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A hard-working young Donegal man is putting his best foot forward in his new career in business consultancy.
While his professional career is just beginning, Dylan McCroary has his sights set on advancing in the ever-changing business world.
Dylan was delighted to be hired by Grant Thornton, one of Ireland’s largest professional services firms, in June last year. He is already a step ahead after completing a specialised evening course with Donegal ETB’s Further Education and Training (FET) Service.
The Letterkenny man, aged 24, was studying for his Masters in Management Consultancy from UCD’s Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School when he signed up for an evening course in PRINCE2 Foundation (Project Management) with Donegal ETB. Dylan studied remotely from Dublin and came away with an extra Certificate in Project Management that was a standout feature on his CV.
PRINCE2 is the world’s most popular project management methodology that many consultants train in during their careers. Dylan decided to get one step ahead by gaining globally recognised credentials in project management before he entered the workforce.
“PRINCE2 was one of the main things that we discussed in my interview for Grant Thornton in November. It was great to have it on my CV already and I think it made me stand out,” Dylan said.
“To have the opportunity to study it in Donegal is massive considering it’s such a globally recognised qualification.”
Self-development is an important goal for anyone in the consultancy industry. When team members upskill, they can bring more innovative and creative thinking to a project.
PRINCE2 gives people like Dylan the optimum base to manage a project for optimum results.
He said: “We follow PRINCE2 for most projects. It is a flexible framework that can be tailored to meet clients’ needs. At my level, I’m not managing projects yet but you understand right away what is involved, what documents and reports are going to be recorded throughout. You can be more proactive because you are already comfortable with how the project is going to go.”
The course runs for 16 weeks, with three hour classes every Tuesday and a one-to-one session as required on Thursdays. It was a busy time for Dylan, as he was also working and studying at UCD, but the class tutor, Grainne Tuohy, was very supportive.
“Grainne was brilliant, she knew the programme inside out and was very helpful and supportive. We were all adult learners, some of us were in education and others were in business, so she constantly adapted the course to suit the group,” Dylan said.
“PRINCE2 almost has its own language, Grainne was excellent at simplifying it for everyone and made it easy to understand”.
“For people who were out of education for a long time, Grainne was really helpful in terms of revising good exam techniques”.
By the time of the assessment, Dylan felt he was really well prepared and passed first time.
He now employs the seven principles, themes and processes of PRINCE2 daily as he works on both short and long term projects.
For anyone else who is a current or aspiring project manager, Dylan’s advice is to “go for it” and see the benefits that PRINCE2 brings.
“It’s a brilliant thing to do, my experience with Donegal ETB was great and I would have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone,” he said.
If you’re thinking about upskilling, reskilling or changing career in 2023, Donegal ETB’s FET Service currently has a wide range of evening courses available, which start in February. Check out your options on their website (https://www.donegaletb.ie/fetcoursefinder – use the word evening as your keyword) or call their Letterkenny Training Centre on 074 91 20500 to find out more.
If you are currently in employment (full-time, part-time or self-employed), you may be eligible for a fee waiver or reduced course fees (under the Skills to Advance initiative). Contact the Letterkenny Training Centre for further details.
If you are in receipt of a DSP payment, you may be eligible for a fee waiver. Contact your local Intreo office for a direct referral.
Fees apply otherwise.
Evening courses are funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU.
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