A graduate from the mid-2010’s is currently working in Corporate Travel.
What 3 words best describe your experience as a student of Shannon College?
Exciting , interesting , valuable.
What college memory still makes you smile?
My placement year / final year.
If you had to re-live your time in Shannon College, would you do anything differently?
Appreciate the lecturers I had a lot more, it’s great being a class clown but the lecturers are amazing people and so knowledgeable and approachable when you need help.
What advice would you give to your 20 year old self?
Ask ALL the questions!!! You don’t need to know everything – use your 20’s to ask as much questions as you can. In your 20’s you don’t need to know the answers at that age.
In your life, what achievement are you most proud of?
Getting to where I am today and being a person most UK and Ireland hotels want to contact for advise on driving a better corporate travel model.
What qualities do you think are most important to have for a rewarding career?
Always finish a job the same way you started it! Be ambitious and treat everyone with the respect they deserve as our industry everyone knows each other you’ll be glad you did as you go up the ladder! Also listen to the employees when you’re in the lower levels and remember their complaints for when you become a manager so you don’t have the same reasons why staff could be unhappy!
What has been the biggest challenge you have faced during Covid-19?
In the travel industry not easy when no corporate is coming , having to save my team and continuously convince my boss not to let me or my team redundant was the toughest!
Do you have words of wisdom that you try to live by?
Yes! (And I’ll prob be killed for this one ) make sure to have a work life balance !! Don’t waste your youth on 80 hour weeks while being paid for 40 hours you can delegate those hours to other people too !! You’re not getting the profits so don’t do double the work show they need to hire more people!
What advice do you have for current SCHM students who are looking for inspiration and hope?
Right now there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel however travel will never fully die people will always continuously travel so just keep your head up and for now enjoy being in college!
