You are probably just about to finish college and are starting to look for the right post graduate opportunity. You are also probably finding that it can be quite daunting and difficult. Trust me, I know the struggle, I was in your shoes this time last year. You might find yourself not completely sure what you would like to do. Do you want to go traveling for a year? Do you want to go straight into a job or do you want to complete a masters or further education? This was the exact position I found myself in.
This isn’t an easy decision to make, especially when you see your friends going in different directions. This is where the UCD Bord Bia Masters Programme ticked all the boxes for me. It provided opportunities to travel, gather vital work experience and complete a masters. The best bit of all was you received all these opportunities while getting PAID! Not to mention the great social life that comes with it. As you can imagine, when you have 32 graduates together you know there will be a few nights out along the way. What’s not to like?
There were 32 job opportunities within Bord Bia, 16 within the Dublin office and 16 based in their international offices. These were located in New York, Dubai, Shanghai, France, Italy, Germany, Amsterdam, Sweden and London. I am located within the Marketing Events Department within Dublin. My department consists of 9 others. We all have to work close together in order to facilitate each years trade fairs. The easiest way to describe my job is, I help organise the logistics of each trade fair in order to create a platform for our Irish client companies to promote their products and company to potential buyers. The job involves having excellent communication and organisation skills. You are constantly in communication with the show organisers, the designers, the contractors, the client companies and the various departments around the organisation. It really is a collaborative effort in order to successfully create an Irish stand & presence at these trade fairs. There is a lot of “behind the scenes” work that goes into creating the end product that most people don’t see. However, this makes the job so much more rewarding. You understand all the hard work that goes into building the stand when the show finally opens.
There are currently 28 Trade Fairs scheduled for 2020. One of the best aspects of my job is if you are working on a certain trade fair, then there is a high chance you will get to travel to that show. In my first 8 months, I’ve had the opportunity to travel to Food Ingredients Asia in Bangkok and Anuga located in Cologne. Along with a number of smaller events around Ireland. This is a great experience as you get to witness the build-up of the stand, from nothing to the final stand. There is also a great opportunity to communicate with your client companies on-site to make sure they have everything set up. Once they are happy, then we are happy. This year I am working on a number of the Asian shows and hopefully I will get to travel to Singapore, Qingdao and Shanghai. (Depending on what happens with the Corona Virus)
When you are on-site at a show, I have quickly learned that anything can happen. You need to be able to stay calm and fix problems as they arise. The last trade show I was at we had a 50” TV stolen from our stand on the opening morning. You have no time to worry in these situations and we quickly sourced a new TV and replaced it before it became a problem. Also on-site, there is a great opportunity to network with client companies and build relationships for future job opportunities. At the bigger trade shows, we would hold a reception were Irish music is played and Irish food and drink is consumed. Allowing us to showcase what Ireland has to offer to potential consumers. This is always a bit of fun as everyone is in high spirits. These are just a few aspects of my job opportunities and experiences.
When I’m not socializing ill be studying for our MSc in Global Business Practice. This Msc consists of 8 modules which are thought by lecturers who are experts in their fields. We have 2 modules which take place every 6 months. We have completed 4 modules so far with our next 2 modules taking place in July. These modules cover a broad range of business practice topics which can be used in the working environment. These include Marketing Strategy, Business Sustainability, Marketing Insights, Customer Value Propositions, Global Business Digital Environment, Supply Chain & Maximising Performance Impact. For each of these modules you have assignments to complete which can be individual or team based. We are given plenty of time to complete these assignments as they understand that juggling work & study can be difficult. The lecturers are always available and extremely helpful when it comes to answering queries regarding the assignments and providing insightful feedback.
For me, the main thing I learned while looking for a post graduate programme is that it’s perfectly normal to not know what you want to do after you finish college. However, this is where the UCD Bord Bia Masters programme is unique. They can provide an opportunity for everyone. They provide you with a challenging & rewarding work experience, vast travel opportunities, an excellent work-life balance, Msc in Global Business Practice & friends for life. All of this while getting PAID!
After 8 months I’m still not sure what the future holds but I know being in this programme has me on the right track.
For further information regarding the programme go to the Bord Bia & UCD Smurfit websites or email bordbia@ucd.ie to register your interest.
Stay Informed by following the programme on social media!
Feel free to send me any questions you may have below !