BUSINESS STUDIES Final Year Accountancy Student with Great Career Prospects

Joshua Gillen from Moville in County and these companies are global and have lots of international opportunities. In the future I hope to be based at an international office”, says Joshua.

Donegal is a final year accountancy student on the fast-track three-year degree programme based on the Letterkenny campus. This programme allows students to complete an honours degree in three years, rather than the traditional four.

When you graduate from ATU, you get exemptions from ACCA and Chartered Accountants Ireland which is a great head start. Professional exams require lots of preparation and they are also expensive, so this is a great part of the accountancy degree at ATU” explains Joshua.

There is no doubt that Joshua will enjoy an excellent career while following his travel dreams!

Nicola Denning is a past pupil of Coláiste Muire, Tuar Mhic Éadaigh, Co. Mayo and a graduate of Bachelor of Science (Honours) in General Nursing.

Nicola tells us about her time studying in ATU Mayo, her career to date to her current role as a Clinical Placement Coordinator

Why you choose to study General Nursing in ATU Mayo

Growing up with a paramedic father, I was drawn to the nursing world's compassionate nature.

I chose to study nursing in ATU Mayo as it was a local campus to me with small class sizes and the choices in clinical placements between Mayo, Galway and Roscommon from district hospitals, private hospitals, palliative care and a range of different speciality areas.

Your favourite modules?

My favourite modules throughout were the clinical skills and getting an understanding of the fundamentals of nursing.

What did you enjoy most about the course?

The lecturers in ATU Mayo really take the time to invest, support and develop your knowledge and understanding. You weren't just a number to them or a face in the crowd, they knew you by name and became such mentors to me. My classmates were also amazing, all so friendly and supportive.

Graphics at Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland. I now work as a designer for Orreco, the leading provider of bioanalytics for the NBA, NFL and Premier League.

I also run the audio-visual events company This Is Verve and design posters for various club nights in Ireland and the UK.

Advice for anyone interested in studying this degree?

For those considering studying nursing, it's a fulfilling and rewarding career that offers the opportunity to make a real difference in people's lives. With endless progression opportunities and an internationally recognised qualification, the world is your oyster. As a nurse, you'll be there from the beginning of life to the end, providing comfort and support to those who need it most.

What have you done since you graduated?

Since graduating, I’ve worked in a private hospital and ambulance services before progressing to a career in midwifery, with experience in neonatal intensive care and completing a masters of nurse education. Currently, I’m working as a clinical placement coordinator at Mayo University Hospital, supporting future nurses.

Ogie Hollywood a past pupil of Moate Community School in County Westmeath and a graduate of our BB in Business and BB (Hons) in Finance and Economics.

Why did you choose to study Business and then Finance and Economics?

I think I was always quite interested in business and entrepreneurship growing up, so I chose to do a general business and then I specialised in economics and finance for my 4th year.

What did you enjoy most about the degree?

I loved the practicality of the course, and how close it was to business in the real world in terms of doing case study-based projects. Large portions of the modules were continuous assessment as opposed to just all based on the final exam which I liked. There's a lot of practical information about marketing, business, HR, finances that were quite applicable to the real world and it wasn't just all very heavily textbook orientated.

What were your favourite modules?

The entrepreneurship-based modules were always very enjoyable for me. I love kind of brainstorming and ideating around different business plans and business models and putting together different business plans for those businesses.

Advice for anyone interested in studying this degree?

I think the very good base to give you a good knowledge and a good understanding of business, I would say beyond that try, learn the practical skills, and put them into practice as much as you can.

What has been your career path to date?

After graduating from ATU, I founded a not-forprofit for mental health with SCCUL Enterprises in Galway. Later, I worked for Bank of New York Mellon Corp. in collateralising debt obligations and working directly with client relationship managers before receiving a job offer from Google's marketing solutions team. Now in Bali Indonesia, I own a digital marketing agency called High Performance Digital, where we specialise in Google advertising solutions for e-commerce companies. I also have a secondary local business here in Indonesia in property development.

Joshua chose accountancy after studying business studies at second level. He found that he enjoyed the accountancy side of business more than theoretical topics and decided accountancy was the route for him. He began to look at his options and asked practicing accountants what they thought was important when choosing a degree.

“I was told that the main thing to look at when choosing a degree in accountancy was the exemptions the programme would entitle you to upon graduation. ATU Donegal had all the exemptions that programmes in bigger cities had. This allowed me to study closer to home, avoid college debt and get the same degree that I would get if I studied further afield” says Joshua.

“When you complete a degree in accountancy, you must then sit professional exams to become a practicing accountant.

Now completing his final year, Joshua has an abundance of opportunities awaiting him upon graduation. He has four job offers from global companies; KPMG, Grant Thornton, Ernest & Young, and Mazars.

“I accepted a position with Grant Thornton and I look forward to this next chapter in my journey. I will begin as an auditor and complete auditing training with the company for the first three years. I am fortunate that the company will also put me through the rest of my professional exams. After this, I will be a fully qualified accountant.”

Joshua will move to Galway after graduation to take up the position in the Galway City offices. “I am just delighted to have these opportunities. Studying closer to home rather than in the larger cities has allowed me to avoid debt and set me up for my future. I have always wanted to travel,

If you'd like to find out more about the BBus (Hons) in Accounting, visit www.atu.ie/AU300

ATU second and third year marketing students, along with their lecturer, Aine Doherty, visited Fort Dunree to try their newly installed virtual reality experiences as part of their module, 'Contemporary Issues in Marketing', students have been learning about virtual, augmented, and mixed realities. With this module, they have had the opportunity to explore how digital technologies, an ever-growing trend in the marketing industry, can enhance the overall user experience.