Hello, my name is Sean Doherty, and I am a rising senior at the University of Pittsburgh. I am from Pittsburgh and am a finance major with an economics minor. I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to participate in the International Internship program in Dublin. When I decided to go to Pitt one of the biggest deciding factors for me was the focus on studying abroad. Now that it’s finally time for me to experience studying abroad, I am definitely more nervous and excited than I thought I would be.
When I am on campus enjoying my free time, I like to watch movies, tv shows, and playing video games with my friends. I also participate in one of Pitts on campus esports clubs. I really enjoy walking around Oakland, typically towards Phipps Conservatory. No matter how many times I walk by it seeing the nature and plants is always a great breath of fresh air from the buildings that usually surround me.
Professionally I currently would like to work in the asset management side of finance, however I am open to experiences outside of that area. I believe that the best way for me to find a career path that fits me is to experience what different jobs are like. Thats why I am so excited for this opportunity, because it affords me a chance to work in an area I maybe wouldn’t have thought of before. If I don’t do something there is no real way to know whether I would enjoy it so any chance to have an experience is something I welcome. I could find a career path or opportunity that I know I want to pursue, or I could find something that I know isn’t for me. Either is just as valuable to me in finding where I feel I would fit best.
When choosing to study abroad I selected Ireland because it is a place I know from a visiting standpoint, but wanted to get a more holistic view of what being there for a longer time could be like. I have been lucky enough to have visited Ireland quite a few times, staying for one or two weeks with relatives. When I have been visiting, I have always been curious about what it would be like to stay for longer, working my way into the day to day and now I finally have the chance to do that. I am also excited to be able to see family I have in Ireland. I have many relatives in Ireland, and I have visited them all before, but I am very excited for the opportunity to potentially interact with them more and learn more about what life is truly like to live in Ireland.
I will be working with Casey Kennedy Estate Agents, and I find this to be a fascinating field to get a closer look at. I know that Ireland has had an interesting history when it comes to real estate prices and demand and I am excited to learn more about what it is currently like now, as well as how that history affects how things are today.
There is so much I am excited for about going to Dublin, and with that excitement comes anxiety. I know this will be an important learning experience for me in many ways and that’s what I hope to gain the most from this program. I want to be able to look back at the end of the program and see my own personal growth be as large as possible in as many categories as possible. I hope to learn about the differences of living in the United States and Europe. I hope to learn about the differences in interpersonal communication and most importantly I want to learn what it takes to be a good employee. There is a lot I can learn with so many opportunities so it’s impossible to think I won’t make any mistakes. Thats why I want to go with the mindset of absorbing as much information as I can and converting that into competencies and skills. I want to gather as much from my mistakes as from my successes and have a resilient mindset. I am looking forward to the expected experiences, but the surprises could potentially be more exciting, and I can’t wait to get started.
