Meet the Team: Louise O’Neill

Louise O’Neill is the Manager of Berkley’s Business & Technology Permanent Division with responsibility for software and infrastructure. In this interview, she tells us about her recruitment career journey.

 

Translating Skills Into Career Change Success

Louise took a non-traditional path into recruitment, having started her professional life as a translator. “During that time, I gained excellent exposure to project management, team management, and working within timeframes. All of these skills have really stood to me and are now essential for my day-to-day work here at Berkley.”

After three years, Louise took the brave step of stepping into the whole new world of recruitment. “I realised that translation wasn’t people-oriented enough for me and didn’t offer the daily variety that I needed.”

So what attracted her to a career in recruitment? “I carefully reflected on the different career paths that would suit my skills in project management and team management, but that would also give me more social interaction and a busier day-to-day routine.” Ultimately, it was a meeting with a recruiter friend that sealed the deal and Louise hasn’t looked back since.

 

Scaling the Ladder at Berkley

Four years on, and Louise’s passion for recruitment hasn’t faded. “I get great satisfaction from it. One of the most rewarding things about recruitment is that I get to help great people grow their careers and to be a part of that story.”

It’s clear from our conversation that Louise is passionate about her field and that continuous learning is a key part of that. She comments “I’ve learnt so much in my time here. I relish the opportunity to continue to develop my market expertise with a leading recruitment company in the Irish market.”

In her short time at Berkley so far, Louise has made a real impact and her recent promotion to Manager reflects this. “One of the great things about working at Berkley is that the opportunity to advance is just there for the taking. The support I get from Tony, Arthur, Paddy and the whole team makes it possible to really grow my professional career.”

 

What is the Secret to A Successful Client-Candidate Match?

When it comes to supporting clients by finding the right candidate for a role, Louise asserts that “A job spec is just the beginning.” For her, meaningful engagement is the key to finding a good match. “I like to start the process by having an in-depth conversation with the client. I must be able to understand the role, its position within the business and the right cultural fit so I can identify what they really want in an individual.” She explains, “It’s all about engagement for me. From experience, having two-way quality engagement from the onset lays the path for a streamlined recruitment process that delivers the right candidate and strengthens the employer brand.”

 

What Do Candidates Need to Know to Boost Their Chances of Success?

The “Engagement Factor”, as Louise dubs it, is usually the biggest indicator as to whether or not a candidate will be a good fit for the role. “If a candidate is engaged throughout the process, then that gives me all the information I need to assess if they will be a good cultural and technical fit for the client.” She emphasises that personality is paramount, “It’s important that the candidate seamlessly integrates with the team and aligns with the organisation’s work culture and values.”

 

Tech Job Trends in 2020

In tech alone, Ireland employs over 37,000 people. In 2018, the Expert Group for Future Skills Needs predicted a shortfall in ICT skills of up to 146,000 people by 2022. So, what has Louise identified as the biggest growth areas when it comes to career opportunities in tech?

“Pre-COVID, cybersecurity was one of the fastest-growing sectors in tech. Now with a mass transition to hybrid working models, there has been increased pressure in the sector,” she says. “Currently, 6,000 people are working in Ireland’s IT security industry, and experts say that this figure will double by the year 2030.” Given the dynamic nature of cybersecurity careers and the ever-changing cyber-threat landscape, she states that career opportunities in the sector are varied and widespread.

She also highlights the tremendous rise in demand for skilled developers and programmers, “Cork is a Software Development hub with many multinational and SME’s here. It’s no surprise that we have a number of roles open across Software Development with some key clients of ours”.  Between the years 2011 and 2016, the number employed in software engineering in Ireland grew by 35%. This demand continues to grow with digital and cloud adoption.

 

What are Louise’s Interests Outside of Work?

Louise is a passionate advocate for animal welfare. She cares for not one but three dogs – a labrador, a shit-zhu and a rescue pup. Her family also spent many years breeding puppies for the Irish Guide Dogs. “You get so attached to them but the flip side is that they’re a lot of hard work”, she explains. “It’s really rewarding to know that these little guys are going to change lives and that we get to be a part of that story.”