On May 17th, our Plus3 Ireland group had its first guest lecture at Griffith College. Our guest lecturer was Rob Cullen, and he had an interactive discussion with us regarding networking. For the most part, it seems as though the networking techniques he showed us are applicable universally. As an example, Rob mentioned how one’s name tag should be placed high up on their clothes (and on the side that they shake hands with) so that it is easily readable. Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic has made it difficult to engage in face-to-face networking, forcing such events to be moved online (I.e., Zoom). 

He also talked about how networking is more so about “who knows you?” and finding a common interest or two to use to connect with others. From what I gathered, networking in Ireland is quite like networking in the United States, except there may be subtle cultural differences in what people may have an interest in (I.e., hockey in the United States vs hurling in Ireland). For future networking opportunities, I look forward to incorporating this tactic as it will allow me to better relate to others and make a more memorable first impression. 

After the guest lecture concluded, we went on a site visit to Auxilion—an IT consulting company. I must say, it was interesting to learn about what they do both in the public and private sectors as well as how they are staying relevant in the changing business environment. For instance, Auxilion gives its employees lots of flexibility (like Microsoft and Google) which allows them to do things that are most tailored and beneficial to their clients. As someone who is interested in consulting, I found this site visit to be quite informative and helpful in understanding what it really means to be a consultant. 

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The interesting tidbit (9/?) of the day is that Rob Cullen has worked for the Dublin Chamber of Commerce which has allowed him to build a strong network of people.