I had a good chuckle when reading the tips for doing a job interview on page 28 of this week’s Irish Country Living. There was nothing wrong with any of the information, but I must pass it on to my nephew Brian who broke every rule in the book when doing a recent interview.

When I was pregnant with our youngest, I used stay with my sister Carmel when I had medical appointments in Dublin. She had a newborn baby boy called Brian and I was mad about him.

Brian is now in his final year of college and recently went for an interview with one of the big accountancy firms. He was all organised with the suit and tie, which he’d left hanging in a friend’s house. And even though his hair was in a ponytail and he had a piercing, he didn’t see that as a disadvantage going in to the interview. On the allotted morning, he arrived at his friend’s house only to find the place locked and no one around. His precious suit was out of reach. So, dressed only in his trackies, he headed to the accountancy firm looking for an extension to his 9am interview. Not a chance. He was sternly told to be there for 9am, properly dressed, or not to turn up at all. He had about 40 minutes to get sorted.

He got a taxi and went to a clothes shop he had worked in over the summer, but there was no one about. Then he raced to another big retailer and while there was some activity inside, it wasn’t open. On a sheet of paper, he wrote “urgent interview, need suit, slim-fitting white shirt, tie, socks and shoes” and he held this and his debit card up against the glass door. He had a bit of luck when the shop staff responded and organised what he needed. Brian was straight into a taxi, where he dressed himself and arrived somewhat dishevelled but perfectly composed, into the accountancy firm with just two minutes to spare for his interview. He got the job.

Now that’s what I call a far-sighted interview panel and manager. They recognised that Brian is resilient, resourceful and resolute. Instead of abandoning the interview in the face of huge odds, he solved his problem and turned up, properly dressed and on time. He didn’t blame his friend for not being at home, he just got on with what he had to do.

I wonder how many of us would have reacted the same way? Not many, I’d say. We’d have put it down to experience and planned better for the next interview.

My sister texted me to say he got the job and thanked me for always having had faith in Brian. I’ve even more faith in him now. He showed he’s the ideal person to have around when things get tough. He won’t drop his head. He won’t look for excuses. He will find a solution and act on it and that bodes very well for his future career.

Finally, on Saturday we had a great night in the Woodenbridge Hotel at the Wicklow IFA 60th celebrations. I was MC for the event and it was lovely to meet so many old friends. Five people who were in the Four Provinces ballroom when NFA was founded were there and I would sincerely ask Wicklow IFA to record their precious memories. It would be well worth doing.