From Volunteer to Senior HR Officer: Simona’s Oxfam Story

“I started a role as Admin Assistant with the same team in 2015 and progressed into an Administrator position later that year. In 2017, I moved to the Human Resources Team and after completing CIPD qualifications, I was promoted to HR Officer and most recently Senior HR Officer.”

“It’s been a very fulfilling experience so far, and a very busy decade!”

“When I started volunteering with Oxfam Ireland, I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with my career, all I knew is that I wanted to work for an organisation that made a meaningful difference in other people’s lives.”

“During my first months at Oxfam, a colleague from the International Programmes Department delivered a talk about his recent travels to one of Oxfam’s in-country programmes. He spoke with such passion about the impact of our work, that I had no doubts about where I wanted to be. I still didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew Oxfam Ireland was the right place for me. And it still is.”

“I really enjoy the variety of our work and the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues across the organisation, as well as with other Oxfam affiliates. In HR we also look after really exciting projects such as Employee Benefits, Wellbeing, and most recently Coaching which has become my favourite area of work (yes, I absolutely LOVE IT).”

“Working in HR can be extremely demanding from an emotional point of view, and I am grateful I can count on a really supportive team. Knowing that even the most challenging of days has a positive impact on our programme work, makes it all worth it.”

“Where to start! I have very fond memories of the amazing volunteers I had the honour to work with, I am in awe of their dedication and commitment. “

“I loved my first big project at Oxfam, when we introduced a staff-led wellbeing programme and especially our annual step challenge – there is always some serious competition going on!”

“Something I am extremely proud of is my journey with coaching. I qualified as professional coach last year, and I now support colleagues with their personal and professional growth. Seeing the positive impact it makes on their work and personal lives, and witnessing their “lightbulb moments” is incredibly rewarding. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE coaching?”

“You are joining a team of extremely talented, passionate people that make positive global change possible. The staff and volunteers you will be working with bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to their everyday work, so take the time to get to know them and the work they do. There’s always something new to learn!”

“Oxfam Ireland has grown a lot since I first joined, teams are more specialised and diverse. Staff have more opportunities to take the initiative and work with different teams, there are so many exciting new projects being delivered.”