Archive for category: Meet the Team

Robert O’Leary is a Recruitment Consultant within the Contracts team of Berkley’s Business & Technology Division.

From Cloud to Consultancy

Having put in several years of hard graft at a multinational tech company in Cork, it seemed like Robert was all set for a career in Cloud Computing. “In my time there, I started by working on tech support and then moved on to client account management.” Something clicked when he moved to account management, “I realised that this was something I really enjoyed and I wanted to find a role that brought together my technical knowledge with my client management experience.”

The pieces all came together following a conversation with a recruiter buddy. “He said that I had the right skill set for a career in IT recruitment. It was a perfect match for all the things I had learned in the 6-7 years prior.”

After a brief transition period, Robert soon unearthed a passion for the recruitment game. “Once I got started in recruitment, I couldn’t see myself doing anything else. I soon became addicted to it. It’s like a game – you’re always analysing your performance and that motivates you to constantly level up.”

 

Keeping Up in the Fast-Paced World of Development

At Berkley, Robert is the go-to guy for all things development. “I really enjoy the learning aspect of the role. Software development is changing all the time, so it’s important to keep up with the latest changes and news.”

In recent months, he has gone the extra mile and has started his own coding journey. “My tech background is in infrastructure. I wanted to learn more about development so I could speak the language of clients and candidates. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I do, but I’ve found it to be quite fun! ”

An avowed self-improver, it’s no surprise that Robert was attracted to the fast-paced world of development. “Development professionals need to be able to soak in new information every day. The development world attracts the kind of people who have a strong thirst for knowledge and who are always looking for the next thing. With that kind of personality, these guys can stay in the game for a long time and operate at a very high level.”

Tips for Climbing Up the Development Career Ladder

So does Robert have any words of wisdom for young or aspiring developers? “One great way to develop your skills is by working in a role that will expose you to the latest technologies. When job hunting, look carefully at the job description and think about whether the languages, tools and development structures that you’ll be working with day-to-day are future-proof.”

“In terms of languages and frameworks, I think there will be a huge demand for people with expertise in Golang, Kotlin and React.“

 

 

Meet Seamie – a Recruitment Resourcer on Berkley’s Permanent Business & Technology team. In this interview, he discusses how Berkley has supported him as he takes the first step on the recruitment career ladder.

 

Discovering the World of Recruitment

 

Seamie joined the Berkley team in September 2020 upon graduating from University College Cork (UCC) with a Commerce degree. “When I finished up at college, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. However, I spoke to some friends who were working in recruitment and they really sold it to me. I soon secured an interview for a role here at Berkley, and everything fell into place after that.”

 

So what is it about a career in recruitment that appeals to Seamie? “For me, the social aspect is the biggest plus. I really enjoy interacting with the candidates, clients and my colleagues. Since joining the team here, I have also learned that I really thrive in a target-based environment – the element of competition gives me that extra bit of motivation on a Monday morning.”

 

A Day in the Life of a Resourcer

 

As a Resourcer, Seamie’s role is to provide support to his teammates in the Business & Technology Division. “Generally speaking, my role involves going to the market, speaking to suitable candidates, bringing them back to the consultants for review and then they’ll take over the process from there. If the candidate succeeds in getting a job interview, then I’ll also help them with prep.”

Joining the Berkley Training Academy 

 

Since joining in September, Seamie has received extensive training through Berkley’s Training Academy. This includes one-to-one training sessions, shadowing, hands-on experience and plus much more. 

 

“When you’re new to recruitment, it seems like there is a lot to learn. I liked that the training really brought everything back to basics and broke everything down into smaller steps so it doesn’t seem as daunting.”

 

In just a few short months, Seamie has revealed himself to be a quick learner and has proven to be an excellent team player. So what’s his secret to success? “During my training, I found that the most important thing is that you need to have the right attitude. If you have a strong interest in the processes of recruitment, then the training can be picked up fairly quickly.”

 

“In particular, I have found that the training I’ve received has really helped me to develop my communication and teamwork skills.”

 

This Could Be You! 

If Seamie’s interview has sparked your interest in recruitment, why not get in touch with us to learn more about career opportunities at Berkley? Join our training programme to build invaluable skills in a friendly and rewarding environment.

 

 

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.”