Ireland’s First CIPD Student Conference

Ireland’s First CIPD Student Conference took place in March and I was very fortunate to be able to attend. It was held in the Blue Radisson Hotel in Dublin and included talks on numerous topics such as networking effectively, developments in employment law and HR Directors insights into HR.

The aim of the conference was to empower the next generation of HR leaders and us, as students were given the opportunity to share opinions, thoughts and suggestions with each other.

It was my first time attending a HR conference and I felt it was such a good experience. It was a thought provoking and motivating day filled with practical learning and networking. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the speakers and their own individual stories on their careers.

Dave Barry, Director, Talent & Transformation, Fastnet – The Talent Group and Mary Connaughton, Director of CIPD Ireland  were on hand to open the conference. Throughout the day, different guest speakers shared their insights into HR Developments and future trends on the realm of HR.

It was a great chance to meet people at a similar age in their career journey and to listen to their stories and, a great opportunity to develop my own network. Caitlin O’Connor, Managing Director, Accelerating Performance delivered a workshop on how to network effectively. She advised us that in our future HR careers we should spend a great deal of our time networking and included a safe cross code to networking which included the following points:

  • Have a vision and set goals.
  • Look for a safe place to network.
  • Don’t hurry – Build relationships, trust and integrity.
  • Listen.
  • Respect.
  • Know how to communicate your business in 7 – 10 words.
  • Work the room.
  • Givers gain.
  • Always follow up – via email, personally.
  • When networking – ask for what you want and never sell.

I acquired a great amount of knowledge and skills that will benefit me in the future. Kim Gavin, Account Executive, LinkedIn Talent Solutions gave a workshop on updating your online profile and current social media trends which I considered very relevant. Kim provided tips on how to boost your online LinkedIn profile which was helpful. The tips she provided were:

  • Add a professional photo.
  • Write an attention-grabbing headline.
  • Draft a compelling summary.
  • Detail your past work experience.
  • Add examples of your work in photos presentations and videos.
  • Add skills and get endorsed for them.
  • Include volunteer experiences and causes.

Overall, I truly enjoyed the day. It was a great chance to network with peers and HR experts. I was able to consider my own personal progression and gain advice on how to develop a career in HR. I look forward to attending other CIPD Student Conferences in the future.

Gillian Murray, HR Intern Voltedge Management