Dr Ria Mahon, Medical officer with the Irish Medicines Board.

Ria always wanted to study medicine. She trained as a doctor and worked in the field for years.  She now works with the Irish Medicine Board or Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) and works on the safety aspect of medical devices.

Here’s her advice to people who would like to work in her field: “Be brave and follow the career that really motivates you. Do not follow a job path just for financial gain as this could lead you to a very frustrating and unfulfilled life. Find what you enjoy and find a way to make a living from this. Remember that fortune favours the brave. Be persistent in following your goals and dreams, as there will always be obstacles in your way. Sometimes how you reach your dreams will not always be clear to you. Focus on the end result and the way will sort itself out. Remember that hard work gets you a long way and that success is 99% perspiration.”

Ria tells us that, “we overestimate what we can do in a year and underestimate what we can do in a decade.”

Her motto is, like the Nike advert, “Just do it”

Ria’s interview is featured in Career Coach – a step-by-step guide to help your teen find their life’s purpose by Dearbhla Kelly, published by Gill and Co.

Career Coach is available in all leading bookstores and on Amazon.