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Staff Spotlight: Wolfgang Helnwein
Wolfgang Helnwein works as an IT Support Analyst in IT Services. Wolfgang recounts his academic and professional journey and how the allure of Cork consistently drew him back. Wolfgang’s keen interest for writing, IT, and continuous learning burn brightly, bringing him to where he is today.
From Dublin – Cork - Galway and back to Cork! Wolfgang, tell us more about your journey to UCC?
In my teens, I wanted to be a writer, so for my CAO I put down Journalism as my top choice, but I just missed out on the points. In the end I got my second choice and made my way to University College Dublin to study Arts, majoring in English and History. Most of my friends were in Cork however, so in my second year I made the fateful decision to transfer to UCC. I had a great time here as a student and the experiences I had made a lasting positive impression on me.
I got a taste of journalism as an intern at the Munster Express and eventually became a freelance writer. I went on to do a Masters in Writing at the University of Galway, but as is often the way, I couldn’t quite escape Cork for long. Some years later, I applied for the Executive Assistant Panel at UCC but didn’t think anything would come of it. Near the end of that panel’s lifespan however I received a call out of the blue and was asked if I was still interested in working at UCC.
Tell us about your career to date?
I started working in UCC in 2017 as an Executive Assistant in Academic Affairs and Governance (then the Academic Secretariat) where I managed UCC’s taught external examiner process. I was also the committee secretary for the Digital Education Advisory Group, which exposed me to the remarkable work being done behind the scenes by Digital Services and the Centre for Digital Education to support learning and teaching at UCC. Due to these efforts, somebody suggested I apply for an upcoming role in IT Services. I finally joined IT Services in November of 2022.
Wolfgang, what is a standard day working in UCC like for you?
I have been fortunate enough to get involved in all kinds of projects, from continuing to automate any processes I can get my hands on, to systems administration, cloud computing and working on data integration. Thanks to the very supportive atmosphere in my team, I have also enrolled in a part-time, fully remote HDip in Computer Science at the Southeast Technological University to get some formal education in the field. Juggling both is keeping me very busy lately, but I have been really enjoying it so far.
Working in IT Services, what do you enjoy most?
When I first heard about the opening in IT Services, I mainly looked forward to being able to work with technology full time and contributing to the University that way, but getting to know my colleagues here has been brilliant, especially in the wake of the odd and isolating experience of the pandemic. I also love the variety inherent in the work and all the opportunities to indulge in my curiosity.
How do you like to switch off from work?
Before starting in IT Services, I would spend hours after work on deep dives into IT, listening to podcasts and reading blogs about cybersecurity as well as teaching myself programming and Linux administration skills. They say you should never make your hobby your job, but still enjoy all that as much as ever. After hours, I contribute to open-source software projects, play games online (sometimes with UCC colleagues) and mess around with entirely too many computers. When I’m not doing that, I still love a good book, brushing up on my history and spending quality time with my fiancé.
Image credit: Deirdre Keane.