Trinity Business School: Unpacking Alumni Career Successes

Since studying abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, I am trying to take advantage of any events Trinity holds outside class to enrich my academic experience. I recently attended a panel discussion moderated by Trinity Business School’s Careers Development Officer, Krystyna Harney. The event was called “Unpacking MSc Alumni Career Successes” that invited three Trinity business alumni to speak about their careers, how they got there, and any advice they have for current students. These alumni included Hollie Simmonds (Marketing), Regional Sales Manager at Meta, Karl Rogers (Finance), Chief Investment Officer at Elkstone, and Matteo Stroili (International Management), Sales Development Manager for Asana. All three of them were students in TBS’ Master’s program, however, the insight and information given were relatable to undergraduate students.

The event kicked off with the typical question people ask of recent graduates, “have you always known what you wanted to do?” I was really curious to see what they would say, as based on their introductions, they seemed like very ambitious and successful people. I was almost certain they would have known exactly what they wanted to do before pursuing their master’s at Trinity. However, I was wrong. All three of them had similar answers, which were that they ​had a general idea of what skills they wanted to build and that they wanted to be in the business arena, but other than that, they found their passions through their master’s and the first couple work experiences after graduation. One of the speakers, Karl, had a similar story to me where he said he always knew he wanted to go into business but was unsure of what specific path within business. He started off studying accounting, did not enjoy it, and then transferred to finance and really liked it. On the other hand, I started studying finance, did not enjoy it, and transferred to logistics management, which I now love. This made me feel better because as college students we are pressured by society on what we want to do in life and it seems that everyone has everything figured out when you look at their LinkedIn profiles, when, it’s not always true. It is completely acceptable to make changes, and college is the perfect time to try out different fields. In Hollie’s response, she said, “your career is like a jungle gym, it’s not a straight ladder” and that really stuck with me.

Another topic that was covered was the impact of global opportunities. All three speakers stressed the importance of taking advantage of global opportunities, especially if you have the means and desire to as it will accelerate your career in the long run. This was nice to hear as I hope studying abroad here at Trinity helps me distinguish myself in future job opportunities, particularly global ones. Karl had mentioned he has lived in Boston, New York, Canada, and then came back to Ireland. He said that since the world is becoming more globalized if he would’ve stayed in Ireland (his home country), his career would have likely remained stagnant for a longer period. Hollie even mentioned that while she decided to remain in Ireland post-grad, she sought out global companies. her current position requires her to handle sales for Meta’s European, Middle Eastern, and African markets. Matteo also handles accounts in his company in the Spanish, Italian, German, Austrian, Swiss, French, and Middle Eastern markets. Whether your role is globally focused, or you decide to take the leap to move to another country for a job, it gives you a competitive edge and a way to learn about different markets and cultures.

The three gave out ​many other recommendations and advice throughout the event. Some other tips I heard from them that I will take into great consideration and put into action are:

• Before you get the job you really want, you must take time to gain credibility
• The key to getting promotions is to talk with your manager at the beginning asking them to clearly define what success looks like in your specific role
• While you should focus on your own success, you should also take time to grow by lifting others and bringing them along with you, as this shows care and leadership
• Every job/internship/experience plays a role in your career progression, even if it is not your dream job at the time
• It is crucial to network, network, network! Learn to leverage the relationships you build over time
• Rejection is a part of the journey and makes you resilient
• Always keep your resumé and LinkedIn updated, as well as have your “elevator pitch” ready on demand because you never know who you are going to meet today
• Most importantly, you are the CEO of your life, so advancement in your career relies on your own efforts!