In 2010/2011 FÁS in partnership with Microsoft Ireland and The Digital Hub provided a work experience placement for a graduate in the area of digital content to work as part of an e-learning team based in The Digital Hub.

 

The graduate - David Wogan (pictured above, right) -  held the position of e-learning Engineer with the Learning Team at The Digital Hub for 9 months and gained experience in e-learning content design, web design, integration of Web2.0 tools and services and the use of virtual learning environments.
 

David has since taken up the position of an IP Implementation & Exploitation Engineer with eircom.  He cites the work experience placement at The Digital Hub as being a positive factor in securing full time employment. As a relatively recent graduate David is well placed to offer advice to this years graduates.

 

Background:

 

My background is in Engineering. I studied Digital Media Engineering in Dublin City University (DCU), graduating in 2010. As part of the degree course I completed a 6 month Internship with Eircom as a Voice over IP (VoIP) Project Assistant. The only other work experience I have would be in the warehousing and retail sectors.

 

Current Job Title:

 

I am officially back working in eircom again, this time as an IP Implementation & Exploitation Engineer. My main duty includes the implementation of Broadband over the Next Generation Network (NGN).

 

Job Hunting:

 

I started job hunting as soon as I finished college back in 2010. I applied for several jobs every week - both graduate and full time Engineering positions. However, I never seemed to have any luck.  Rejection after rejection was very disheartening. As this was the case for a long period of time it made the overall experience very tough. I kept my sanity by doing some seasonal work, a Cisco ICND course through FAS, and finally by taking part in the Internship at The Digital Hub through Microsoft.

 

Challenge for Graduates today:

 

I think the obvious challenge for Graduates would be the continuing lack of jobs in certain sectors. I think everyone who goes to college has a picture in their head that if they finish college and get their diploma/degree that they’ll walk into a job.  That is not the case anymore. With the economic climate the way it is, Graduates have to work a lot harder to get a job. Graduates must up-skill, by staying in college to do a Masters or PhD, take part in an Internship programme or by completing certified courses.

 

How did the placement help:

 

The placement at The Digital Hub helped in many ways. Firstly, apart from the 6 month Internship I completed in college I had no real on the job experience in the area of my degree.  The work placement gave me great exposure to one area that I was interested in pursuing. Secondly, I had the chance to work on a number of exciting projects which gave me the opportunity to use several software packages that I had never used before. Finally, by taking part in the work placement I think I became instantly more attractive to employers. Before I started in The Digital Hub I wasn’t even getting the chance to interview, however, once I began the placement I was called for numerous interviews and assessment days every couple of weeks.

 

Advice to new Graduates:

 

The first thing I would say is never give up. If a job isn’t coming your way then keep up-skilling. Go back to college, do a FAS course, apply for a Jobbridge Internship. There are so many avenues to go down. Even when looking for work, use all the resources available to you, use job sites online, check out company websites directly, contact recruitment companies, even ask friends and family if they know anyone or anywhere that are looking for graduates. If you persist and explore all these options you should be successful at one stage or another. If all else fails, move to Australia like everyone else!

 

Social Networks:

 

Like most I am a big Facebook fan, though I think that has more of a negative effect in developing my career. The only other social network I use is LinkedIn, which can be a very useful network in expanding your business contacts. If you have never heard of LinkedIn, it’s basically a professional social network where everyone can display their work experience, education, hobbies and interests. There is also a jobs section on the site so you can apply for jobs using your profile and by uploading your CV. I got a number of interviews after applying for jobs through LinkedIn so it was a very useful social network for career development.

 

Would I recommend the placement:

 

I would definitely recommend the eLearning work placement in The Digital Hub. The team understand the position you are in as a graduate and aim to give you as much experience as they can by exposing you to a number of interesting and exciting projects. The placement gives you the chance to work with a very experienced team in an up-and-coming sector.