ULIFEW4WED

ONE
PIECE

OF
ADVICE

IT WOULD BE...

Want to make it? Read this!

Ireland is full of inspirational women, so who better to get
career advice from? We grilled a number of successful
individuals from a range of industries including fashion,
technology, and food, to find out what lessons they’ve
learned over the years. Motivation, here we come!

.U S E Y O U R PA S S I O N . group I was heading up at the time. in the future.” That’s not to say that
I have always been passionate about it needs to be a passion that you’ve
Catarina Midby, Sustainability sustainability. Being Scandinavian, it’s always had, it could be new: “I have
Manager for H&M UK and Ireland, is quite the normal way of thinking and learnt a lot about how to integrate
lucky enough to work in a business acting, and I have learnt even more sustainability in all parts of the value
she loves and believes that being through my development within the chain. It wasn’t really my expertise
passionate about what you do company. It is still a fairly new area, when I first started out working with
really helps: “I started my career at however it’s constantly expanding the Conscious collection, however
H&M as a Global Head of Fashion with the education and information I absorb and learn as much as I can
PR, then became head of seasonal now available. I hope and believe as sustainability is such a vast area.
trends, and then it was all about that sustainability will be an integral I am still learning from amazing
sustainability. For example, the idea part of every work process, the way colleagues, influential spokespeople
for our Conscious collection was it has become at H&M, and that and external stakeholders every day.”
born out of ideas from the trend sustainability jobs will be superfluous

.B R E A K T H E M O U L D .. .TA K E A R I S K . .E M B R A C E T H E . .I N V E S T I N .

Just because it hasn’t been (Note: we mean a calculated .U N K N O W N . .R E L AT I O N S H I P S .
done before shouldn’t put risk.) Sarah Kiely worked in PR
you off. Take Nikki Lannen for around three years before Speaking of learning new Personal stylist Orla Sheridan’s
for example. She is the CEO she was made redundant. She things, Laura McLoughlin, the career relies on her building and
and Founder of WarDucks, a used it as an opportunity to owner of Burgundy Beauty, nurturing relationships with both
virtual reality studio in Dublin, make her dream come true and knows from experience that clients and businesses, as do
and she has carved her own started up her own business. trying your hand at everything a lot of other professions. She
way more than once: “I landed Sadie’s Kitchen, which produces is a great way of adding to explains: “You need to be a good
a role in Facebook in 2009. I bone broth, is now stocked your skillset: “I have learned a communicator. My business is
was hired in marketing and in major retailers throughout lot over the last eight years in reliant on repeat clients so
then fell into games. I was one Ireland. Sarah reveals: “It wasn’t business. Apart from the skills long-term relationships are
of the founding members of a grand strategic plan to start a of the beauty trade, I have vital. I have to be honest with
the games team in Facebook business, it was more that my learned to be a HR manager, them and they need to trust
and really became immersed circumstances allowed me the an accountant and most my opinion. You need to be fair
in that space.” She did it again opportunity. It boiled down to importantly, a peacekeeper.” so that people respect your
when she left Facebook and the fact I was going to go into Laura, who started the business opinion and come back to you.
set up WarDucks: “We initially the same job somewhere else when she was just 24 years of I’m an independent stylist so I
developed a Facebook and and I probably wouldn’t be able age, says the variety is one of don’t get commission with the
mobile game called Global to get myself out of that career the things she enjoys most. stores but I also don’t want a
Agents. This game has had over trajectory if I didn’t make the “A typical day at Burgundy? client buying something if they
500,000 downloads. We then decision.” Of course, it wasn’t a There’s no such thing. You don’t absolutely love it. There’s
saw a massive opportunity in move that was made in haste: have loads of crazy days and also the social media side of
the virtual reality space. The “Obviously I had to have a you never know what the day things – that can be very time-
VR headsets are the future and conversation with my other is going to bring.” Another consuming but if I didn’t do it, I
will be a household item before half to see if we would be in a thing she believes is beneficial also wouldn’t have a business.”
long.” Furthermore, Nikki position where I could explore is putting a hand out to others: Orla says that the time and
ended up doing something this idea. I was freelancing as “Apart from my loving my effort that she invests in
quite different from what she a journalist at the time so that actual job, I have also found people both on and offline is
originally studied: “I studied gave me a bit of cash flow. that helping others progress in worth it. “Clients coming back
Human Resources in NCI but As nice as it is to have a story their jobs is the most rewarding is very rewarding because it
I was always unsure of where like mine, I lost a job. It was of all. I love seeing juniors means they trust me. Equally
that would take me.” You might terrifying and it has all worked flourish into seniors and some good is when I get testimonials
not be surprised then to hear out, but I say to friends that even some onto management from people saying that they
her motto is: “Just do it, what’s you don’t have to do this big roles. There’s nothing more could never really figure out
the worst that could happen?” dramatic exit from your 9 to 5. satisfying than helping others.” their own style and that they
You can test something out in have a lot more confidence
your own time and figure out if now after experiencing my
its going to work.” services. It is about helping
people establish and identify
with their own styles.”

.PAY AT T E N T I O N . seven scripts. Then I would be wear for particular activities to plan because continuity is a
reading seven new ones and such as cleaning windows or huge issue that we have to be
Attention to detail is particularly I’d also read seven ahead. So I going to court. When you go wary of - you need a very sharp
true in the line of work that constantly have about 21 scripts through the scripts, you have eye for that.”
Blathnaid Ní Nuadháin does going around in my head. In to take everything into account.
but it can be applied to all those scripts you have to, with It’s a lot of research and
career paths. She is the Head a fine tooth comb, go through shopping.” She adds: “I would
of Wardrobe for the long- the actions of each character. also be in and out of the sets to
running Irish soap opera Ros It’s not just about dressing a make sure things are working.
Na Rún and relies on her ability new character coming in, you There are two other girls in the
to focus on the little things. have to think about existing department who make sure that
“Every week I have to read characters and what they would everything is going according