Conor Sweeney
I really enjoyed the interaction between my classmates in Politics and Sociology. A lot of divergent views!
Maynooth is a fantastic and forward thinking university located within a beautiful campus. It marries the old campus with the new campus quite easily and this rings true in the sense of being a student there. I returned to Maynooth as a mature student and the seamless integration between mature students who have a bit of life experience and the new eager 18 and 19 years olds who are leaving home for the first time and entering a new world is excellent. There is a very welcoming atmosphere in Maynooth.
When I was in Maynooth I think the greatest skill I learned was the ability to interact. During class we were always pushed to challenge each other on our thoughts and ideas and learnings - that facilitated a great forum for debate and allowed us as students to interact with each other. This rings through into my professional life as my job involves interacting with people on a daily basis.
I would not hesitate in recommending a BA in Politics in Maynooth. The varied modules pushes you out of your comfort soon and forces you to think about how politics affects the way we live our lives. I would advise anyone to embrace the various learnings in the course and explore each topic further. My most interesting experiences were in the classroom engaging with my classmates and the many hours spent reading up on the various political theories helped with that debate.
Details of your career path to date
I have worked as Parliamentary Assistant for Minister Charlie Flanagan and I then moved to a Parliamentary Liaison role with Minister Flanagan at both the Department of Children and the Department of Foreign Affairs. I left that role in April 2015 and moved to Janssen Ireland to take up the position of Government Affairs Manager. In 2018, I moved into the Public Sector, taking on roles as Regional Enterprise Programme Manager for the Mid-East Region and then Senior Economic Devleopment Officer for Kildare County Council. I am now based in Kilkenny City, as an advisor on a 2 year pilot programme for the Night Time Economy with Kilkenny County Council.
Can you tell us of any career highlight to date?
The promotion to the Department of Children was particularly exciting given that it was Minister Flanagan's first elevation to Ministerial office.
What does your current role involve?
I am supporting further enhancement of Night Time Economy activity in Kilkenny through the development of enhanced collaborative structures at local level. This has involved the establishment of an NTE Stakeholder Forum in Kilkenny City, conducting wide ranging stakeholder engagement and the preparation and implementation of a cohesive action plan for the city including a range of proven interventions which include activities for residents and visitors alike.
What do you find most interesting/challenging about your job?
I enjoy the fact that I get to work on policies and initiatives that can positively impact people’s lives. We all enjoy the night time economy but there is now a greater focus on how we can enhance it and ensure that is more inclusive and accessible for people, regardless of what interests you.
What advice would you give to Maynooth University students entering the job market, either generally speaking or in regard to your specific career sector?
I would suggest that they set up a Linkedin profile and familiarise themselves with the main job agencies. I would also suggest that they should not be afraid to consider doing an internship for a few months as invariably it leads to a full time role and provides you with a good sense of whether you would like to work in a particular company/industry.