Q+A - Catherine McConkey

A Q&A With… Catherine McConkey

Contract Sales Co-ordinator, London, at Ulster Carpets

Catherine McConkey is a Contract Sales Co-ordinator based in the London office of Ulster Carpets who has recently been awarded a Distinction in her Postgraduate in International Marketing course as part of Invest NI’s Graduate to Export programme. Here Catherine tells Ambition more about how a change in career path brought her to Ulster Carpets.

Q: How did you end up at Ulster Carpets?

A: I graduated in 2019 with a degree in Media and Production and then took a year out travelling. I knew then that I wanted to go out and see the world and when I saw an advert for Ulster Carpets that mentioned opportunities to work overseas I jumped at the chance.

Q: What is the Graduate to Export Programme?

A: It is organised by Invest NI and delivered by Ulster University and the Institute of Export. It was an 18-month programme and I had to spend the first six months learning as much as I could about Ulster Carpets and our different markets. After that, I moved to the London office where I focused on the GB contract sector.

Q: How tough was it balancing work and studying?

A: I had never studied business before so there was a lot to learn and I also had to try and understand how Ulster Carpets operates on an international stage. It was a lot of information to take in. I would say I was getting into a good rhythm of face-to-face and online learning alongside my work at Ulster Carpets but then COVID-19 hit.

Q: Did the pandemic affect your course?

A: It put a lot of pressure on me, particularly when I was one of many who were furloughed. It made it a lot harder to get to speak to people to do the research that I needed to and put a lot of extra obstacles in my way but I was determined to get finished and my coursework kept me focused.

Q: What are the advantages of this type of learning?

A: It is the best of both worlds. It gave me a superb knowledge base alongside practical experience across lots of different elements within the company. For example, one of my lecturers was heavily involved with Brexit, so I was able to take what I was learning in class and then see the practical implications of it for Ulster Carpets. This all helped me develop my 7,000-word dissertation. I also had to do a presentation in front of representatives from Invest NI and Ulster Carpets as well my lecturers. It was a lot of work but it was worth it in the end.

Q: What did you focus on for your dissertation?

A: I looked at how we target 4 and 5-star luxury hotels in the GB market and how we turn project leads into a sale. It was heavily market research led and as well as getting insights from people in Ulster Carpets I was able to speak to interior designers and organisations such as the NEWH.

Q: Now you have finished, what does the future hold?

A: I feel incredibly lucky to now have a full-time job with Ulster Carpets. I have also been able to move permanently to London and I love it. We have a great team here and everyone has really helped me settle in. As Contract Sales Co-ordinator I now get the chance to follow a project from the initial enquiry right through to the final delivery. I’m dealing with interior designers, hotel owners and contractors and building strong relationships with them while also getting the chance to put some of my new-found skills to good use. I never thought that I could get so excited about carpet!