Meet The Team
James McGuirk - Systems & Operations Coordinator
Short Bio
Hi, my name is James McGuirk, Systems and Operations Coordinator with Spirasi. I am with the Spirasi over 3 years. Prior to that I have worked primarily in Sales and Marketing for over 15 years, I hold a Degree in Marketing and have a number of Digital Marketing Qualifications. Outside of work I love most things sports related, tennis, rugby, paddle boarding, I enjoy a bit of yoga and regularly go to the gym. Massive Leinster & Everton fan, I like to go to games when I can. I enjoy cooking when I have the time.
Fun Fact
I once won a fancy dress party dressed as Darth Maul from Star Wars, beating off a strong challenge from a lad dressed as Teen Wolf!
What attracted you to your role at Spirasi?
For a number of years I felt I wanted to work in Non Profit and to try assist in making a difference to someone else’s life, additionally I was looking to develop new skillsets. Spirasi offered me the opportunity to do all these things. As part of my preparation for job interview, the more I read about Spirasi, the work they do, and the help they provide to the people who use the service, I knew it was where I wanted to work. I felt the role was a challenge and a challenge I could rise to, I am delighted to be with the organisation for as long as I have been.
What are the challenges and rewards of your job?
The challenges of my role is that the work is quite demanding, it requires a lot of multitasking and thinking on my feet, but in truth I would not like it any other way. At times talking to some people who come to Spirasi and hearing the suffering they have endured is difficult, but to see the same people getting assistance to enable them to move forward in their lives is brilliant.
There are additional challenges around funding in terms of how the organisation operates and that can be problematic.
The rewards, many, I love getting to know some of the people who use the Spirasi service, hearing about how they are getting on. I work with fantastic people, who work very hard and give so much of themselves, being around them is something special. Plus, knowing that in some way I do a job which benefits someone else, that is gratifying.
