Career Heroes - Aislin McShane-Gebska

Tell us more about you

I'm a wife and mother of two young children - a boy and a girl. My hobbies include socialising, meeting friends, and walking. Recently, I've gotten back into going to a personal trainer in the mornings. Balancing a work-life balance can be hard with juggling a busy home life and I need to remember to put myself first. Exercising and eating well helps me be the best version of myself. I then have the energy and drive to support others.

What kind of work do you do?

I look after the HR department. I'm responsible for all personnel information and I'm the point of contact for all employees. I also do payroll. My job has a lot of variety, not every day is the same. I lead the ‘Port Life’ team (which is our internal communications brand) and I work hard to encourage a good working culture as well as listening to the staff on how we can better our organisation.

Some of my key tasks day to day include absence management, compiling reports, planning, creating job adverts, carrying out recruitment interviews, inducting new staff, being trained in mental health first aid and physical first aid, and supporting in the accounts department when needed.

I'm mainly based in the office but I try and get out on the quay and down into the actual Port regularly to meet with the team. This helps me keep good working relationships and for staff to know I’m always here if they need me. I have the option to work from home if I need to but I usually work in the office. In my role, I work with other managers and staff frequently, we are a great wee team.

How did you become a HR Manager?

I went to St Mary's High School in Newry and I loved it. I did well in my GCSEs so I went on to complete my A Levels but decided university was not for me. I went to Southern Regional College to obtain my Private Secretary Diploma and then went straight to work in the Port at 19.

Whilst working for Warrenpoint Port I completed a lot training and courses and I'm finally on the right career path for me. I’ve been very lucky to get to work in so many departments to get a real insight into what I want to do with my future. HR is something I'm good at as I'm a 'people person', and I aspire to go far in this career path.

If you could do-over, What would you do differently?

I don’t regret choosing to not go to university. It was the best decision for me, as there are always different paths to get to the same destination. This is even more true now with the many Higher Level Apprenticeship opportunities. If I was to do something different, it would be to have done my HR qualifications sooner and progressed at a quicker pace.