Deirdre Duboy- An exciting 5 years at Fastnet-The Talent Group

Name: Deirdre Duboy 

Lives: Carrigaline 

Job title: Talent Consultant, Quality and Laboratory - Fastnet - The Talent Group.

Salary bracket: Not on the rich list quite yet.

Education background: I did a Linguistic business course after my Leaving Cert. I completed a course in business administration from Orange Coast College in the US and recently completed the IPASS.

Hobbies: Running, walking my dog, travelling and spending time with family and friends.

Describe your job in five words: Busy, varied, rewarding, challenging and interesting.

Describe yourself in five words: Positive, energetic, dedicated, enthusiastic and quietly confident.

Personality needed for this kind of work? You definitely need to have a ‘can do’ positive attitude, there are lots of ups and downs in recruitment and you need to be able to recover quickly and move on. 

You need to be very flexible as days are quite varied, you may have a plan laid out for the day but something comes up that takes priority and you need to drop everything and focus on the task at hand.

How long are you doing this job? I have been with Fastnet for five years. I joined Fastnet in 2014 as a Contract Solutions Specialist on a part-time basis. After two years I was full time and in October of last year I moved to a Talent Consultant role.

How did you get this job? When I left school, I had no idea what I wanted to do as a career. After completing the business course, I headed to the UK as that’s where many of my friends were living and working. 

After a few temp jobs I managed to secure an administrator role with Ernst & Young in the centre of London. A couple of years later I moved to California and worked with several companies including Taco Bell as a Franchise Coordinator. Here I gained a fantastic experience. 

Simultaneously I was studying at night at Orange Coast College towards a business administration degree. During this time, I also got married and when I was expecting my first baby, I knew I wanted to move home to Ireland to be near my family. 

I left my life in California, my job and my studies and came home. I never regretted the decision because I knew it was the right choice for me. 

I worked with Heineken for a number of years and when my second baby came along, I decided to take some time out to be with the kids full time.

Seven years later I returned to the workforce. I started off with a few part-time jobs, working around the kids’ schedules. It was a great way to get back into the workforce and gaining confidence.

In October 2014 I started with Fastnet – The Talent Group as Contracts Administrator on a part-time basis. I was aware of Fastnet and knew they had a strong reputation as a market leader providing recruitment services to the Life Sciences sector. As soon as I arrived in Fastnet for an interview I knew it was a place that shared the same values as me and was a company where I could grow and develop.

My first impressions proved correct as I have progressed within the organisation from Contracts Administrator to Payroll Specialist to Contract Solutions Specialist and now to Talent Consultant.

Fastnet also encouraged me to return to education and I recently completed the IPASS.

Since I have joined Fastnet, the company has undergone significant growth and expansion with the launch of our Executive search division, the opening of our Dublin office and a company re-brand to Fastnet - The Talent Group. It has been an exciting five years and I consider myself lucky to work with such a great team of people and to have had the opportunity to develop within such a forward-thinking and progressive organisation.

Do you need particular qualifications or experience? A degree in a relevant area would be desirable and any experience in a customer-facing role is a significant advantage.

Describe a day at work: The day would begin with checking my emails, prioritising what needs to be actioned immediately and making a plan for the day. A typical day would include the sourcing of professional talent, advertising of new vacancies, facilitating client recruitment processes, including scheduling candidate interviews, assessment centres and medicals, and reference-checking of candidates. I would also be involved in training new team members and other ad-hoc projects. No two days are ever the same in recruitment!

How many hours do you work a week? 40-45.

What do you wear to work? First impressions are very important and I would wear smart business dress.

Is your industry male or female-dominated? Well there are 19 of us here at Fastnet across our Cork and Dublin office with 15 girls and four boys. It’s also worth noting the increase in the number of females coming forward for roles advertised in the Life Sciences sector.

Does this affect you in any particular way? No not at all.

Is your job stressful? How? Rate it on a scale of 1-10: It can be challenging at times and you do need to be able to work in a stressful environment but having a strong, supportive team around you helps a good deal.

Do you work with others or on your own? I work as part of a team.

When do you plan to retire or give up working? Maybe when I finally get on that Rich List!

Best bits: Working in a company that is forward-thinking and supportive and working with a great bunch of people Worst bits: It can be frustrating when a candidate falls out of a process or a role gets cancelled by a client, but you must be able to pick yourself up and start again.

Advice to those who want your job? If you think you would like to work in a challenging and rewarding environment then go for it, Fastnet is always thinking about the future and further expansion so there could be a role with us that would interest you!

Any other comments? After a seven-year break, I never thought I would be in a position to develop my career. I’m living proof that It is possible to take time out with your family and re-enter the workforce in a meaningful way.