Tag: driving your career

Launch of Women’s Executive Networks mentor programme

The Smurfit MBA Office in collaboration with the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) have this week launched WXNs first Mentoring Programme in Ireland which is based on the successful mentoring programme launched in Canada in 2007.

Orla Nugent, MBA Director and Brian Marrian, MBA Careers Manager and Eadine Hickey delivered the first of 3 seminars to a group of WXN Mentees the focus of which was professional and personal growth.  Paired with these education classroom sessions, mentees are matched with a mentor from WXN’s community of Ireland’s Most Powerful Women: Top 25 Award Winners. This opportunity provides mentees with the support to progress professionally; learn the insights into their journey; and, ask the questions that are important to you. You will learn directly from women who are at the top of their fields about the steps they took, the challenges they faced and exactly how they got to where they are now.  Feedback from the mentees on the first session was very positive and it was judge a success, the second seminar is scheduled in September.

I’d Rather be Driven

You run into one brick wall and you’re labelled for life. Such has been my experience driving in Ireland. Let’s get one thing clear: the whole steering wheel on the right, driving on the left thing still freaks me out. It’s seems unnatural and (yes I’ll say it) a little unwholesome too. Caution – Puritanical, American judgement at work.

So for the time being I’m content getting lifts from other people and letting them worry about the driving. It’s probably for the best though. One time in high school I got lost on the way home and ended up twenty miles from my house. Oops.

When it comes to my career however, I’m not so keen to let others do the driving. That’s part of my reason for doing this programme in the first place. I didn’t want to feel like a casual, passive observer of my own life anymore. Instead of floating along and muddling through I wanted an active role in where my career was heading.

I started asking myself if the path I was on was really where I belonged. Just asking the question feels a bit daunting. Should I be questioning myself? Isn’t it safer to stay where you are? For me the answer was yes to both. It’s the next set of questions that led me to where I am now. The questions and answers are different for everyone. My answers told me it was time to make a change in an active way because I wasn’t satisfied with my complacency.

There is still much work to be done. I don’t have a clear route yet in my career journey but I have the map* out and I’m trying to plot a course. Google Maps does not exist for this trip. I have to do it the old fashioned way. Surely there will be unexpected detours along the way but I’m driving myself and enjoying the ride.

*For anyone younger than 25 reading this: a map used to be a depiction of the world on paper. Paper was a material made from trees that was used for writing or drawing. And writing was a method of communication pre-dating typing and texting.


Anthony Downs

Full-time MBA 2014

USA