Work Experience
Work experience was a very interesting opportunity I had during Transition Year.
Owen Sweetman & Co.
For the first work experience, I worked in Owen Sweetman & Co. for the 2 weeks. My supervisor frequently found that I got through the workload he had planned for me too fast and had to give me extra work as well as days off, and even then he would still run out of work to give me.
My responsibilities were to handle all of the documents that were given to me, and to enter in all of the payments from a bank statement into a computer software which then would be balanced and put into tables automatically by the software.
Law Library
For the second work experience, I got to work in the Law Library of Dublin. The commute to there was rather long, I had to take the train from Balbriggan to Conolly Station, then walk to the Luas and get off at the Four Courts stop. The time I spent there was extremely insightful into what studying law would entail, and how libraries are ran. I spent my time reorganizing books, putting books back in the correct spot on shelves, and updating books. I also spent my time with 2 barristers who practice law looking at the courts and seeing how they are ran, as well as shadowing them and following what their daily routine looks like.
I was able to visit the CCJ and see how it works, as well as the Small Claims Court. In the CCJ I saw people attempting to apply for bail.
Overall, the feedback from both employers was very positive and I was told that I was a great worker. My supervisor at Owen Sweetman & Co. was very appreciative of the work that I did and gave me a cheque at the end for all of my hard work.
What Did I Learn?
I found that the work at Owen Sweetman & Co. pertaining to documents was quite boring and repetitive and I did not enjoy it very much, and I would want to pursue something different in the world of accounting that isn't bookkeeping. Meanwhile I really found a passion for library work, which is something that I never thought of doing prior to this.