Pre-programme life
After graduating from NUIG with Earth and Oceans Science, Eoin returned to the family farm.
For a number of years, he worked between farming and bar shifts in a local pub. Once COVID hit, he realised that the late-night shifts in the pub followed by early mornings on the farm were not sustainable long-term.
After some conversations with a family member who had gone through the Innopharma Technical Services programme, Eoin decided it was a perfect opportunity to move out of the hospitality sector and put his undergrad degree to use.
Getting into the Innopharma Technical Services Validation Programme
Having discussed the programme with the Innopharma Technical Services team, Eoin discovered there were plenty of transferrable skills that he developed from farming which would benefit him greatly in Validation. Both being regulated industries, a Compliance Mindset, strong documentation skills and a deep appreciation for method and order are essential for success, which Eoin had in abundance.
In addition to the Technical training, Eoin found the career coaching, interview prep and potential employment opportunities the programme offered to be the icing on the cake so he applied, interviewed for and later accepted a place on the programme.
Eoin described enjoying the ‘growth mindset’ approach of the programme
“There was no issue with making a mistake or being wrong. The focus was understanding why you were wrong or understanding some alternative approaches and seeing what other people would do, and what the correct method would look like. It was a very positive environment and involved learning from people who had a lot of industry experience, who would pick your brains to understand your approach and reinforce positive learning.”
Another big aspect of the course was the interview prep. Eoin described the impact of this coaching, where he had to get used to feeling comfortable with being uncomfortable and feeling ready for any industry interview.
“They really called you out on things that you weren’t as clear on and by the end of the coaching you were really comfortable with interviewing for these roles and even confident enough to be able to have conversations with more senior people within the company once you join.”
Post Validation Programme
Since completing the Innopharma Technical Services programme, Eoin has been working permanently with Innopharma Technical Services as a Validation Engineer contracting in one of the top 10 Multinational Medical Device Manufacturing Facilities.
In his role, Eoin primarily works with equipment and software for medical device manufacturing. Eoin enjoys the variety of his daily tasks and spoke of his trip to Malaysia working on a transfer project for a number of months.
Hopes for the future
Eoin hopes to continue enjoying his time with Innopharma, growing and learning within his placements as much as he has over the last year in every sense.
Discover more and apply for our Validation programme here.