We started our day with a presentation at Griffith College from Ellie Doyle, a founder at TalentHub! As a Human Resources Management student, I was excited to listen to wisdom and advice from someone who is very familiar with recruitment. Ellie discussed establishing your personal brand, and gave insight on what the future ideal business candidate for companies may look like. She discussed the rising interest in ‘soft skills’, and this stuck out to me since Pitt Business has been emphasizing the importance of competencies that employers are seeking. My biggest takeaway from her presentation comes from her discussion of personal brand, and perception specifically. She emphasized that what you think of yourself or what your friends or family may say about you should not be your priority, but that what people say about you in your absence speaks volumes. Essentially, how others talk of you to others and their perception that they share is a strong reflection of who you are. Resilience is another topic that Ellie continuously touched on during her presentation. I think that resilience is a trait you have to own in order to succeed in business, as you will face many hurdles in the corporate world. I found Ellie’s own experiences where she displayed resilience to be extremely inspirational, and having the concept of resilience elaborated on by someone so accomplished was very uplifting and encouraging.
In terms of my own personal brand, I think one of my strongest competencies may be my personability. When I knew I no longer wanted to pursue Engineering during my first semester at Pitt, my friends and family strongly urged me to consider Human Resources because they viewed me as a ‘people person’. During my summers in college, I bartend at a local country club. Working in the service industry requires attentiveness, relatability, and a drive to exceed expectations. My experience as a bartender has allowed me to hone in on amicability and quick problem-solving in order to provide positive experiences for members. In the world of business, where sales and quotas and such is a prominent priority, there exists a need for compassion and humanity in order to establish strong, professional relationships and create supportive work cultures. I believe that my ability to be personable is beneficial in the realm of Human Resources, and that this competency will help me build a strong network between myself and coworkers to assist each other and work to achieve company missions.
Additionally, we toured Croke Park and its facilities. This tour has been my favorite experience in Ireland thus far! We got to explore the facilities of the stadium, and I learned so much history about the area that I had no idea of prior. Listening to our tour guide explain the pride and comradery behind Irish sports was very interesting, and Croke Park could not have been more beautiful! This location will definitely be one of the highlights of my time here in Dublin.
