For the second week, Irish Country Living looks over graduate programmes across the agri food sector. With the deadlines for many of the programmes approaching, students are gearing up to get their applications in.
The programmes
Dawn Meats Brighter Futures Programme
Opened: September.
Application deadline: Majority on 31 December, but still open until 28 February 2019.
Number: 35.
Graduate roles: Accounting and finance, agriculture and livestock procurement, engineering, food safety and quality, health, safety and environmental, human resources, new product development, production and operations, sales and commercial.
Based: Ireland, UK, Europe.
How to apply: www.dawnmeats.com
Dawn Farm Foods
Opened: To be decided (TBD).
Application deadline: TBD.
Number: Seven to 10.
Graduate roles: Science and innovation, operations including supply chain and engineering, research and marketing, food safety and technical, business services, continuous improvement and lean.
Based: Naas.
How to apply: careers@dawnfarms.ie
Ornua
Opened: September.
Application deadline: 18 October.
Numbers: 10-15.
Graduate Roles: ICT, sales, business development, HR, health and safety, quality, engineering.
Based: Dublin, Cork.
How to apply: www.ornua.com/earlycareers
O’Brien Fine Foods
Opened: September.
Application deadline: 30 November.
Number: Five to 10.
Graduate roles: NPD, commercial, process improvement, purchasing, HR.
Based: Naas.
How to apply: recruitment@obrienfinefoods.ie
*O’Brien Fine Foods is also taking five graduates over the next number of weeks.
IFAC
Opened: 1 October.
Application deadline: 19 February 2019.
Number: 15-20.
Graduate roles: Trainee accountants.
Based: Nationwide.
How to apply: www.ifac.ie
Enterprise Ireland
Opened: 1 October.
Application deadline: 31 October.
Number: 30.
Graduate roles: Development executives for Irish-based graduates, market executives for international-based graduates.
Based: Dublin or worldwide.
How to apply: www.enterprise-ireland.com/careers
Musgraves
Opened: September.
Application deadline: 21 October.
Number: 20.
Graduate roles: Buying, IT, supply chain, marketing, finance.
Based: Cork, Dublin, Belfast.
How to apply: www.musgravegraduates.com
Lidl
Opened: all year round.
Application deadline: open all year round.
Numbers: TBD.
Graduate roles: communications, procurement, HR, marketing, finance, accounting, logistics, supply chain, IT, legal, retail operations.
Based: nationwide.
How to apply: www.jobs.lidl.ie
Aldi
Opened: all year round.
Application deadline: open all year round.
Number: TBD.
Graduate role: Graduate area manager.
Based: Nationwide.
How to apply: aldirecriutment.ie/graduate
Kerry Foods
Applications opened: October 2018
Application deadline: TBD (apply as soon as it’s possible).
Numbers: 28
Graduate roles: Commercial, HR, finance, business technology (ICT), technical, operations, R&D, supply chain, pocurement and engineering.
Based: Ireland and the UK – graduates need to be flexible with mobility and most will rotate.
Apply: www.kerryfoodscareers.com/early-careers
Kepak
Opened: September.
Application deadline: 31 January 2019.
Numbers: 20.
Graduate roles: Operations, commercial, marketing, procurement, sales, HR, health and safety, engineering, accounting, supply chain, IT.
Based: Athleague, Clonee, McCarrens in Cavan, Cork, Clare, Blanchardstown, Clonee, Longford, Kilbeggan.
How to apply: recruitment@kepak.com
Jer Spillane
Age: 25
College course: Commerce at UCC
I applied for the Dawn Meats Graduate Programme because it gave me the opportunity to pursue a career in an exciting and dynamic industry. The programme gives you exposure to the complete supply chain process, from the minute the beef leaves the farm to the moment it reaches the shelves in the supermarkets.
The programme equips you with the necessary training and skills to become a future manager. The exposure to senior mentors and the opportunity for rapid career progression played a huge part in my decision to choose Dawn Meats.
The application process was very straightforward. Following the online application form I had two follow-up interviews with senior managers from Dawn. The interviews were challenging, but the managers made you feel comfortable and were very open about the role.
The programme lasts two years and you gain exposure to each department within the business, from procurement all the way through to sales. You spend a certain amount of time in each department until you have a good understanding of how it operates and contributes to the overall success of the business.
The programme so far has been very enjoyable. The team is very welcoming and does everything in its power to make sure we are getting the most out of our time at each department. The amount of contacts you make with people who have years of experience in the industry is very useful as you progress through the business.
I had my eyes set on joining the sales team at Dawn, but my career path has altered since I joined. I’m now a production graduate with the hope of becoming a production manager in the near future.
The programme offers you the opportunity to show that you have what it takes to become a future manager. I have been given a supervisor role in the abattoir and I now look after the offal harvesting and packing for our site. I make sure that the highest quality is achieved for our customers consistently, by meeting certain customer specifications and order fulfilment. I have to overcome new challenges every day and put my managerial skills to use.
Niall Coogan
Age: 24.
College course: BSc in agriculture (Level 7) WIT. BSc (Hons) in land management in agriculture (Level 8) WIT.
I started off at O’Brien Fine Foods working as a general operative during summers between college. After my final exams in WIT, I began the graduate programme in September 2017 and finished it in February 2018.
It’s a six-month graduate programme that also includes a management development diploma in professional competence.
When I first began the graduate programme, I worked as a process-improvement technologist, which basically meant we would follow the process from when the ham came into the factory to when it was sliced with the aim of improving the process.
The months I spent doing this was very interesting.
It has taught me a lot about working with people and how important communication is in a company.
You also have to use your problem-solving skill to make the process as efficient as possible.
I carried out this role for six months and picked up a vast amount of knowledge and skill.
In early 2018 I was recommended for another role in the business, environmental officer. I am very happy in this role as it relates to the four-year course I studied in college and I am getting some great experience here. The grad programme was a lot more practical than I thought and the course we did with it was very much aimed at applying the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to the workplace.
Learning journals were also implemented to reflect on what was learned and how these skills could be applied to the workplace.
I would recommend this grad programme as it helps to increase people’s confidence and their leadership skills.
Brendan Heneghan is a careers coach.
10 interview tips for your graduate programme
1 Preparation: Start your prep early, at least one month before the interview.
2 Coaching: A good coach offers many advantages including helping you prepare well, building on your strengths. They also enable you to acquire the skills and confidence to sell yourself.
3 Focus on the process, not the outcome: This is the key message with any job application. You can only control your own performance.
4 Research the organisation: Read the mission statement. What is the organisation particularly successful at? What are its challenges? What kind of people work there? Etc.
5 Research the post: What are the main duties and responsibilities? What desirable or unique qualities are they looking for? Visualise yourself doing the job.
6 Create a quality job application/CV: This will enable you to be shortlisted and provide the platform for a successful interview.
7 Interview planning: What are the key competencies for the job? Who is on the interview board? What type of person are they looking for?
8 The interview.
Present yourself well: Dress appropriately, have good posture and make eye contact. Mindset: Be well prepared, relaxed and confident. Being yourself in the interview will ensure it comes across natural. Do not engage in jargon, pause effectively and get comfortable with uncertainty, for example not knowing an answer to a particular question. A powerful beginning is important: Have your opening pitch well prepared Energy, enthusiasm and passion: are critical success factors. A good story teller will always do well at interviews: The interview board are looking for evidence. Those stories showcasing your knowledge, skills and attributes should be chosen wisely to match the particular competencies and what the interview board value. Finish powerfully: “Have you any questions to ask us?” As the interview comes to an end, this should be your signal to finish strongly, summarising your passion for the job and your unique qualities. 9 Practice makes perfect: As you gain experience, being effective at selling yourself at interviews is about good preparation, performing as well as you can at the interview, getting feedback and learning from the experience and refining your plan for the next application/ interview.
10 One final tip: An interview is essentially a conversation between you and the people on the interview board. Success at interviews is about having a good story to tell and telling it well. The more relaxed you are in the interview, the better you will come across.
Contact Brendan Heneghan Coaching on 087-2518029. See www.brendanheneghancoaching.com for more details.
For the second week, Irish Country Living looks over graduate programmes across the agri food sector. With the deadlines for many of the programmes approaching, students are gearing up to get their applications in.
The programmes
Dawn Meats Brighter Futures Programme
Opened: September.
Application deadline: Majority on 31 December, but still open until 28 February 2019.
Number: 35.
Graduate roles: Accounting and finance, agriculture and livestock procurement, engineering, food safety and quality, health, safety and environmental, human resources, new product development, production and operations, sales and commercial.
Based: Ireland, UK, Europe.
How to apply: www.dawnmeats.com
Dawn Farm Foods
Opened: To be decided (TBD).
Application deadline: TBD.
Number: Seven to 10.
Graduate roles: Science and innovation, operations including supply chain and engineering, research and marketing, food safety and technical, business services, continuous improvement and lean.
Based: Naas.
How to apply: careers@dawnfarms.ie
Ornua
Opened: September.
Application deadline: 18 October.
Numbers: 10-15.
Graduate Roles: ICT, sales, business development, HR, health and safety, quality, engineering.
Based: Dublin, Cork.
How to apply: www.ornua.com/earlycareers
O’Brien Fine Foods
Opened: September.
Application deadline: 30 November.
Number: Five to 10.
Graduate roles: NPD, commercial, process improvement, purchasing, HR.
Based: Naas.
How to apply: recruitment@obrienfinefoods.ie
*O’Brien Fine Foods is also taking five graduates over the next number of weeks.
IFAC
Opened: 1 October.
Application deadline: 19 February 2019.
Number: 15-20.
Graduate roles: Trainee accountants.
Based: Nationwide.
How to apply: www.ifac.ie
Enterprise Ireland
Opened: 1 October.
Application deadline: 31 October.
Number: 30.
Graduate roles: Development executives for Irish-based graduates, market executives for international-based graduates.
Based: Dublin or worldwide.
How to apply: www.enterprise-ireland.com/careers
Musgraves
Opened: September.
Application deadline: 21 October.
Number: 20.
Graduate roles: Buying, IT, supply chain, marketing, finance.
Based: Cork, Dublin, Belfast.
How to apply: www.musgravegraduates.com
Lidl
Opened: all year round.
Application deadline: open all year round.
Numbers: TBD.
Graduate roles: communications, procurement, HR, marketing, finance, accounting, logistics, supply chain, IT, legal, retail operations.
Based: nationwide.
How to apply: www.jobs.lidl.ie
Aldi
Opened: all year round.
Application deadline: open all year round.
Number: TBD.
Graduate role: Graduate area manager.
Based: Nationwide.
How to apply: aldirecriutment.ie/graduate
Kerry Foods
Applications opened: October 2018
Application deadline: TBD (apply as soon as it’s possible).
Numbers: 28
Graduate roles: Commercial, HR, finance, business technology (ICT), technical, operations, R&D, supply chain, pocurement and engineering.
Based: Ireland and the UK – graduates need to be flexible with mobility and most will rotate.
Apply: www.kerryfoodscareers.com/early-careers
Kepak
Opened: September.
Application deadline: 31 January 2019.
Numbers: 20.
Graduate roles: Operations, commercial, marketing, procurement, sales, HR, health and safety, engineering, accounting, supply chain, IT.
Based: Athleague, Clonee, McCarrens in Cavan, Cork, Clare, Blanchardstown, Clonee, Longford, Kilbeggan.
How to apply: recruitment@kepak.com
Jer Spillane
Age: 25
College course: Commerce at UCC
I applied for the Dawn Meats Graduate Programme because it gave me the opportunity to pursue a career in an exciting and dynamic industry. The programme gives you exposure to the complete supply chain process, from the minute the beef leaves the farm to the moment it reaches the shelves in the supermarkets.
The programme equips you with the necessary training and skills to become a future manager. The exposure to senior mentors and the opportunity for rapid career progression played a huge part in my decision to choose Dawn Meats.
The application process was very straightforward. Following the online application form I had two follow-up interviews with senior managers from Dawn. The interviews were challenging, but the managers made you feel comfortable and were very open about the role.
The programme lasts two years and you gain exposure to each department within the business, from procurement all the way through to sales. You spend a certain amount of time in each department until you have a good understanding of how it operates and contributes to the overall success of the business.
The programme so far has been very enjoyable. The team is very welcoming and does everything in its power to make sure we are getting the most out of our time at each department. The amount of contacts you make with people who have years of experience in the industry is very useful as you progress through the business.
I had my eyes set on joining the sales team at Dawn, but my career path has altered since I joined. I’m now a production graduate with the hope of becoming a production manager in the near future.
The programme offers you the opportunity to show that you have what it takes to become a future manager. I have been given a supervisor role in the abattoir and I now look after the offal harvesting and packing for our site. I make sure that the highest quality is achieved for our customers consistently, by meeting certain customer specifications and order fulfilment. I have to overcome new challenges every day and put my managerial skills to use.
Niall Coogan
Age: 24.
College course: BSc in agriculture (Level 7) WIT. BSc (Hons) in land management in agriculture (Level 8) WIT.
I started off at O’Brien Fine Foods working as a general operative during summers between college. After my final exams in WIT, I began the graduate programme in September 2017 and finished it in February 2018.
It’s a six-month graduate programme that also includes a management development diploma in professional competence.
When I first began the graduate programme, I worked as a process-improvement technologist, which basically meant we would follow the process from when the ham came into the factory to when it was sliced with the aim of improving the process.
The months I spent doing this was very interesting.
It has taught me a lot about working with people and how important communication is in a company.
You also have to use your problem-solving skill to make the process as efficient as possible.
I carried out this role for six months and picked up a vast amount of knowledge and skill.
In early 2018 I was recommended for another role in the business, environmental officer. I am very happy in this role as it relates to the four-year course I studied in college and I am getting some great experience here. The grad programme was a lot more practical than I thought and the course we did with it was very much aimed at applying the knowledge and skills learned in the classroom to the workplace.
Learning journals were also implemented to reflect on what was learned and how these skills could be applied to the workplace.
I would recommend this grad programme as it helps to increase people’s confidence and their leadership skills.
Brendan Heneghan is a careers coach.
10 interview tips for your graduate programme
1 Preparation: Start your prep early, at least one month before the interview.
2 Coaching: A good coach offers many advantages including helping you prepare well, building on your strengths. They also enable you to acquire the skills and confidence to sell yourself.
3 Focus on the process, not the outcome: This is the key message with any job application. You can only control your own performance.
4 Research the organisation: Read the mission statement. What is the organisation particularly successful at? What are its challenges? What kind of people work there? Etc.
5 Research the post: What are the main duties and responsibilities? What desirable or unique qualities are they looking for? Visualise yourself doing the job.
6 Create a quality job application/CV: This will enable you to be shortlisted and provide the platform for a successful interview.
7 Interview planning: What are the key competencies for the job? Who is on the interview board? What type of person are they looking for?
8 The interview.
Present yourself well: Dress appropriately, have good posture and make eye contact. Mindset: Be well prepared, relaxed and confident. Being yourself in the interview will ensure it comes across natural. Do not engage in jargon, pause effectively and get comfortable with uncertainty, for example not knowing an answer to a particular question. A powerful beginning is important: Have your opening pitch well prepared Energy, enthusiasm and passion: are critical success factors. A good story teller will always do well at interviews: The interview board are looking for evidence. Those stories showcasing your knowledge, skills and attributes should be chosen wisely to match the particular competencies and what the interview board value. Finish powerfully: “Have you any questions to ask us?” As the interview comes to an end, this should be your signal to finish strongly, summarising your passion for the job and your unique qualities. 9 Practice makes perfect: As you gain experience, being effective at selling yourself at interviews is about good preparation, performing as well as you can at the interview, getting feedback and learning from the experience and refining your plan for the next application/ interview.
10 One final tip: An interview is essentially a conversation between you and the people on the interview board. Success at interviews is about having a good story to tell and telling it well. The more relaxed you are in the interview, the better you will come across.
Contact Brendan Heneghan Coaching on 087-2518029. See www.brendanheneghancoaching.com for more details.
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