Engineers Week 2019 - Sinead Casey discusses her role as talent consultant to engineers

The Engineering industry in Ireland is strong and supports a broad range of companies across numerous sectors.  It is estimated that there are 73,000 engineers in Ireland, with approximately 5,100 students graduating with Level 6 - Level 9 qualifications each year.  There is no doubt that engineers are in high demand and the career opportunities are vast. 

Therefore, it is important that the next move for an engineer in his/her career is the right one.  As part of Engineers Week,  Fastnet – The Talent Group® caught up with our colleague Sinead Casey, Talent Consultant-Engineering, to gain an understanding of why she became a talent consultant, the role she plays in supporting engineers progress their careers, and what motivates her.

Why did you join Fastnet - the Talent Group?

Fastnet is a dynamic and innovative Talent Mangement and Recruitment Consultancy, and the market leader in the Life Sciences sector.  One of Fastnet's core values is 'Partnering - The Fastnet Way' and it was something that drew me to the comapny.  I wanted to work in recruitment because I wanted to create relationships, not only between the candidates and I but between the candidates and their potential employers.   It was hugely important to me that the company I would start my recruitment career with would be in line with my goals and my values.

What does your role as a Talent Consultant entail?

I am part of the Engineering team here in Fastnet.  Daily, I get the opportunity to work with engineers, whether newly qualified or well experienced, in finding their dream job.  Knowing that I can make a difference to a person's career is very motivating.  Fastnet has a deep industry network that connects candidates with leading employers.  We have great insights into market trends and vast knowledge of job vacancies, some of which are not in the public domain.  Taking this into account, I take the time to understand what the candidate's career aspirations are and determine how I can best help him/her.

Once that has been established, I partner with the candidate to create a 'winning' CV in order for the CV to be positively received by the recruiter.  I have built good relationships with our clients' HR and recruitment teams.  This enables me to champion the candidate at the initial recruitment stage and I act as the 'voice behind the CV', providing the client with valuable insights into the candidate.

I closely manage the recruitment process to ensure the candidate is always well prepared and informed.  I speak to candidates regularly with regards to new roles, job searches, interviews, expansions in companies, etc. In addition, I am in continuous communication with my clients.  One advantage of this is that I get feedback on a candidate's performance that clients would typically not share with candidates and I am able to work on this feedback with candidates.

My role as a Talent Consultant is dynamic, varied and challenging, but most of all very rewarding.

What motivates you?

I am motivated by my work ethic - once I feel the work has been done, I am confident that results will follow.  A great example of this was when I secured an engineering role for a graduate candidate who had little work experience and had been out of the industry for over a year.   This candidate wanted to work in MedTech but believed that this would not be possible.  However, wtih good collaboration, planning, and determination, I secured a role for the candidate in the desired industry.

The same goes for a candidate.  Sometimes processes can be long but it's important to be confident in your abilities and your work.  I believe there will always be a positive outcome.

What do you love most about your role?

I get great satisfaction over the fact I partner engineers with companies that will help with their career progression.  It is very important to place an engineer with a client knowing that he/she will be a huge asset to that company.

The Engineering sector employees over 18,500 people directly and there are a lot of opportunities for engineers.  Fastnet has several engineering roles with our Life Science clients.  If you are interested in learning more about these opportunities, please contact Sinead Casey today to have a confidential discussion.

About the author:

Laura Curtin is Marketing Manager with Fastnet - The Talent Group, a member of the Marketing Institute of Ireland, and recently was accredited by the Digital Marketing Institute.  She is a graduate of Cork Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology Carlow, University of Limerick and NUI Maynooth.  Laura has over 20 years' experience in Marketing and Corporate Communications.  She has worked for global organisations including Cadbury, Kraft Foods, Glanbia, Musgrave, Aramark, and Flex developing and managing the Marketing, Corporate Affairs, Internal Communications, and CSR functions in many of them.  She is a highly skilled and well-trained communications professional.