We’re delighted to announce that Cliodhna O’Brien has been promoted to Senior Associate with Barden. Cliodhna is part of the Part-qualified Accounting and Operational Finance Team and is based in Cork.

A core part of Cliodhna’s role is working directly with part-qualified and finalist level accounting and operational finance professionals, across practice and industry, to support them in taking the very best next steps for their careers. In particular Cliodhna supports those in Cork and the wider Munster market.

“Cliodhna joined us in 2018, as the first ever Graduate Associate in Cork, and since then has gone from strength to strength and is an integral part of our team here in Cork. Her enthusiasm, professionalism and work ethic are second to none, and she works tirelessly to support the Accounting & Finance community in Cork and Munster.  In the past year Cliodhna has also begun working with Supply Chain professionals in Cork and has taken on a number of key recruitment projects in this area. Her promotion to Senior Associate is extremely well earned, and deserved. Congrats Cliodhna.” – Jonathan Olden | Managing Partner | Barden Munster

“I am absolutely delighted to be continuing my career journey with Barden as Senior Associate. My favourite thing about working in Barden is that every day at the end of the day each of us here have had an opportunity to turn somebody’s day around. I have never once looked back since joining the team in 2018 and I look forward to seeing what the future holds as I branch into a new market for the team here in Cork.” – Cliodhna O’Brien | Senior Associate | Barden 

Well done Cliodhna from all your Barden buddies.

A little bit about Cliodhna…

Cliodhna joined Barden in 2018 as Barden’s first ever Graduate Associate in Cork.

Cliodhna holds a BA Applied Psychology from UCC and a M.Sc. in Work & Organisational Psychology (CIPD accredited), from University of Limerick. Throughout her Masters Cliodhna developed core competencies and professional skills in organisational theory, organisational change, employment relations, selection & assessment, training, employee wellbeing and research design and methods. Cliodhna has also been accredited by the British Psychological Society to conduct Psychometric Testing.

She is now an integral part of the team in Cork and earned a promotion to Associate and now Senior Associate. Helping Part Qualified Accountants has become second nature to Cliodhna and she really cares about helping people map their career in this space.

Contact Cliodhna at cliodhna.obrien@barden.ie or via LinkedIn.

Caroline Frawley ACA is a Chartered Accountant who joined the Barden team in 2021. She works directly with the Mid-Senior Accounting Team to support accounting professionals in Cork and Munster. We recently sat down with Caroline to learn a little bit more about her…

Where are you from? 

Cork born and bred.

Where did you study?  

I went to UCC where I studied Commerce & Spanish and was lucky enough to spend a year studying in Granada, Spain.

What did you enjoy most about your time studying?

Apart from the amazing social life in UCC, I got the opportunity to spend an Erasmus year studying in the University of Granada in Spain. It was a great way to improve my language skills, get exposure to a new culture, as well as travel the country.

How old were you when you had your first paying job? And what was it? 

I had lots of jobs as a young teenager and from babysitting neighbour’s kids to a waitress in the RCYC in Crosshaven. I loved earning my own pocket money from an early age which normally funded my love of fashion.

Where did you work before joining Barden?

I was the Financial Controller of an SME, a family run business that has been in Cork for over 40 years. I worked In Sydney before that for 9 years across a variety of finance roles in financial services.

What made you decide to move into the world of recruitment? 

Jonathan Olden and Sarah Barry. I met them for coffee 3 years ago after I moved back from Australia. I left the meeting that day saying “these are the type of people I would like to work with”.

Why did you choose to work with Barden? 

I can hand on my heart say it was all about the people. All my interactions with Barden as a candidate were so positive. When you are making the giant leap of leaving a career in finance after many years it has to be for a good reason. And for me it was about working with great people.

What’s the best thing about working here? 

As well as working with a great team, I love getting the opportunity to meet people and help them on their journey of finding their next role.

What was most surprising to you about Barden? 

Recruitment isn’t easy 🙂 I think there might be a perception out there that recruitment is as easy as matching people with a role but there is so much more involved than that.

What does your role in Barden involve?

It involves building relationships with candidates and giving them guidance on their next career move. Sometimes that involves introducing them to some of the clients we are currently working with. Other times it involves educating them on what is going on in the market or giving a steer in relation to their current role.

What top tip would you give to those looking to change role?

Do your homework on what is important to you in your next role, whether that’s salary, location, the type or size of company you would like to work in, the type people to you would like to work with etc. and use that list as your starting point. Obviously, if you haven’t already, building a good relationship with one or two recruiters would be the next step in the process.

What three words best describe you? 

Loyal, kind and fun.

Who is your role model, and why?

In the last couple of years my role model is an Irish life and wellness coach called Denise Kenny Byrne (business owner of the Head Plan). She is a huge promoter of manifestation, she believes in writing things down and making them happen through daily journaling. Her productivity journal was a huge help to me over the last 2 years particularly during the pandemic, for setting goals, for keeping me focussed and accountable for reaching my goals.

Is there an achievement or contribution that you are most proud of? 

My 3 beautiful children and a particular shout out to my eldest son Harry who has autism. Life isn’t as easy for him when it comes to language, socialising, and certain daily activities which most people would take for granted that cause a lot of stress for him. I’ve watched him overcome so many hurdles over the last 7 years and every milestone he reaches or new word/phrase he says is like winning the lotto for us as a family.

Have you a favourite saying or quote? What is it?  

Write it down, make it happen.

Glass half full or half empty? 

Full

What’s your favourite book?

The Secret – I’m all about the manifesting

Where in the world would you most like to visit?

I’m very boring but I would love to go back to Sydney when my children are old enough not to require too much minding on a 24-hour trip 🙂 I would go back to all the old spots I loved to go to in the 9 years I spent there.

Is there any question I should have asked you but didn’t?  

Nope 🙂

And finally, who would win a fight between Spiderman, Batman or Wonder Woman? 

Wonder Woman, girl power all the way.

A little bit more about Caroline…

Caroline Frawley ACA is a Chartered Accountant who joined the Barden team in 2021. She works directly with the Mid-Senior Accounting Team to support accounting professionals in Cork and Munster. Before joining Barden Caroline held the role of Financial Controller with Hennessy Hair & Beauty. Prior to this she held senior and managerial roles in Westpac (Australia) and JPA Benson Lawlor (Dublin). Caroline holds a bachelor of commerce European (Spanish) from University College Cork (UCC).

Caroline’s extensive PQE across industry and financial services is invaluable when it comes to advising and supporting the accounting community in Munster. 

Contact Caroline at caroline.frawley@barden.ie or via LinkedIn.

The two main expert recruitment areas Barden cover in this area are:

• Operational Finance Recruitment
• Part Qualified to Finalist Accountant & Finance Administrator Recruitment

Operational Finance

In this space we recruit mainly across the Procure-to Pay (PTP), Accounts Payable (AP) , Order-to-Cash (OTC), Accounts Receivable (AR) and Payroll finance pillars. In this area, our recruitment team support and offer career consultancy to professionals from associate up to senior manager level.

We have also partnered with our clients to recruit language roles within these pillars and have experience working on projects where our clients would have a high volume of requirements e.g.: setting up a shared service centre, recruitment drives for centralising the finance function etc.; no project is too big or small!

Lately our Operational Finance recruitment team, have been noticing a trend (both in Dublin and Cork) of there being a lot more project focused opportunities coming up in these pillars. We are also seeing an increase in roles in the space where finance and IT overlap.

Operational finance is often identified as a key focus area, as businesses strive to be more strategic, continuously make improvements to processes and become increasingly efficient.

When you meet Barden, you will be meeting Ireland’s most experienced team of finance recruitment experts with experience recruiting across roles such as:

• PTP/ AP– Specialist to Senior Manager level, Project Management/ Project Analyst, T&E, Global Payments roles.
• OTC & AR- Specialist to Senior Manager level, Project Management/ Project Analyst, Credit Control, Credit Risk, Accounts Receivable, Order-to-Cash Analyst, Collections.
• Payroll:Payroll Specialist to Senior Manager, Payroll Project Analyst & Implementation Specialist.
• Language roles…we’ve worked on both once-off roles and large recruitment drives where a number of native level language requirements, as well as finance experience, is required.

Part Qualified Accountant & Finance Administration Recruitment

In Barden, we want to help people at every step along their road to qualifying. Knowing that this road looks different for everyone (and that there are many different routes available) recruitment in this area requires a person-centric approach. Whether you are training in practice, industry or via distance learning, and whether your aim is to be a fully qualified accountant or an accounting technician, our team will help you with support, advice and hopefully opportunities to help keep on the right track to achieve your goal.

We also specialise in helping those who aren’t sure about sitting exams, or those who no longer wish to complete their exams, and those who gained broad finance experience and wish to build a career in this area but are not qualified.

Sample roles Include:

• Assistant Accountant
• Assistant to Financial Controller
• Finance Analyst (PQ)
• Marketing Finance Analyst/ Sales Analyst
• Finance Administrator/ Accounts Administrator

Despite being very different functions, there can be synergy at certain levels between the two, which is why our expert’s leading recruitment in these areas are in touch with each other’s markets and are uniquely placed to help you to consider all of the options available to you.

Our Expert Team Includes:

Tara Higgins | Associate Director | Expert in Operational Finance Careers | Barden Cork | tara.higgins@barden.ie  

Tara is leading our team in Cork and has 5 years of experience focused purely within this broad space of finance recruitment in Cork.

A UCC grad, Tara started her career in finance before moving into recruitment in 2015. She joined Barden Cork in April 2018 at a very exciting time when the Cork office was in true start-up mode. Over the past two years, she has helped our managing partners to grow this hugely varied area of the Cork business, which she is extremely passionate about.

 “Having the opportunity to help people, at all levels and across many different pillars of finance, to find their next step in their careers is what I love about working in this area of finance recruitment – no day is ever the same. Sometimes we can even help to identify opportunities for people that they hadn’t thought of before too, which is pretty cool.” Tara Higgins

Cliodhna O’Brien | Senior Associate | Expert in Part Qualified Accountant Careers & Operational Finance Careers | Barden Cork |  cliodhna.obrien@barden.ie  

Cliodhna joined Barden in 2018 as Barden’s first ever Graduate Associate in Cork. She is now an integral part of the team and earned a promotion to Associate. Helping Part Qualified Accountants has become second nature to Cliodhna and she really cares about helping people map their career in this space.

Cliodhna holds a BA Applied Psychology from UCC and a M.Sc. in Work & Organisational Psychology (CIPD accredited), from University of Limerick. Throughout her Masters Cliodhna developed core competencies and professional skills in organisational theory, organisational change, employment relations, selection & assessment, training, employee wellbeing and research design and methods. Cliodhna has also been accredited by the British Psychological Society to conduct Psychometric Testing.

“What I love most about my role is having the opportunity to bridge the gap between how people could feel about their work and do feel about their work. In our area we have the opportunity to work with people at all levels in many different roles and an opportunity to guide people on progression/career paths which is amazing. One of my favourite things to do also is to prepare people in the best way possible to perform on the day of the interview too.” Cliodhna O’Brien

Nicole (Cole) Carroll | Team Lead | Expert in Part Qualified Accountants & Operational Finance Careers | Barden Dublin | cole.carroll@barden.ie

Cole is leading our team in Dublin and has 4 years of experience focused purely within this broad space of finance recruitment in the Dublin and wider Leinster market.

Cole is a grad of the TUD and holds a BA in Business & Sports. She is also a grad of the Institute of Technology, Carlow. Cole has been recruiting within this area of finance recruitment for the past four years and is very passionate about it. She has progressed to Team Lead level following her dedication and hard work in supporting people she’s been working with. Nicole has spent a lot of time in particular helping Part Qualified Accountants/AP/AR/Credit Control professionals map out their careers.

“Offering advice to people at all levels of operational finance and observing the upward trajectory of their career over the years is my favourite thing about working in this area. I look forward to crossing paths with many, many more great people across the accounting world and sharing in their successes.” – Cole Carroll

Sarah Griffin | Associate | Expert in Part Qualified Accountant Careers and Operational Finance Recruitment | Barden Dublin | sarah.griffin@barden.ie  

Sarah is a NUIG graduate, holding a Bachelor of Commerce with Accounting. In 2017, Sarah started her training in Deloitte, and more recently, has spent 2 years working in finance in a major Irish business.  She later went on to complete the CIPD Diploma in Human Resource Management with NCI. Sarah’s keen interest in helping people led her to joining Barden in 2021. Sarah’s background in accounting and finance makes her well placed to advise and guide the next generation of early career accountants, and operational finance professionals.

“Having the opportunity to work with individuals with similar backgrounds to myself, advising and guiding them on the next steps of their career, is what I enjoy most about working with Barden” – Sarah Griffin

Get in Touch

In Barden we’re here to listen, help and guide you on the best next steps for your career so please reach out and get in touch with one of our team today, or email hello@barden.ie and we’ll take it from there.

We’re delighted to announce that  Siobhán Sexton ACA has been promoted to Business Lead with Barden. Siobhán will assist in the continued growth of Barden across Munster and ensuring that recently qualified accountants are getting the best career advice through the partnership with CASSI.

A core part of Siobhán’s role is working directly with recently qualified accounting and tax professionals, supporting them in identifying and taking the best next step in their career. In particular, Siobhán will support those in Cork and the wider Munster market and a key part of her role will be bringing more Munster opportunities to these professionals.

“Siobhán has played a key role in driving the growth and success of the recently qualified team here in Cork, and the wider Munster region. Her background, and experience in the accounting and recruitment profession, both here in Ireland and abroad, has been invaluable when it comes to supporting accounting and tax professionals in considering the next steps in their careers. These achievements, coupled with the outstanding work she is doing with the Chartered Accountants Student Society of Ireland (CASSI), have resulted in a very much deserved promotion to Business Lead with Barden. Well done Siobhán. ”– Jonathan Olden | Managing Partner | Barden 

“I am absolutely delighted to be given the opportunity to take on this new role within Barden. I am really looking forward to helping to assist the continued growth of Barden Munster while continuously helping professionals in the accounting and tax space, to take the next best steps in their careers. Getting the chance to do this, while being surrounded by the calibre of people here in Barden, is something I am very grateful for. I am really excited for this next chapter.”  – Siobhán Sexton ACA  | Business Lead | Barden 

Well done Siobhán from all your Barden buddies.

A little bit about Siobhán… 

Originally from Cork, Siobhán Sexton ACA trained in KPMG Cork in the Tax Department and she is ACA qualified since 2017.

Siobhán also worked as part of the Management Consulting team in KPMG Dublin during her training contract. She worked predominantly on pharmaceutical, IT and construction clients.

This experience gives her a unique insight into the finance, accounting and professional service markets.

Following the completion of her training contract with KPMG, Siobhán joined Barden Dublin in March 2017 as part of the Recently Qualified Accountants team.

In 2018 she took a sabbatical to travel to and work in Canada. During her time in Canada, Siobhán worked with both Michael Page and Robert Walters Recruitment. On returning to Ireland, Siobhán relocated to her hometown of Cork and now works with our Recently Qualified Accountants team in Barden Cork.

Contact Siobhán at siobhan.sexton@barden.ie or via LinkedIn.

We’re delighted to announce that Cole Carroll has been promoted to Team Lead with Barden. Cole will lead the part-qualified accountants and operational finance team in Dublin.

A core part of Cole’s role is working directly with part-qualified accounting and operational finance professionals supporting them in identifying and taking the best next step in their career. In particular Cole will support those in Dublin and the wider Leinster market.

“I am delighted to announce the promotion of Cole Carroll to Team Lead. Cole joined us over 2 years ago as a Senior Associate and has been instrumental to the success of this team over that time. Cole will work with myself, and the broader leadership team across Barden, in leading and guiding a team of experts across both part-qualified and operational finance professionals across the Leinster area. A leader, both on and off the pitch, Cole lives and breathes what it means to be Barden, and I have no doubt that she will go from strength to strength in her new role.” – Elaine Brady | Managing Partner | Barden

“I am extremely proud to be part of the Barden journey. To be surrounded by some of best people in recruitment and more importantly wonderful humans, is something I’ll always be motivated by and grateful for. Offering advice to people at all levels of operational finance and observing the upward trajectory of their career over the years is my favourite thing about working in this area. I look forward to crossing paths with many, many more great people across the accounting world and sharing in their successes.” – Cole Carroll  | Team Lead | Barden

Well done Cole from all your Barden buddies.

A little bit about Cole…

Cole Carroll is Team Lead with Barden and expert in part-qualified accountants and operational finance careers and recruitment.

Originally from Kildare, she is now rooted in the Northside of Dublin! Cole started her studies with the Institute of Technology Carlow and completed a BA (Hons) Sports Management Degree. She then transferred to complete her final year in Trinity University Dublin while on a rugby scholarship.

Cole has worked for a number of years in recruitment with a focus on the part-qualified accountants and operational finance markets. With Barden she helps people across a number of different areas in the accounting & finance world including  part-qualified accountants, accounts payable, accounts receivable (up to Senior Manager levels), payroll, credit Control, and accounts assistants.

Contact Cole at cole.carroll@barden.ie or via LinkedIn.

The concept of remote working has fast become a normal business standard in today’s business world. Now that the pandemic is finally coming to an end, many are adapting a “business as usual” attitude, as they are finding new, innovative ways to trade, do business and get work done.

A combination of flexible and hybrid work introduced practices like revised hours and work-life balance. The significance of the office-place has been broken; just like the unwritten rule on taking work home.

Over 79% of Ireland’s workforce chose remote working over traditional methods, according to the Central Statistics Office. Since global pandemics and national lockdowns, remote working has fast become the most preferred way to work.

But what exactly is remote on-boarding, what laws cover remote workers, and how can you as an employer to support your employees working outside of the ‘office’? Here Moira Grassick, COO with Peninsula Ireland shares a guide and checklist for employers when it comes to on-boarding remotely.

What is remote on-boarding?

Remote on-boarding is a virtual version of employee on-boarding. It generally includes normal steps for recruiting a new candidate. They only difference is that employers (or HR teams) utilise digital tools and methods, like video calling or shared online drives.

The main aim of remote on-boarding is to offer the candidate a deserved place within your company – even if they’ve never set foot inside.

Employers might not ever interview them in real life, or even meet them in person. But through virtual means, the talent-pool boundaries have become significantly wider than ever.

Why is on-boarding important?

A successful remote on-boarding experience doesn’t stop after gaining an e-signature for a contract.

It’s important to have an on-boarding process which is both fair and just. A successful process allows employees to adapt to their work role, culture, and practices.

Create a strong, inclusive and engaged environment and process from the start, and in return, you’ll blossom employee retention and business success.

Whilst remote working has its significant advantages, one of the most important factors to take in is inclusion. In some cases, a remote worker might not ever meet another colleague.

So, it’s vital they feel like part of your workforce–with immediate support and commitment.

What are the laws on remote working?

Under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act (2005), employers are legally bound to protect employees – including remote workers. Ireland’s laws outline health & safety needs and responsibilities for remote workers. So long as the employee works within your company, you have a legal duty of care.

What are the benefits of remote on-boarding?

We appreciate many factors have affected business and people alike. Collectively, we’ve been forced to adapt to new working, operating and trading ways. But on-boarding remotely has been one at the very top.

Meeting in person might be out of the picture for some. So, the introduction of innovative technologies to interview candidates has been welcomed by the masses. Virtual job interviews through Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Discord have proven popular.

Businesses gained financial savings from reduced infrastructure costs, like using electricity or gas in the office-space. This could prove to be a significant deciding line between closure and staying afloat.

And it’s not just advantageous for bosses, employees are also benefitting from remote working. From zero-commuting strains to better work-life balance. Favourably, employers can squash the curve on disruption, safeguard employee wellbeing, and potentially make savings themselves.

On-boarding checklist for remote employees

Employers must be able to adapt with change in order to survive. If there are new norms for working conditions, you need to be able to accept them with ease.

By accepting remote working norms, you can motivate remote workers and watch your business flourish. A few steps to include in your on-boarding checklist for remote employees:

• Introduce practical support to welcome them to the business. (Like sending additional equipment or even a welcome present).
• Focus on regular communication (through 1-1 and weekly online meetings).
• Emphasise an inclusive culture (from managers as well as colleagues across the organisation).
• Focus on employee wellbeing (especially if people are affected by personal grief).
• Remind everyone on the importance of business success through teamwork.

Successful on-boarding experience will reflect company ethics…

Remote on-boarding will be the first form of interaction for a new employee. Any business can easily introduce staggered weeks or flexible work. But if employee wellbeing is cared for, it boosts applications and retention simultaneously.

Remember, the most important practice is complying with your legal duty of care. Make sure you focus on staff inclusion; and eliminate isolation and disconnection. Remote employees will ultimately have a better work-life balance this way. And in return, they’ll bring in business triumph and success.

Moira Grassick, COO, Peninsula Ireland

Experienced director with a demonstrated history of working in various services industry including financial and legal services. Skilled in HR consulting, HR policies, organisational design and development, management, and performance management.

Barden was privileged to win the award for ‘Best in Practice in Accountancy & Finance’ at the 2021 National Recruitment Awards at The Shelbourne Hotel, last Friday, 25^th February 2022, for the third year in a row!

A fabulous night was had by all and a special shout out and thanks to all those at the Employment & Recruitment Federation (ERF) who were involved in organising such a tremendous celebration of the recruitment profession. It was fantastic to be back a an in-person event after such a long time.

“The greatest privilege is to be recognised amongst your peers. We are all honoured to have been awarded best in accounting and finance for the 3rd year in a row at the annual Employment and Recruitment Federation awards last Friday at The Shelbourne. There were some truly outstanding nominations in the category and with companies and people of that calibre out there we feel that, together, we are helping to change what it means to work as a recruitment professional in Ireland. Here’s to what the profession can do now in 2022 and beyond!” – Elaine Brady | Managing Partner | Barden Leinster

A massive congrats to all those who were shortlisted, and of course the winners across the other 17 categories.

A special mention too to Pat Fitzgerald, Morgan McKinley, who was recognised for his great contribution to the recruitment sector and who on the night received the James Kilbane award. Also congratulations to Siobhan Kinsella, Noel Group, who received a special recognition award on the night.

Proud to be sponsoring the Dublin Chamber‘s International Women’s Day 2022 event, which will take place in person on 8th March in the Radisson Blu, Golden Lane.

Our very own Sandra Quinn ACA, Partner at Barden and expert in executive search and senior careers, will join Anne Sheehan from Microsoft, and a super panel of speakers to discuss the IWD22’s theme of #BreakTheBias.

“Image a gender equal world. A world free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world that’s diverse, equitable and inclusive. A world where difference is valued and celebrated. Together we can forge women’s quality. Collectively we can all #BreakTheBias.”

On the night the speakers will discuss their careers, challenges they have overcome and offer advice to fellow business leaders.

Join us for this free, not be missed, in person event and hear from…

• MC: Ruth Scott, Radio Broadcaster
• Keynote speaker: Anne Sheehan, General Manager at MicrosoftIreland
• Emma Finn, Founder of Bees on the Roof
• Yinka Martin, Founder and CEO of HairWeavonWigs & Hair
• Dobrawa Brach-Kaluzna, Managing Director of Arran Street East
• Imelda Rey, Managing Director of Irish Times Training
• Sandra Quinn ACA, Partner with Barden and expert in Executive Search and Senior Finance Careers.

As we start the second year of our partnership with the Chartered Accountants Student Society of Ireland (CASSI) we thought it was as good a time as ever to stop for a moment to reflect on the year gone by and see what’s in store for the coming year.

In Barden we only work with the best. Chartered Accountants do too. And, that’s why we decided to work together.

This partnership with CASSI strikes to the heart of what we are all about in Barden – knowledge and insights first, jobs second. By working directly with, and supporting, CAI and CASSI we are aiming to make a real difference in the lives of the accountants of tomorrow.

So, what happened in 2021?

Another strange year with the global pandemic continuing to challenge the way we worked and did things. However, this did nothing to deter our partnership or ensuring it’s success.

Our events continued to take place online (we’re very much looking forward to getting back to in person events in 2022!) and we managed to delivery 13 career webinars, with over 1,800 CASSI members registered to attend. During the events we covered topics to support CASSI members in taking the very best next steps in their professional futures, and heard from some of Ireland’s leading finance professionals about their lives and careers after qualifying including Fiona Harrington (Cartrawler), Niamh Cunningham (Square), Anthony Cunningham (Ardagh Group), James Commins (Kennedy Wilson) and Patrick MacSweeney (FireEye).

Our 1:1 career sessions continued to be a massive hit with CASSI members, with over 200 professionals availing of this offering. These sessions are delivered by our expert recruitment team, are personalised and are aimed to answer every question CASSI members might have about their professional futures.

We delivered our newly qualified blog series which included over 20 individual blogs covering salaries, CV and interview advice, guidance on staying in or leaving practice after qualifying, the jobs market, and much more.

2021 also saw us launching ‘Barden Shorts’, a series of short videos designed with CASSI members in mind, and providing the key insights they need to know when weighing up their professional options.  So far there are over 50 Barden Shorts published.

What’s next for 2022?

” The time, effort and energy we invest in our partnership with CASSI is a real manifestation of our purpose here in Barden – we want people armed with the information and understanding they need to make the most informed decision possible about their future.  It’s as simple as that and it’s want we want to do again this year with the next intake of accounting professionals approaching qualification.”  Elaine Brady | Managing Partner | Barden Leinster

Over the coming year we’ll continue work closely with CASSI to make sure their members get access to the right information, at the right time so when they qualify they can make the right decisions about their professional future.

“It’s a real privilege for us to be able to advise the next generation of accountants through our partnership with CASSI – the future of the accounting profession depends on the choices the next generation makes – to play our small part in this is a real honour and something we treat with the time, effort and respect it deserves.” Jonathan Olden | Managing Partner | Barden Munster

So for 2022 we’ll be delivering…

• More webinars
• Getting back to in-person events
• More 1:1 career sessions
• More resources and insights
• More Barden Shorts
• Launching the Barden Academy…. more to follow on this soon!

How to get in touch with us…

Interested in finding out more, or organising a career session? Drop us a quick email and they’ll be in touch to take it from there.

For anyone in Dublin get in touch with Brian O’Connor ACA, in our Dublin office, at brian.oconnor@barden.ie.

For anyone in Ulster, Galway, Sligo or the Midlands get in touch with Lisa Hughes ACA, in our Dublin office, at lisa.hughes@barden.ie.

For anyone in Cork, Munster or the Southeast , get in touch with Siobhán Sexton ACA, in our Cork office, at Siobhan.sexton@barden.ie.

Marissa Maher joined Barden in December 2017. Marissa works on our Recently Qualified team as a Team Lead in Cork. She Is an expert in qualified accounting careers, in particular supporting those in the accounting and finance market who are seeking new roles in Cork.

Marissa is both QFA and CIPD qualified, since 2010. With this and her prior experience working within financial services she has a unique insight into finance, accounting and professional service markets.

We caught up recently with Marissa to find out a little bit more about her.

Where are you from?

I was born and raised in Cork. I spent about 9 years up in Dublin after college and while I loved it at the time, I must say I’m very happy to be back living in the Real Capital again!

Where did you study?

I spent 4 years in UCC where I studied a Bachelor of Commerce.

What was your time like in UCC?

 I have some excellent memories from my time in UCC. It was a really lovely place to go to college – it has quite a small campus so you couldn’t walk 10 steps without bumping into someone you knew which I loved about it!! I met some fantastic people during my time there and so I wouldn’t swap it for anywhere else!

You later went on to study a Masters, what drove you to do that and what was the experience like?

 Yes, I did. I guess I was always keen to do further study pretty soon after my degree. I felt if I took a break from it at all that I’d find it hard to go back so for that reason I went on to study my Masters immediately.

In terms of the experience, I would say that it was definitely a year that challenged me on every level and so I’m really glad I did it. The classes were very small so from the get-go we were thrown into the deep end in terms of doing weekly presentations, debating, lively discussions in lectures etc. – all areas I had never before needed to develop given we were in lectures with c400 students in UCC! It was a fantastic challenge and I thoroughly enjoyed my time there.

Can you tell us a bit about your professional background?

 I graduated back in 2007 just as the recession was looming. I had my sights set on a career in Banking at this point and so I joined the Graduate Lending Programme in Anglo Irish Bank. Little did I know at the time that I was never going to go on and actually lend any money!!

It was a whirlwind in there as within a couple of months of joining, the bank was nationalised and all lending activity ceased. My role very much became working with borrowers to manage their debt and restructure the loans. I continued on this career path for about 8 years in Dublin and was very fortunate to have worked with some fantastic people during this time.

 Why did you decide to get into recruitment?

Recruitment was always an area that interested me. While in Anglo Irish Bank, I went back to college by night and studied to achieve a CIPD Certificate in Human Resource Management. It was a really interesting course and the areas within the course that appealed most was the recruitment side of it.

I genuinely love dealing with people, whether it was in the bank when I was dealing with borrowers, to now, when I’m dealing with my candidates and clients. After 9 years in Banking, I really wanted a change and so it was a natural transition for me really to go down the recruitment route.

 What’s your role in Barden?

 My role in Barden is to support the qualified accounting and finance market for candidates seeking accounting roles in Cork. I work with newly qualified accountants who wish to make their first move into industry right up to candidates who have around 5 years post qualified experience (PQE).

What kind of roles and companies do you work with in Barden?

I work on a broad range of roles from financial reporting roles to commercial accounting roles such as financial analysts, management accountants, costs accountants, FP&A managers etc.

We work with a varied range of companies in Cork from the large multinationals to SME’s and across all industries such as Pharmaceuticals, IT, Retail, FMCG, Manufacturing, Energy, Utilities, Property, Construction, Professional Services, Hospitality, Leisure etc.

What are your top tips for anyone looking for a new opportunity?

My top tip would be to take your time with the search in order to properly research your options. It’s important to gather as much information as possible on the role and company to ensure it ticks the right boxes and is the right fit for you.

What advice would you give someone looking to change career direction and move into recruitment?

 I would say if anyone is thinking of changing careers it’s never too late in the day to do so. Life is too short to be in a job that you don’t enjoy and so you should bite the bullet and explore it further if you think it might be for you.

 What three words best describe you?

Honest, hardworking and ambitious.

What’s your favourite song?

Impossible question – I’m not sure how I could pick any one song as I listen to absolutely everything and anything. I love all types of music, especially cheesy pop music which I know I’ll probably be shot for saying!!

What’s your favourite movie?

I saw the Greatest Showman recently and really loved it so that would definitely be up there as one of my favourites!

What age were you when you had your first paying job? What was it?

My first job was babysitting – I’d say I must have been about 15/16 and I absolutely loved it.

What’s the Cork market like at the moment for career opportunities?

 The Cork market is thriving at the moment – we are currently working with a hugely varied range of companies from the well-known multinationals to the exciting startup companies and everything in between. I would say that Cork is definitely giving Dublin a run for its money in terms of career opportunities and this is likely to remain the case over the next number of years given the development plans for the city.

For you, what makes Barden different?

Barden is purely focused on giving expert advice to candidates in terms of their career. At Barden, we aim to help and support candidates in every way possible when exploring options. We offer a range of services such as CV advice to interview preparation and work closely with candidates throughout the entire interview process to make the job search that bit easier.

Need help achieving your ambitions? 

Are you an accounting professional looking for help in achieving your ambitions? If so, get in touch with Marissa Maher today, at marissa.maher@barden.ie, who is ready with lots of CV, LinkedIn, interview and career advice along with cutting edge market insights.