Employment Advisor, Meghan Daly who delivers support to jobseekers in our Mullingar centre, knows not everybody has a clearcut career path ahead of them. She believes that’s not only acceptable, it’s also possible to make that work to your advantage.
“After school, everyone around me seemed to know what they wanted, but I hadn’t a clue and that’s OK,” Meghan says.
“That’s something I’m able to connect with my clients on, sometimes you need to try different things to land on the path you want to go down. I’ve felt lost in my career at times and had the same worries and questions that our service users would have. But there is learning in every step you take.”
Meghan worked in retail before studying Business, Music and Instrument Technology at Athlone Institute of Technology, a course that involved sound engineering and building guitars and mandolins.
“I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the business side of that course. It also gave me the opportunity to work in freelance sound engineering at live venues in Dublin. As much as I liked that it didn’t offer financial stability, so I decided to go into sales.”
Meghan worked in Carphone Warehouse, Vodafone and Eir in various fast-paced, commission-based sales roles.
“I excelled at sales; I want to be the top performer in everything I do. I also did admin and business-to-business outreach as well as business-to-consumer. While I was working in sales I also trained as a barber in the evening. Pre-Covid I considered travelling to Australia or Canada and I wanted a trade to diversify my skills.”
After working in sales Meghan obtained her insurance qualifications through a role at a well-known Irish Insurance brand.
“In that role, I was able to hone my communication skills a bit better. I ended up on the conflict resolution side of the business, which was interesting. It taught me to listen more than I spoke and how important it is for humans to feel heard and understood. I think that was great training for this job.”
Meghan returned to sales and was transitioned into management roles where she was tasked with analysing what wasn’t working in certain stores and how to help people work better together. During Covid-19, when travelling began to seem less appealing and likely, Meghan realised that she wanted to work in a more fulfilling role.
“I heard about Seetec through a dear friend who was working here. I loved how she spoke about her job. I was good at sales and management-related roles, but it wasn’t enough for me. I wanted something with a higher purpose.”
Meghan began training for her role at Seetec on the 13th of July 2021 while public health restrictions were still ongoing.
“The thing I loved in my previous jobs was helping people. Being able to help fix problems, pointing people in the right direction and supporting them. I felt I could use those skills at Seetec for more of a personal impact.”
According to Meghan, this has been the most positively challenging and rewarding work she has ever done.
“Even after a year and a half I’m still constantly learning. Empathy, understanding and compassion are paramount for this work. If you can’t apply those skills to this job, you won’t be able to get through to people about what their employment barriers and struggles really are.”
As part of her continuous professional development, Meghan is currently completing her level six Train the Trainer course in the evenings while preparing for the birth of her first child.
“I still have so much to learn but I’ve never felt as part of a team as I do here. Everybody learns from each other.”