Talk to the professionals in an online chat
Date: Thursday 26 January, 2012
Participant: Marian Garvey from CPL Recruitment
Marian Garvey
On Thursday 26 January at 6pm we held a live discussion with CPL Recruitment’s Marian Garvey (Java Recruitment Specialist).
If we didn’t get around to your question during the 40-minute session, please check back as we will be following on those we didn’t have time for.
Find out more about CPL in Ireland
Hi folks, we’re at our final night of the online careers fair and I’m delighted to be joined by Marian and Sarah from CPL Recruitment, who will be talking about what they look for, as recruiters, in tech graduates/ICT professionals. Join in with your questions and we’ll get to as many as we can tonight.
Hi all, Marian Garvey here from Cpl Recruitment. I am a specialised recruiter of software developers. I have 2 years’ experience working as a recruiter. Before I joined Cpl I completed my undergraduate degree in Accountancy and HR in the National College of Ireland. I then completed a Master’s Degree in Strategic Management in DIT. In the past two years I have seen a significant growth in the IT industry and foresee continued success in this area in the Irish Economy. My colleague Sarah Gould a fellow software recruiter is also online to answer your questions. Sarah is a recent graduate of University of Limerick, where she studied Business Studies, majoring in HR.
Could you give me a few examples of questions you would ask a interviewee for CPL? What qualities do YOU look for in interviewees? Thank you.
Hi Shane, thanks for getting in touch. When I meet with candidates I like them to be on time, well presented and prepared for our meeting. I would expect candidates to have a detailed knowledge of their CV, including education and experience. Typically questions I ask: 1) Talk me through your most recent experience? 2) Describe a project you worked on recently and what was your role? 3) What is your target/ ideal role? 4) Where do you hope to see your career in 3 years time?
Hi there. Do you foresee ICT as still being a strong sector for employment in the coming years? I know it’s a big growth industry at the moment, but I’m just worried that in 3/4 years time when I will be graduating, there might not be as many ICT companies in Ireland as there are now.
Hi Lyndsey, I think ICT will continue to grow in the next few years. For example 10 of the top global IT companies are in Ireland. For example Amazon, Facebook, Google and Microsoft all have large operations here. I believe the success of the IT sector will continue. The market is constantly evolving and new technologies continue to emerge. My thoughts are completing an undergraduate degree in a computer related discipline will provide you with the core foundation to build a career in the IT space. I also think the skills you would acquire from this degree would allow you to work in large scale companies and offer you the opportunity to develop your technical skills and may provide opportunities to travel.
Do you think it is advantageous to be multilingual and have an IT degree? I speak fluent French, Spanish and Arabic and am currently completing a degree in computing and IT.
Hi Ali, having three languages provides you with a distinct advantage when seeking a job. Most multinational companies have a number of key opportunities requiring language skills and technical abilities. I think you are well positioned to acquire a role in most large companies, for example you are equipped to work in a presales/ development/ project management positions.
It will also aid you if you were interested in travelling with your job and will also help you get promoted!
Hi Marian,
I am currently a 5th year secondary student which a passion for programming and IT. I started with learning Python as my first language (not too much in depth) and now I’m trying to learn Java as it is one of the most popular programming languages at the moment. I’d like to ask you what is the best way to learn a language (in my case Java) and when do you know that you’re at the point where you’ve learned enough of that language and ready to move on to learning another one (I’m thinking of moving to scripting after Java). I’m currently reading “Head First Java” and watching tutorials online to help my self-study.
Kind Regards,
James.
Hi James, there were some chats during the week with programmer that is worth looking over. From my point of view I think you would be best to complete a computer science related degree and learn core computer science fundamentals. Programming is constantly evolving the best way to keep your skills sharp is to constantly research emerging and trends, research and development
I really really like web design just from doing school projects & lots of stuff for friends but now I’m thinking of doing some kind course in 3rd level that I could use to become a web developer. I already have Photoshp & some basic HTML, XMl and CSS. I also did am online course in Javascript {ok fairly basic, but I think I could be good at it}. My question is this: should I be looking at somethig more specialised instead of juust ‘web development’ in general, eg head towards becoming a Java developer? Also is it essential to know about things like servers, ASP, .NET, PHP & Mysql which I’ve never done.
- KM
KM, it seems like you have some good experience built up already and have shown a demonstrated interest in web development. If web is what you enjoy and feel you are creative, web development is a thriving facet of software development. Many companies are hiring web developers, for example Facebook and similar online businesses are regularly looking for developers. For example they seek developers with PHP, Xml, HTML, JavaScript
Do summer jobs matter in your CV or just what course you took? I would love to get a technology job after my exams and before I start college. Do any recruiters do summer jobs?
Hi Andrew, experience is great to have on your CV when you can find it. The course you sit is equally important, as is your own project work. Typically recruiters cannot assist you in getting an internship. A good idea is to target companies you would love to work with and send in an application letter. An internship even if it is making the tea, photocopying etc! will give you a good idea of the company, the work they do and provide you with contacts
Thanks for all your questions, we’re almost out of time so we’ll take one more now before we wrap up.
I really want to pursue a career in the IT sector , i was looking at business information systems in cork. do you know if this course is worth doing or if ot would be a waste of time?
Aine- Tipperary
Hi Aine, I think a course like this is good as it provides you with a core understanding of IT’s application in Business. This type of course will help you get a job in areas like Business Analysis, Data Analysis, Software Consultants, and Project leads. Also many similar courses provide work experience which is invaluable once you graduate
Thanks for that! Anyone we didn’t get to respond to tonight we will follow up on over the next week. Thank you for joining the conversation and to Marian and Sarah for their time this evening.