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Every year we take on a number of really amazing UL students, who get on the job expertise in the same manner as a trainee accountant.

David, now Director of Financial Reporting in DM Financial, knows first hand the value that co-op students can bring to an organisation. He offers some advice for accounting students starting their career. 

Tell us a bit about yourself, what course did you study in UL, what has your career looked like to date?

My name is David O’Loughlin, I am a Director of Financial Reporting in DM Financial. I studied Business Studies in UL between 2006 and 2010, majoring in Economics. After graduating from UL, I joined DM Financial (then Doran and Minehane), an Irish based professional services firm that services the investment fund industry.

I trained and completed my professional accounting exams in DM Financial, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 2014. At that stage I was promoted to Assistant Manager and subsequently to Manager and now Director.

I assist in overseeing the Financial Reporting division of our company which provides financial reporting services to some of the largest Investment Managers and Fund Administrators in the world.

During my time in DM Financial, the firm has grown to over 220 staff, and now has three offices in Ireland, as well as offices in Singapore, Netherlands, Bulgaria and the Cayman Islands with further growth on the horizon.

Tell us a bit about your co-op placement, what organisation did you work with and what year it took place?

In 2009, as part of my co-op I was placed in the accounting team of a global asset management company (Invesco Ltd.) in Dublin. This was vital experience for me across a number of areas. Firstly, it gave me important interview skills. I had previously interviewed for a number of roles and the feedback I received helped me to form the basis of my interview process for Invesco and ultimately DM Financial.

The co-op placement also gave me important office experience, working alongside an accounting team who advised me on the different routes to professional exams including a training contract.

Finally, it gave me experience in the funds industry, introducing me to financial services, and investment funds along with a range of other areas.

What impact did your co-op placement have on your future career?

The experience I had on my co-op was the primary reason I was hired by DM Financial. The knowledge I gained in relation to accounting, financial statements and the investment fund industry was perfectly suited to the role I took on. The skills I acquired in interviewing gave me the best chance of being hired. Invesco also gave me a very strong reference which was cited to me upon being hired as the reason I was accepted over other candidates.

Since becoming a manager in DM Financial, I have been a strong advocate of the UL co-op programme. Every year we take on a number of really amazing UL students, who get on-the-job experience in the same manner as a trainee accountant. They work directly on big clients, and have access to all levels of staff. Over the years, we have had a very strong return rate with many of our ex-co-op students returning as full-time employees and progressing up the ranks in DM Financial. It is now a fundamental core area of our recruitment process.

What piece of advice would you give to students going on co-op now?

Go into it with open eyes, and try and take in as much as you can. Use the opportunity to pick the brains of more senior people in the organisation to see what advice they have. Particularly in accounting, speak with other trainees about the best routes for professional exams. Try and give honest feedback to the organisation you worked with around things like training and the work you completed. In many cases it might open up or confirm a career path for you, and you could even end up returning after you graduate.