NEW LIFE:Teresa Beirne left a senior role in banking for a job as a workplace counsellor, writes MARIE GALLAGHER.
IN THE late 70s, Teresa Beirne captained the Castlerea secondary school basketball team that won a gold medal for Ireland in the European Championships.
“I adored basketball. We used to train six nights a week. Instead of studying, I was training. I even dreamt of being a professional player.”
There was talk of a scholarship to the States, but a back injury halted play. Beirne sat her Leaving Certificate while coming down from the buzz of basketball.
She recalls: “I could have got much better results if I hadn’t spent so much time training.”
When Beirne left school, she was torn between the caring profession and business.
“I always felt I wanted to help people and saw myself as a carer. I thought about nursing. But I liked business too, so there was a dilemma.”
She settled on a job in banking where she felt she could fulfil both aspirations – look after people and be involved in business. After a short stint in the bank’s head office, Beirne was transferred to Bank of Ireland in Ballinasloe. She spent eight years there, doing the usual branch banking jobs – cashier, front customer desk, back room processing. It was, however, when she transferred to Naas, Co Kildare that her career went into the ascendant.
“I was a separated mother with two children by that stage. I needed to work for my children’s sake. Being the sole earner was a huge motivator.”
Beirne threw herself into the job, acquiring a wide range of banking skills that included mortgage and savings advice and personal loans.
She was nominated by her manager to undergo psychometric testing and scored highly on her interpersonal skills. A job offer from the bank’s life assurance wing quickly followed.
Beirne then spent two years as an insurance and investment adviser for Bank of Ireland Life.
“I got lots of repeat business. Relationships that I had developed when I was working on the service side stood to me. People were happy to do their life assurance and investments with someone they trusted.”
Beirne then secured a position in the bank’s wealth management division, Bank of Ireland Private Banking, and in her spare time embarked on a study programme that resulted in an honours degree in financial services from the Smurfit School of Business and UCD.
“The degree gave me the extra edge I needed for dealing with a broad range of financial transactions.
“The typical private banking customer would expect me to be able to answer queries on his finances as competently as his accountant would.”
A private banking area manager position soon beckoned.
“Being promoted to area manager opened a whole new range of challenges. Instead of meeting customers on the coalface, I was now managing and coaching other managers. As with any other senior positions, the demands of the job increased accordingly.”
Huge daily mileage and long working days were the norm and really took their toll. Having two teenage children who needed me, you could say that my work/life balance was becoming a bit skewed. A further promotion to associate director was in the offing. It was at that point that I realised I needed to take stock. I took a six-month career break to think things over.”
When on career break, Beirne embarked on a diploma course in psychotherapy and counselling.
“The desire to work in the caring profession had not gone away. The coaching aspect of the area manager job was a part I particularly enjoyed. I could see that this was an area I wanted to spend more time in.”
It took a lot of soul-searching to make the decision to switch careers.
“I was in a very well-paid, secure job; leaving it was a huge risk. But to move forward you need to take risks.”
The career switch was funded by Beirne herself and even though parting packages are not unheard of in banks, there wasn’t one available at that time.
“An organisation is not going to pay you to leave, my job was still there for me. I made the choice to go, so even though I had 25 years’ banking service, I left without the cushion of a golden handshake. You need to have a lot of savings built up to go out working for yourself, at least €100, 000.”
After a one-year study period spanning 2006-2007, Beirne received a diploma in life and business coaching from the International Coaching and Training Institute (ICTI) in Dublin and a diploma in management and executive coaching from the Irish Life Coaching Institute (ILI) in Dublin.
“I talk to people who are having problems in the workplace such as stress or anxiety about job security. There’s a lot of fear out there now. Dealing with worry about job loss as a result of the downturn is a major one at the moment.
“For instance, someone who anticipates that lay-offs are on the way can have huge feelings of low self-esteem in relation to how they are going to be perceived by others as well as the obvious financial worry.
“The most important thing is to reassure them that this is not their own fault and that they re-establish their own self-worth. Many people have already descended into depression, so I encourage them to talk, to explore where all this might be coming from. Often, insecurities go back to something that went on during their upbringing and the session just gives them that push needed to talk it out and face their demons.”
Beirne also works with businesses in the role of a workplace facilitator, coach and trainer.
“The downturn has caused workforce reductions in companies and the remaining management and staff are now faced with taking on new roles. There can be skills gaps and a lot of understandable dissention.”
Beirne is really enjoying her new role.
“I’ve finally ended up in the caring profession. My years in the bank, learning everything the hard way, balancing motherhood and work, has left me with a raft of experience. I want to share that and pass it on.”