Féilim Mac An Iomaire was the final, and probably most lively speaker to take to the main stage at the Irish Farmers Journal and open eir Agri Careers Fair. He told a very entertaining tale of how he landed himself a communications role with Paddy Power. He is now head of PR with the company.

Féilim moved to Australia when the recession hit and got a job as an events manager. He moved back to Ireland but after hours of trawling the internet job-hunting and watching far too many episodes of Jeremy Kyle, he decided to spend €2,000 putting up a billboard on Dublin’s Merrion Road begging Irish employers to “Save me from Emigration”. The message was set against an illustration of Féilim dressed in a suit, with his back to us, suitcase by one side and a hurl in his hand, as he stared across an expanse of water. On the other side of the water was Sydney’s Opera House, Westminster and the Statue of Liberty. The billboard was accompanied by a social media campaign on Facebook and Twitter called “Jobless Paddy”.

Féilim gives insights into both the positive and negative feedback he received online after the billboard went up. He says he received so much media attention that he was proving more popular than Niall Horan in Coppers, while the most hurtful comment he received online was when he was accused of wearing fake tan.

But what is it like to work in a company that is as controversial as Paddy Power? Great fun, it seems, as Féilim explains that no two days are the. “Yesterday it was getting odds for Boyzlife or planning stunts for Cheltenham. We move with the news agenda the whole time, so whatever is big news at the time that's what you're involved in.” Another thing he really likes about his job is that he can dress like “an ageing skateboarder”.

Given he was approached by Paddy Power when they saw his billboard, did he still have to go through the process of submitting a CV to get the job? Feilim says although Paddy Power did come to him, there is no real way to completely avoid CVs, cover letters and going through the HR department. “CVs are the key thing. If you have a friend who is good at graphic design, then get them to spruce it up.”

Feilim advises people to remember that there are other ways apart from the conventional method to get to a goal. "It's very difficult when you're job hunting and everyone is doing the same thing. So maybe zig when others zag and find your own path."

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