Aoife O'Mahony shares her Insights into Recruitment as a Career

Recruitment is a profession which attracts a wide range of people from numerous backgrounds.  It is a dynamic, competitive, fun and rewarding sector, with a varied nature of work and great benefits.  There are lots of reasons why people choose to join the industry; some have a natural leaning towards recruitment and others ‘fall into it’, while many see it as a means to develop new skills, progress their career and have a good work life balance.  

For our colleague Aoife O’ Mahony, Talent Consultant with our Quality & Laboratory team, it was the opportunity to use her organisational and interpersonal skills in a new way that attracted her to Fastnet – The Talent Group®, along with being able to apply the experience she gained in the Life Science sector.

Aoife has a Bachelor of Science in Pharmaceutical Biotechnology from Cork Institute of Technology.  Before joining Fastnet – The Talent Group® in 2018, Aoife worked with several global companies including Boston Scientific, Stryker Neurovascular and Gilead Sciences as a Quality Assurance Specialist and Quality Technician.  Her responsibilities included completing audits, leading and implementing continuous improvements, preparing and revising cGMP documentation, protocols, SOPs and validations documentation, compiling control metrics reports, and liaising with cross functional teams.  

Aoife, why did you decide to join Fastnet – The Talent Group®?

After working six years in industry I realised that I wanted a new challenge and looked at recruitment.  I felt that several of my technical and  soft skills were transferrable to this industry. I wanted to continue working in the Life Science sector and retain the knowledge I learned. From the research I undertook, I believed Fastnet – The Talent Group® was a good choice.  This was due to Fastnet being well established and highly reputable, along with partnering with cutting edge, blue chip clients. 

How have you found your move from QA to Recruitment?

I am delighted with my move into recruitment.  Certainly, there was a learning curve when I first started with Fastnet – The Talent Group®, understanding how the various processes and systems worked and adapting to working with both clients and candidates.  However, I believe my previous experience within the Life Science industry helps me to conduct meaningful and knowledgeable conversations with candidates and clients, allows me to gain a better understanding of their needs, and enables me to identify the right fit between candidate and client.

Do you feel that you had skills that were transferrable to Recruitment from Quality Assurance?

There is no doubt that there are transferable skills similarities between my previous career in industry and that of a talent consultant.  I still continue to experience variety in my day to day, relying on my organisation, communication and analytical skills. Whether that be finding the candidate with the right experience and assessing their suitability to open roles, supporting existing candidates with CV and interview preparation, providing professional representation of candidates with clients, or proactively engaging with clients on various projects.

Having been with Fastnet – The Talent Group® for 6 months now, what are you enjoying most about your role?

There is no doubt that I have increased my knowledge of the Life Science market, working with one of Ireland’s leading Life Science recruitment consultancies.  In addition, the work life balance and diversity are great. I like speaking to candidates and clients regarding roles and building these relationships to better understand people’s expectations.  I get the opportunity to attend industry events and career fairs, meet new people and learn more about developments in the Life Science industry.  All of this helps me to maximise positive outcomes for both my clients and candidates.

How would you describe your role as Talent Consultant, Quality & Lab with Fastnet – The Talent Group®?

That’s an easy one!  Exciting, challenging and requires patience and communication skills.  

If you are passionate about quality, have a strong entrepreneurial spirit, and want to succeed, then recruitment could be the career choice for you. Fastnet – The Talent Group® currently have opportunities available to join our team. If you would like to learn more about our current vacancies and our #LifeAtFastnet, please visit our website vacancies or contact Jennifer O’Brien at jennifer@fastnettalent.com or +353 21 4509200.