Team Tuesday: Meet our Senior Accountant, Conor Dunne

Where did you begin your career?

“My first job was a long time ago in the local fruit & veg shop.

More recently, I began my career in An Post before stepping into the world of finance and lending with another alternative lender which lead me to joining Onate”

What is the best career advice you’ve ever been given?

“I think it was Einstein who said that anybody who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.

I’ve had lots of good career advice but one thing that I remind myself of as often as possible is that you are never finished learning.

Every day is an opportunity to learn something new, whether it be from the people you work with or the challenges you encounter.

Similarly, it is important to regularly venture outside of your comfort zone, as this is where you are most likely to learn and grow”

What tips would you give to someone starting in your profession?

“Pursuing a professional accounting qualification can be very daunting from the outset.

It will no doubt be challenging, and everybody encounters setbacks along the way. However, if you can find self-belief and the determination to overcome these setbacks and see the qualification through, you will reap the rewards at the other end.

So I would always encourage anybody considering a future in accounting and finance to go for it, as it will unlock countless opportunities and open plenty of doors throughout your career”

What is your greatest professional achievement to date?

“Prior to joining Onate, my greatest professional achievement was receiving recognition from the ACCA for placing 1st place in Ireland in one of my final exams. Knowing how much hard work (and blood, sweat and tears!) went into preparing for each exam, this is a source of great pride for me.

However, having joined Onate while it is still a relatively young business, I expect that there will be plenty of opportunities for greater professional achievements - both individually and as part of the wider team as we move forward on this journey together”

Tell us something people may not know about you

“My career could have taken a very, very different path. At nine years old, my mother took it upon herself to enrol me in an archaeology course that was on every Saturday afternoon in DCU (while I wanted to be out playing football with the rest of my friends).

Needless to say, archaeology didn’t turn out to be one of my strong points! I got my wish and was out picking daisies by the time the next football season kicked off”