What does a day in your shoes feel like? And what are the key skills that can make or break a career in your field?
Apolitical has asked a diverse group of public servants to give us their career story. In this article, Micheal O Cinneide explains why you should first and foremost follow your interests when looking for a career in the public service.
What is your role in government and how do you spend your time on a standard workday?
I have spent more than 30 years in the Irish public service, in a variety of settings — as a diplomat in New York and Cairo in the 1980's, as a policy advisor on Marine policy in the mid-1990s, as a Director of the Marine Institute (1999-2008) and the Irish EPA (2008-2018). Since returning to the west coast of Ireland, I work with voluntary groups such as the Irish Forum on Natural Capital and Corrib Beo, which promotes awareness of water quality and natural capital at a local level.
In your opinion, what are the most important skills someone needs to excel in your field?
The key skills are to be open to change, be willing to listen and to trust your colleagues — the world we live in is so complex (especially in these times with regards to climate, nature and viruses) that we cannot really operate effectively with "fixed, rigid ideas". So, the skills you need to develop in yourself are to keep an open mind when you find yourself with a tough decision, look to gather more data if you can, ask good colleagues for advice and then, in the end, learn to TRUST both your own judgement and the advice/ideas of people around you
What is your favourite part of your job? What would you change if you could wave a magic wand?
My favourite part of my work over the years is bringing diverse groups together, to build support on a project or initiative around environment, culture or socio-economic development. I like this kind of work, firstly because it means engaging with people, which is always a challenge (no two people are the same and you have to adapt your style, listen hard and work on making the link); also, working on a project with culture, nature conservation or the economy also seems to “make sense” for me, perhaps it connects with my upbringing in the West of Kerry — they say that “a sense of place brings a sense of purpose!”
What advice would you give to young public servants who are interested in a career in your field?
My advice is to follow what you are interested in (both within your working day and outside), show an interest in whatever organisation or project that you are assigned to, be ready to ask questions and seek to build a good relationship with your senior colleagues — most of the time, they will be willing to listen, chat and advise you. That's how we learn and grow. — Micheal O Cinneide
Email or Facebook (Micheal O Cinneide) - welcome / Fáilte romhaibh
(Picture credit: Unsplash)
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