#GradStories Lieutenant Donal Clare, Irish Defence Forces

What is your name, job and employer?

My name is Donal Clare and I'm a Lieutenant in the Irish Defence Forces where I work in the engineering core.

What does your current role involve?

At present I'm on an engineering young officers’ course where I just finished the cadetship and I'm studying to be an engineering officer in the Irish Defence Forces.

What sort of career paths are available in the Defence Forces?

Of course, in the Defence Forces no two days are the same and it is challenging in many ways both physically and mentally. There would be career opportunities both at home and abroad.

What skills do you need to be successful in your job?

Some of the skills required to be a good engineer I believe would be attention to detail, a keeneye for problem solving, a degree of planning and organising and a strong interest in working as part of a team.

What do you love about your job?

What I love about my job in the Defence Forces is that I've made lifelong friends, I’ve developed personally and professionally and of course being an engineer, there's no better place than the Defence Forces to overcome a wide variety of challenges.

What did you do previously that helps you most in your career?

In 2010 I started a level 7 mechanical engineering degree in DIT Bolton Street which is now TUD. I completed that and moved on to a level 8 mechanical engineering degree, graduating in 2016. From there I worked for a year in the private sector as a project engineer.

What was your career break?

I joined the Irish Defence Forces in September 2017 and I was accepted onto an army engineering cadetship. The cadetship is 15 months in duration and it lasts 3 stages. It develops one's basic military skills and instils an appreciation for the Defence Forces values of selflessness, loyalty, integrity, moral courage, physical courage, and respect.