A career that opens doors and opportunity knocks more than once

Simon Walsh started work at Smithwick’s brewery in Kilkenny, collecting glasses in its cellar bar at the age of 15. By making himself indispensable he has risen through the ranks to become operations supervisor and beer specialist at Smithwick’s Experience Kilkenny.

“With tourism if you make yourself heard you will be listened to,” says Walsh. “It is less hierarchical and values its talent. It is a really nurturing profession.”

You could say that the ruby red ale is in his family’s blood. “When I first interviewed, I knew all the history of the brewery. My father started as a bottler and worked his way up to high finance.” 

His uncle started in a similar position and went on to become a fermenter, a stalwart of brewing, he explains. His first job was collecting glasses in the old cellar bar at the age of 15.

Established in 1710, the brewery was built on an older site that extends back to the Middle Ages and you can see the history underfoot, in the cobbled streets and paths of the marble city.

"I’ve always been valued," says Walsh who studied film at St John’s College, part of Cork College of FET. It was here he learned the craft of storytelling. It helped him frame and script the Masters of Ale guided tour launched at the experience last year. 

When putting the idea together he did extensive research. The tour was tweaked during a soft launch period. He watched the audience’s reaction and read how people reacted.

It’s all about how it is told, the delivery, he explains, that’s grown in telling, paraphrasing JRR Tolkien’s foreword to The Hobbit. In bringing this tour to life his employer supported him in becoming an accredited beer sommelier with The Beer Academy and he is currently in the middle of a sommelier training course with the Cicerone certification programme.

He believes his career success has been due to his credo: make yourself indispensable.

 “For me it was great timing. I found my strengths quickly, something that the company fostered and developed. If you’ve got a good employer like I’ve got, they recognise that.”

Mark Glennon, operations manager at Sheraton Athlone Hotel, echoes that sentiment. He started at the hotel, before it had even opened its doors, back in 2008. Straight out of college, having completed a two-year chef course, he worked as a supervisor in its main restaurant.

 “Employers really recognise that people want to develop at every stage of their career. A lot of the theory and practical courses lend themselves well to our profession.”

 It is, he says, the epitome of blended learning.

“Those doing culinary arts training to be chefs, for example, work in our kitchens three or four days a week and go to college on the other one or two days. It opens doors to so many people going back into education, getting that work life balance and getting paid. It suits people who are practical.” 

This equips them to have the confidence to do their roles really professionally, he says.

He has faith in the continuous personal development model, as his own career progression illustrates. A business degree helped him understand the financial workings of the sector while a masters in tourism destination management from TU Shannon was funded through Government initiative Springboard, and a certificate in advanced hospitality and tourism analytics from TUS Athlone further expanded his knowledge and expertise. He’s currently studying coaching development at Maynooth University. Throughout, the hotel has supported Mark in enabling him to do college hours and get time off to do his projects.

There are so many roles to play within the sector, he says. “The job requires a huge degree of problem solving. One minute you’re an actor, and the next minute you’re a psychologist. Behind the scenes it’s lights, camera and action before we go front of house.” 

It’s easy to progress, he says. “Progression means ... doors will open up for you very quickly. Within six to eight months, you can be a team leader. Within another six months you could be a supervisor and then you could move to assistant manager level.” 

He would encourage all would-be employees to spend some time working in tourism. 

“I’ve seen people going into this profession that are really reserved and over a couple of months they really come out of their shell. You get friends for life, social networking and a work life balance.”

Deirdre O’Sullivan Darcy is the office manager at O’Callaghan Coaches in Killarney, Co Kerry. She joined the company nine years ago on maternity cover.

She studied languages, French, German and Japanese, at University of Limerick. “That opened doors for me,” she explains. “I got to study and work abroad, travelled through the States, Japan, Australia.” 

She also went backpacking. “When you see a lot of the world, you’re a bit more educated and can put yourself in the place of the tourist.” 

Situated down a country lane, on the outskirts of the town, where swallows swoop out of the garages and there are dogs about the place, the business, which employs more than 50 people in high season, presents a relaxed approach. On her first day it all appeared very casual, she recalls.

But beneath this exterior is a thriving enterprise that includes local, national and international coaches, Local Link routes, school bus transfers and private excursions.

She started on the front desk and worked on coach holidays, which offer trips across Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe, for several years. She was promoted to office manager 18 months ago.

The job requires agility, the ability to think on your feet and pivot, she explains. 

“Working in tourism you have to adapt, unexpectedly so sometimes. You have to be flexible. Things change all the time. A hotel can change last minute, a ferry could be cancelled, someone might miss their flight, that knocks things out of sync.”

 Learning on the job is a given here, and there is significant opportunity to develop transferrable skills. The project management and logistics skills she has acquired through her role are first class, she says. 

“There are no problems, only solutions. Five or six years ago, losing a hotel the day before a group arrived, for example, would have melted my head.” 

Even on your worst day you’re still having the craic, she says. “Everyone knows what their role is and what they have to do. There’s no hierarchy here.” 

The company recently signed up to Fáilte Ireland’s Employer’s Excellence programme which puts the employee front and centre via a survey and management training programme.

 “We got an amazing result. You’re doing something right if your employees have trust in you and confidence in you. Not every job has that.” 

Smithwick’s Experience in Kilkenny, Sheraton Athlone Hotel and O’Callaghan Coaches in Killarney have all been recognised as top employers through Fáilte Ireland’s Employer Excellence Programme.

Think you have what it takes? For further information on the wide range of professional opportunities, courses and careers visit tourismcareers.ie.