Studying arts: ‘I didn’t know what I wanted to do’

I didn't know what I wanted to do. When I was filling out my CAO, I just knew that I was interested in reading, interested in literature and more widely interested in communication.

Then it was literature that I thought was a good way to do that, without knowing exactly I wanted to do.

I thought I wanted to go into journalism. I was a part of the UCD paper the University Observer the whole way along, and then slowly realised I was interested not so much in the writing itself but the process of putting something together and finding specific talent and getting a platform for that talent. I suppose moving into publishing.

Literature going into publishing is quite traditional. On the basic level it gave me a grounding and the background I needed to speak to people and the context of the industry I was going into.

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When I went into publishing, I didn’t have the practical skills, whether that’s editorial or copy editing. But when you go to any job, you learn all that, and the skills you have coming into a job like lateral thinking or problem solving ... I think all of those skills you learn in arts degrees stand to you a lot more when you’re going into the workplace.