Ian discusses working as a Planner at MKO. Ian studied a Bsc in City Planning and Environmental Planning at the University of Galway. Ian joined MKO in 2023.
What inspired you to pursue a career in planning?
As a kid, I always wanted to be an architect, but unfortunately, my biggest weakness is anything to do with maths so that was not going to work. When I was looking around at university courses, I stumbled on a planning course and realised it had all of the things that interested me in architecture – and almost no maths involved! I researched more about the profession and ended up totally enamoured with it, and here I am.
Can you describe your typical day as a Planner?
I am not sure there is such a thing as a typical day as a planner! The better way to view it might be over a week. I might have to write a planning report and draft the planning application for one project on Monday, work on creating a public consultation programme on Tuesday, draft an Appeal to An Bord Pleanála for another project on Wednesday, take part in design team meetings and talk over design proposals on Thursday, and then have to lodge that planning application from Monday on Friday.
What types of projects are you currently working on?
I work with the Housing and Public Infrastructure team within Planning, so most (but not all) of my projects fall within that area. For example, over the past year and a half, I have worked on housing developments, a primary care centre, a greenway, town centre first plans, horse stables, a wind farm, public parks, and a university building. There is a massive array of projects we work on, and there is so much I get to learn from them as I go. There are always opportunities to take on work from our commercial, industrial and renewables teams if it interests me.
How would you describe the culture at MKO?
Friendly – my colleagues are fantastic and make me smile every day. There is also a strong collaborative environment so it’s never scary to ask for help, and there’s always somebody around who’s able to give you a hand. On top of it, there are also a lot of social opportunities with the company after work hours. That is particularly great if you are new to the area like I was.
What do you enjoy most about your role at MKO?
I think I enjoy the variety of work the most. Between the types of projects and the types of work we do for them, no two days are the same. The opportunities to learn from all the different sectors we work in are massive as well. I know I have been able to develop knowledge about fields and projects I wouldn’t have even guessed when I started.
What advice do you have for someone aspiring to pursue a career in planning with MKO?
Study hard, and come to one of our recruitment/graduate events to meet us. It’s a great way to get a feel for the company, and find out more about the kinds of work we do and where you might fit in.
What are the most important skills required for your role?
I think writing skills and critical/creative thinking are the most essential skills for a planning role. A lot of our work involves synthesising policy and reports together or crafting an argument in favour of something. Being able to take a large set of documents or data and distil it down to the key points is essential. I have also found that being proficient in GIS has enabled me to bolster my written analysis and better display any spatial arguments I am trying to make.
What is the most exciting thing about the future of planning?
There are huge challenges facing Irish society over the coming decades that planning will have to be at the forefront of solving. Mitigating and adapting to climate change will be a massive undertaking, requiring a fundamental change in how we plan our built and natural environments. The housing crisis will require a similar scale of change, as will Ireland’s demographic shift to an older population. Being able to positively contribute to solving those over-arching challenges is thrilling, and can be a rare thing to find in a career.
