Daniel talks about the highlights of his college experience, the skills he's learned and the best advice he would give to all incoming first years.
Daniel Connolly is a graduate of the Bachelor of Business (Hons) and a past pupil of CBS Tramore.
An excellent reputation
What attracted me to SETU was that its business school has such a good reputation and because I have such a keen interest in business it just made sense for me to go to SETU. I am also from Tramore so SETU is within driving distance from my house which was another key benefit to going to there.
Fuelling a passion for entrepreneurship
My first choice on my CAO was the Bachelor of Business (Hons) course in SETU. When I was in transition year in secondary school we ran a very successful mini business, this ignited my interest in entrepreneurship and business in general. I had and still have, a love for entrepreneurialism and before studying in SETU I had launched a few different businesses, some which were successful!
Do what you love
The words of advice I would give incoming students is, first of all, to be determined in your studies. I failed my first year of college and took a year out of college in order to repeat the exams, I passed and went back to finish the degree. Working for that year made me understand the value of an education. Secondly, something which I regret is not getting involved in clubs and societies, it was only recently I realised the benefits and opportunities which arise from being involved in clubs and societies. Lastly, I would say do what you like in college and not because you think it’s best for a job option, you may get a job that pays well from a certain course choice but you might not be happy in that job so what’s the point, do what you love.
Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur
The highlights of my college experience would be the friendships I made throughout the years spent in SETU, and friendships with other students and lecturers. The live projects we worked on throughout the years were a highlight of my time in SETU, the opportunity to work with real businesses was excellent. Funny enough my favourite year in college was my final year, I spent a huge amount of time in the library and began to start to like going there, all the time spent there paid off when I achieved the grade I desired. In my final year, I also developed a business idea that I was working on outside of school and I ended up winning the best idea category of Ireland’s Best Young Entrepreneur in Waterford that year, which was a fantastic experience in itself. I also received an award for outstanding academic achievement which I was very proud of.
Marketing Intern
After college, I was fortunate enough to get an internship at the Walton Institute, an internationally-recognised ICT research centre based in South East Technological University (SETU)'s West Campus. Working at the Walton as a marketing intern has been a great experience for me as I have learned so much about not only marketing itself but about the new and emerging technologies the team are working on across various sectors including agriculture, transport, future health and energy. My role in TSSG afforded me the opportunity to work in the marketing departments as well as the business development arm of TSSG; Technology Gateway funded by Enterprise Ireland. This was the highlight of the role in TSSG as I hope to continue my career in business development.
Waterford as a living city
Well I am from Waterford, so I love it here, I live in Tramore which has the benefit of being on the sea, which is something I love very much and also utilise to go swimming in the summer months.
Using skills learned at SETU in the working world
My experience at SETU was crucial to helping me secure the position in the Walton as it gave me the necessary skills needed for the role. Not only did I learn crucial skills in SETU, but my experience in SETU helped build my character. Throughout the years in SETU, I gave many presentations, which has meant I am now a competent presenter, these skills have proven very beneficial, for example, I presented a business solution at a start-up weekend in Google in Dublin in front of 200 people, something that would probably have not been possible only for my presentation skills which I learned in SETU.
"Not only did I learn crucial skills in SETU, but my experience in SETU helped build my character." Daniel Connolly, Bachelor of Business (Hons) SETU graduate
