It’s hard to believe that in our June newsletter we were talking about heatstroke and ‘exam weather’ yet four short weeks later we are lamenting the wettest July on record! Paddy Power has stopped taking bets on the good weather coming back when the kids go back to school!
In the month where we say goodbye to Tweeting and hello to ‘X’ing…. (we’re stumped too!!) truly we are in the silly season. Thankfully we had the Girls in Green down under to give us something real to get behind, yes they didn’t qualify but we have to start somewhere and they are great role models for the next generation. Well done to all.
Apart from the RTE scandal not much happened in the news July. There really was only one 'ghoulish' show in town. Fun fact about Public Accounts Committee (PAC) viewing figures according to an Irish Times article on 15th July – In normal circumstances, a screening of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) would attract 29,000 minutes viewed. This equates to approximately 240 people watching a PAC hearing if it lasted two hours (120 minutes). The total number of minutes watched on Oireachtas TV last Tuesday was 9.1 million - a 300-fold increase on normal. It is the equivalent of 150,000 hours, 6,250 days or 17 years of total viewing.
RIP Sinead O’Connor, an amazing lady with one of the best voices in the business and a very kind soul, gone far too young.
A couple of silly season stories that caught our eye during July;
Our friends in Louth Plan to introduce falcons to control seagull problem. You might consider this one seriously if you’ve ever had your burger nicked by an aggressive seagull in town (which I have BTW, I was raging and hungry!).
Get out the cocktail shakers, all in the name of medicine of course - Espresso Martini's might help prevent alzheimers!
Interesting story on commercial leasing rates in Dublin when set against the backdrop of Ireland’s growth rates and the rise of the hybrid workforce. What impact will the Google push to get workers back to the office have we wonder. Read it here.
Ryanair posts €663m Q2 profits and is a little bearish about winter travel based on rising mortgage rates and general cost of living increases. I wouldn’t bet against them outperforming their estimates though!
Have you ever tracked the value of your pension pot and wondered why it seems to be decreasing in value year-on-year? Perhaps this report can help allay some of your fears about retiring in poverty! Read it here.
In the light of recent media coverage on governance and transparency an interesting aspect of the debate has been the role of the Board of Directors. McKinseys have published a useful ‘explainer’ that will help companies of any size. Read it here.
Were you or your family caught up in the hoopla trying to get tickets for Taylor Swift or Coldplay (or both)? The stats are amazing, in terms of waiting lists, people trying to get tickets and of course the sheer volume of money involved (paid in full over a year in advance!).
Last month we referenced two big movie releases in Barbie and Oppenheimer, but little were we expecting the ‘Barbenheimer’ phenomenon that swept the nation. You’d have to say that putting those two movies together for a single evening’s entertainment is quite the juxtaposition. It’ll be interesting to see if the output slows noticeably in the coming weeks with both the writers and now the actors out on strike. This is the first test of workers taking a stand against AI in their industry. Watch this space for concessions and how workers in other industries respond.
This month also marks the passing of a true legend and the last of the great crooners, Tony Bennett (96) and leaving us with an enormous catalogue of hits.
Presenteeism is considered an old-fashioned problem although it was still very much an issue in certain industries and was characterised by the feeling employees had to be seen to be working long hours for ‘the cause’. Many thought that hybrid and remote working would finally put paid to this, but oddly enough, it has gotten much worse for some with technology creating the impression in the minds of many bosses that employees should be ‘always on’. Nice piece here on the BBC website about this overworking culture post-pandemic;
This month’s lunchtime browsing is all about holiday tips!
- Worried about fires, pandemics etc? Best travel insurance tips
- Staycation? Keep ahead of the weather with the brilliant Met Eireann website & app
- The sun will return! Here’s what to do if you get sunburn
- Grab an ice cream with the family! - 15 of the best places in Ireland.
- The ultimate holiday packing tips - Handy ways to save room!
People change career for a whole host of reasons; from salary to location, from flexibility to challenge. Whatever is making you think about a move right now, do nothing without checking out the range of roles we’re working on at PeopleSource right now. Your ideal job not listed? Don’t worry, contact us for a discreet chat and we can come up with a proactive plan to help your search. Contact Rachel Tubridy on 086 662 9674 or email rtubridy@peolesource.ie
This year’s Championships have drawn to a close; Limerick do the 4-in-a-row whilst retaining the Liam McCarthy and are chasing the kind of ‘unbeatable’ reputation Kilkenny had for over a decade. Next up Dublin Vs Kerry on Sunday. May the best team win!
Rory picked up a title and a sizeable cheque in Scotland but couldn’t quite follow through in Liverpool for the elusive Major. Just up the road in Manchester it was a shame to see Australia retain the Ashes due entirely to two days rain. Wimbledon gave us an epic 5-setter in which Alcarez announced himself well and truly as a world-beater in beating Djokovic while Vondrousova beat Jabeur in a surprisingly easy 2 setter.
F1 is turning into something of a procession and not even a rare pole position for Lewis Hamilton could prevent another Verstappen rout as he steams towards another title in record time! Meanwhile, while we’ve all been supporting Ireland ‘down-under’ in the World Cup let’s not forget to tip our hats to Ireland’s U20 rugby team who found only the French too good when coming finishing runners up in the World Cup in Sth Africa; how big were those French guys???
Also this month for those who like horses...
Horseshow at the RDS – 9th to 13th August
Galway Races – 31st July to 6th August
And finally, Jonas Vingegaard (apparently pronounced “Vingago” – it’s a Danish thing) won the Tour de France with an incredible display of power and stamina. When I say “incredible” ….. some commentators have been raising their eyebrows which is harsh on Jonas but not surprising when you think of all the shenanigans in cycling in the past.
Each month we ask our readers to answer a question for a chance to win €100 One4all voucher.
Our question for the June newsletter was:
Knowing what you know now in life/career, was the college course you picked relevant to your current career?
And the results were:
Yes – 95%
No - 5%
We've been remiss all this time in asking a question every month and not really reviewing the responses - we're going to put that to rights now and in future. Starting with one of our most comprehensive results - a massive 95% - of saying that your college choices remain appropriate to your careers today. This is fantastic as so many Leaving Cert students have no idea which direction to at such a young age. I would believe this is an outlier compared to other office-based roles e.g. sales, marketing, customer services etc.
And the winner of our voucher is – Sean McNally – we’ll be in touch!
Our question for the July newsletter is:
Networking is a key part of both career and personal development, yet very few people enjoy it.
How many in-person events do you attend each month?
A. None
B. 1 - 2
C. 3 and more
D. Other (please add comment!)
The winner will be chosen at random and will receive €100 One4All voucher. Enter here to be in with a chance to win.
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