills I would advise students to try to learn for this type of work would include: ITIL & Prince 2 Training, Process Improvement, Stakeholder Management, Customer Experience, Service Quality, Product development, Business Development,Business Analytics, Application Development, Service Delivery, Customer Management, Quality Assurance and Process Development.
It's a job that requires a lot of multitasking. I work with a lot of different projects at the same time at different phases in the project life cycle so being able to switch my way of thinking between each project meeting is the biggest challenge. I would say a great way to make sure you can maintain this is to use Microsoft One Note. A great tool to capture all information you need in all meetings. Store voice recordings, store meeting notes, share them with colleagues etc all in one place. It keeps you structured.
I am finished the graduate scheme and in full time employment in the company. I found my current job through extensive people networking, drive, ambition backed up by solid qualification and experience. Make sure you talk to people out there, career advisers, friends, family, people in a company that you want to be part of, get yourself noticed.
Ensure your CV is tailored to the position you apply for and not just a generic CV, get creative about your CV also, look up alternative ways to grab the attention of your possible employer. Research the background of the company you are applying to and ensure key company goals and key words are highlighted in your CV. Join Linkedin and bring the page to 100% complete. Network and get involved in discussion with HR staff or recruiters for the company you are applying for, do it all with rationale and thought. Focus and prepare as much as possible for interviews, know your CV, your background and have a clear path on your CV to the direction you want to go in your career. Research possible interview questions and do mock interviews with friends or families. Get your answers clear. In interview don’t play with pens, hair etc. Just stay calm and be yourself. Be diplomatic in your answers, be helpful, show your energy, your enthusiasm and your attitude is the most important of all. They know you’re not an expert yet but they will feed off your energy and enthusiasm and look for this for potential. Research the company’s background you are applying for and ensure key company goals and key words are highlighted in your CV. Join Linkedin and bring the page to 100% complete. Network and get involved in discussion with HR staff or recruiters for the company you are applying for, do it all with rationale and thought. Focus and prepare as much as possible for interviews, know your CV, your background and have a clear path on your CV to the direction you want to go in your career. Research possible interview questions and do mock interviews with friends or families. Get your answers clear. In interview don’t play with pens, hair etc. Put hands on knees and keep them there, they will read your body language so don’t give them a hint of your nerves. Be diplomatic in your answers, be helpful, show your energy, your enthusiasm. They know you’re not an expert yet but they will feed off your energy and enthusiasm and look for this for potential.
(updated July 2015)