21 November, 2018

CIT’s Department of Physical Sciences presented the ‘Bright Futures’ Career Seminar on November 21.

The event gave industry professionals and CIT alumni the opportunity to share their education and career experiences with CIT undergraduates.

In his opening address Michael Loftus, Head of Faculty of Science and Engineering said it is an extraordinary time for CIT science graduates, with 19 out of 20 students gainfully employed a year after graduation, noting that 90% of his own graduation class had to emigrate to find work.

He stressed however, the importance of lifelong learning during their professional career and advised students “Don’t chase the money, chase the opportunity”.

This advice was a running theme throughout the morning as speakers shared stories about their own career trajectories and how the positions they now hold are not necessarily the one they had envisioned on graduation.

Catherine Frehill and Eleanor Baldwin who organised the event, with support from CIT’s Teaching and Learning Unit, said the idea behind the Seminar was to inspire students about their future careers, keep them up to date with changes in industry, and to strengthen CIT’s links with industry.

Edmond Cuffe, Senior Validation Engineer with Stryker and President of the ISA Ireland said events like these bridge the gap between college and industry and align expectations.

“It’s beneficial for students and employers alike; employers get an insight into students concerns when they apply for jobs and placement, and it gives us as the employer, an opportunity to relay that information to them in terms of we are looking for”, he added.

All guest speakers agreed that for industry to work well there needs to be a blend of diverse candidates with various skill sets; by staying connected to the college they can ensure they get the talent they need for the type of jobs they have.

John Murphy, Automation Technology Manager with Pfizer Business Technology said that partnerships with colleges and industry are win-win and both have a lot to gain from each other.

“We need a steady stream of students to fuel the demand of industry here in Ireland, so we must maintain a high caliber of students for those companies to grow”, he said.

Students who attended said they found the Seminar invaluable as it gave them an understanding as to what employers are really interested in. Many said they hadn’t really understood the importance of soft skills, such communication and team work as a factor in candidate selection.

Students also spoke of the value of getting answers to their questions first hand from industry professionals at the Q&A session, not to mention the networking opportunities they availed of at the post-seminar lunch hosted by the Department of Physical Sciences.

Eleanor Baldwin said she was grateful to all the guest speakers from industry for sharing their insights. She said that although they are all working in very different disciplines in pharma, they are all relevant to the Physical Sciences Department. “Graduates from CIT may work in a variety of locations, but they tend to find themselves meeting each other all the time, it’s a small community!”