Eoin Cooney

Background

About Eoin Cooney

During my time at Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), I earned a Bachelor's (Hons) degree in Mechanical Engineering, a journey that spanned from 2019 to 2023. My college experience was marked by an unexpected challenge—after the first semester of my first year, the pandemic reshaped how we learned and worked. Despite the challenges, I made the most of my time, balancing academic commitments with part-time work. Throughout college, I worked weekends and evenings at my local Centra supermarket in Dunleer. This job was invaluable not just financially, but in developing skills I didn’t expect to gain. I honed my customer service, teamwork, and public speaking abilities, and later, when promoted to supervisor, I also developed leadership and employee management skills. The role helped me refine my time management as I balanced work with assignments and study sessions, all while learning to juggle multiple responsibilities. In addition to my part-time work, I gained industry experience during a summer internship with Suretank, a company specializing in the oil and gas sector. This opportunity allowed me to apply my academic knowledge, particularly with SolidWorks (3D CAD software), and gave me insight into the engineering industry. Although Suretank offered me a chance to stay on after the internship, I chose to return to my supermarket job which allowed me to focus on my final-year studies. After graduating, I took a brief detour before diving fully into engineering. I spent the summer working at Bay City Bike Rentals & Tours in San Francisco on a J-1 Visa. The physically demanding job involved lifting bikes, cycling to work, and even giving tours across the Golden Gate Bridge. The experience improved my public speaking and language skills, especially since I was able to converse with international tourists in both English and German. In September 2023, I began working at Hanley Energy as a Junior Mechanical Design Engineer. Though I had no prior experience in the field of critical power and energy management, the role has been an incredible learning experience. Over the past year, I’ve gained new technical skills and a deeper understanding of the industry, and I continue to learn and grow every day.