Student Testimonials
John Crowe B.Sc. Logistics & Supply Chain Management (DT 358)
I joined DIT in 2005 as a mature student with nearly 4 years experience as a Logistics Coordinator with Cargill Incorporated (a large multinational food manufacturing organisation), in their Irish business unit in County Monaghan. In this role, I had several key responsibilities such as goods in and dispatch supervisor, inventory management, purchasing and replenishment, and performance measurement. After completing several industry related courses in the area of SCM through the CILT, of which I was a member, I decided to return to study full time at DIT’s Aungier Street Campus to enhance my knowledge in the area.
I am a graduate of the 2009 DT358 class, receiving a first class honour. Since graduating, I spent 6 months working at Unilever Ireland Ltd as a Stock Integrity Analyst. In this role I had to: review and reconcile inventory data and maintain proof and verification of such reviews; compile and publish reports on all key performance metrics; manage warehouse capacity and play an active role in reduction of excess and obsolete stock; and assist in the implementation of new systems, tools and processes to support the supply chain management function.
In December 2009, I was successful in winning a two year research scholarship with the Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET), the first business graduate to do so. I am currently a researcher in the 3S group (Research unit in DIT specialised in complex systems simulation and optimisation) and am pursuing a research masters in Supply Chain Management under the supervision of Dr. Amr Arisha. My main objective is to research how the dynamic simulation of a FMCG (fast moving consumer goods) supply chain in the Irish marketplace can be used as a risk assessment tool. I am also in the process of writing several conference papers in the area of simulation and supply chain management.
Theresa Whelan Bachelor of Business Studies (DT 331)
I started the Bachelor in Business Studies in September 2004 which was the first year that the course ran and I graduated in 2008. The stream that I selected was the Accounting and Finance stream.
My employer is Dublin Institute of Technology and my role is Records Manager which involves providing information, advice and assistance in information compliance in the areas of Records Management, Freedom of Information and Data Protection.
I consider that the degree has helped my career as I have found that I have been able to apply a lot of what I learnt in the classroom in a practical way in the workplace. I found that the course content was interesting, informative and varied and the programme provided me with some very good insights into many aspects of the business environment. I found that practically all the subjects over the four years were very relevant but the elements of the programme which I found particularly useful and apply regularly in my role are the management modules, for example, Management in Year 1, Organisational Change in Year 3 and Strategic Management in Year 4. I think the programme showed evidence of subjects that I studied over the four years linking into each other and providing a base for future study and in the final year, I could see how it was all ‘coming together’. An example of how I think the programme benefitted me in my career is that just a month before I sat my final exams for the degree, I was promoted to my current role of Records Manager (April 2008) which was three grades higher than the role I was in. I think that the degree did act as a contributing factor to my success in being appointed to the role.
I went straight on after the degree to study for a 2 year part-time Masters in Business Administration in DCU which I am due to finish next week. Apart from providing me with the qualifications necessary to embark on the MBA, I have found that the degree provided me with a very good knowledge base for the modules I have studied on the MBA. I found during the MBA that I may have had a slight advantage over some of the other students as I had already covered a lot of the groundwork, i.e. I had prior knowledge and understanding of a lot of the management concepts from my degree with DIT.
In reflecting back on my experience, I was apprehensive at first about returning to study part-time in addition to working fulltime, but I am very happy now that I completed the degree as I found it to be very beneficial to me both in my career progression and from a personal perspective.
Paul Woods B.Sc. Human Resource Management (DT332)
Having previously gained a qualification in Languages and Business Studies and worked abroad for seven years, I returned to Ireland to further my education.
From the outset of my search for a suitable course, the subjects covered on the BSc. (Hons) in HRM stood out as they offered a good mix of human resources and business subjects. The small class size allowed for more constructive discussions and enabled you to get to know your lecturers, who were always happy to make time and offer assistance in any way possible.
The diversity of students combined with differing experiences and roles, presented us with alternative methods of dealing with issues that arise from our daily dealing with people, be it as a manager or as a human resources specialist. While I enjoyed the many discussions that took place, the seminar days helped to engrain the theories learned. This was done by offering us an opportunity to put into practice the skills we were acquiring.
The four years made me realise the importance of the HR function and the necessity for everyday line managers to be aware of their responsibilities to both employer and employee alike.
The BSc. in HRM gave me the confidence to challenge myself and step outside my comfort zone. As I will shortly be moving on to a postgraduate qualification, I can look back at these four years as the perfect foundation for my continued professional development.
