Meet the Team: Michael O’Brien
Michael O’Brien is a Senior Recruitment Consultant for the Permanent team of Berkley’s Business & Technology Division. In this interview, he tells us about how he got started in technical recruitment and discusses trends and opportunities in today’s jobs market.
From Recruitment Novice to Expert
Michael first stepped into the world of recruitment shortly after graduating from Munster Technological University with a degree in Marketing. “I first heard about recruitment through a couple of college friends who had decided to go into the industry. After looking into it, I thought this career path would be a good fit for my personality while also lining up nicely with the skills I had learnt in university.”
Michael was soon taken on by Berkley as an entry-level Recruitment Executive. “There was a really good training programme that helped me learn the trade. In addition to learning the ins and outs of recruitment, I also received comprehensive training on recruiting for the IT and software development sectors. This training, in particular, has really stood to me as candidates can see that I know what I’m talking about.”
Michael is a clear example of career progression at Berkley, having climbed through the ranks to Senior Consultant level.
The Berkley Boomerang
After spending two years with Berkley, Michael decided to make the move to Dublin. “It was something I had always wanted to do. At that point, I had spent six years studying and working in Cork and it was time for a change.”
Within a year, however, Michael was back. “After I left Berkley, I realised that it was a really good place to work. I liked the commission structure, work-life balance, and the management. So when the opportunity came up to return, it was a no-brainer for me.”
Software Engineering Recruitment Trends 2021
As Berkley’s in-house software expert, Michael has been keeping a keen eye on the rise and fall of programming languages. “Go is becoming huge. In fact, more and more of our clients are looking for Go developers. As a relatively new, niche language, Go presents a great opportunity to young developers to set themselves apart in the market and make a lot of money.”
The Greatest Challenges Facing Today’s Employers
“As a result of the COVID pandemic, most people have far less appetite for uncertainty. Every day, I come across candidates who are waiting for the pandemic to be over before even considering a career move. “A common line of thinking among candidates is: ‘I’ve been at my current company for five years so it’s unlikely that I’ll lose my job. But if I move to a new role and something goes wrong then I could end up having to leave because of a last in first out policy’”.
“Fortunately, the tech sector has bounced back from the pandemic and hiring has ramped up again. So a lot of my job at the moment is to reassure candidates that COVID will not threaten their job security if they decide to make a move.”
Hobbies & Interests
Outside of work, Michael spends his time playing and following a variety of sports. “I play hurling for my local club, Thurles Sarsfields. I represented my county, Tipperary, at an underage level back in the day. I’m also a big fan of American sports like basketball and American football.”
If you are interested in learning more about technical recruitment careers at Berkley, contact us today