The Circular caught up with a Griffith College Alumnus who shares his experience on life after College.
Can we meet you?
My name is Ayo Olutimilehin. I am from Osun state, Nigeria. I did my first degree at the University of Lagos in Business Administration, then did my Masters in Accounting and Finance at Griffith College Dublin. I finished in 2018.
How has life after college been?
After school, it was hard to get a job. A lot of recruiters and companies weren’t comfortable with hiring me because they needed people with “Stamp 4”. I went for various interviews and I got rejected lot of times, but I never gave up. I continued with my applications. Even though I was done with my ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) exams, it was still difficult to get a job. Till I got about three job offers to choose from. So, I started working around August last year. I now work in the Corporate Finance part of one of the top four Accounting firms. Now, a challenge I face is combining my personal study with work. But it’s been grand. I’m also currently trying to get a CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) certification.
What do you miss most about College?
The time I had on my hands. I had more time to party and play then.
What lessons did you learn while in Griffith that has helped you so far?
I learnt to embrace people of different cultures. To interact with people from other countries because everyone has an innate bias for people from other cultures or countries. Interacting with these people changed my myopic view. I also improved on my presentation skills and teamwork.
What advice can you give to current students on what to expect after school?
It’s going to be tough, but we have to be persistent. Lots of rejections, but do not give up.
What do you do for fun now and how are you able to combine it with work?
Currently. I have no fun, except for watching movies at night when I’m about to sleep. Well, after my exams I’ve got some concerts lined up. So I’m looking forward to that. I’m going to take leave of absence from work.
Future plans and aspirations?
I actually do not have a plan at the moment. I’m all about integrating. I’m currently championing a Diversity and Inclusion cause at work, and I’m also part of a youth support group in Dublin 8. If I stay in Ireland for a long time, I’ll want to get a mortgage and be involved in community development at the grassroots level.
