Kate McHugh, Research Manager, GLG

What's your name, job and employer?

I'm Kate McHugh. I'm a Research Manager at GLG.

What does your job involve?

At GLG we connect businesses with expertise. As a client facing professional I work on clients directly with their projects. Typically I would begin a project by having a call with them and learning more about their needs on each project and what they're hoping to achieve, so that we can connect them with the right expertise. This could be anything across any industry, from construction to oil and gas, to luxury cosmetics, aerospace – literally anything under the sun we work on with our clients. Another thing we do is speak with experts themselves. This is really important to vet the experts. While we know that they're knowledgeable about a certain industry, we want to know that they can fulfil our clients' needs on a certain project.

What skills are important to be successful?

Communication is really important for all aspects of the job. It's really essential that we connect our clients with the experts, vet the experts accordingly in line with the clients' needs and likewise portray back their expertise so they can run smoothly.

What do you love about your job?

I love that it's an international office. As someone who is very into travel and has lived abroad, the fact that we have over 25 nationalities in the Dublin office makes it a really stimulating place to work. I also like the size of the office. We're about 125 people at the moment and growing very rapidly. That's certainly something that gets me up in the morning, being surrounded by so many different cultures and teams. Every day there is variety. Every time I sit down and open my inbox there is a new challenge, a new situation, a new project in an industry I've never heard of.

How important is it to have other languages?

For anyone with a foreign language, GLG is a brilliant place to utilise it. We have many teams across different regions, both in Europe and outside of Europe. I myself have French and Spanish and I find that I get to use both languages on a daily basis. I'm really glad that I work in a place where that does happen. I think for anyone looking to utilise these languages, there certainly is an opportunity for you to do that in GLG. Having said that, it is important to mention that it's not a requirement.

What was the application process like?

There are three or four steps for graduates – an initial interview, a case study and then an in person interview, if this is possible, with the team that you would be working on, so you do get the opportunity to meet a manager, meet a vice president and learn more about the role.

What advice would you give a first year student?

Willingness to learn is something that will stand to you every single day in GLG. Having that enthusiasm and drive behind you will help as it's a very fast paced environment and there are opportunities to progress very fast; it's a quick career path. If you are willing to learn and be enthusiastic, there is an opportunity every single day at GLG to use that skill. You and your team will be rewarded, which is a great feeling.