Today Digital
Want to get the inside scoop on the standout stars in the Today Digital team that help drive our company forward? Maybe you’ve wondered what it’s like to work for a company like ours, or perhaps you just want to get to know the people you might encounter during a collaboration with our brand.
Either way, our Meet the Team series is here to help. These interviews with our team members offer you a behind-the-scenes look at what makes the core members of the Today Digital family tick!
Today, we’re going to be introducing our Technology Journalist, Kieran Devlin. Read on for everything you need to know about Kieran’s talents, hobbies, ambitions, and his experiences here at Today Digital.
Meet Kieran: Quick-Fire Personality Insights
Q: Who’s your favorite musician or artist?
A: It’s probably a toss-up between either Los Campesinos or LCD Soundsystem
Q: What kind of hobbies do you have outside of work?
A: I’m very into hiking, football and basketball. I also love reading, films and music. I actually have a (shamefully) nerdy obsession with collecting “physical” media, like books, DVDs, Blu-Rays and vinyl records.
Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: Paella. I love everything about it- cooking it, eating it, sharing it (sometimes).
Q: Do you have any pets? Tell us about them!
A: I have a family dog in my life – a Cavachon named Maisie. I’m hoping to get a dog of my own next year too.
Q: What’s your favorite movie or TV show?
A: My favorite TV show is probably 30 Rock – my favorite film is Billy Wilder’s The Apartment.
Q: Who’s your role model?
A: John Steinbeck. To me, he’s not only one of the best novelists of all time but an incredibly compassionate and humane writer. He helped me understand the importance of empathy and justice as a teenager
Q: Tell us something unusual about yourself
A: I actually have a long history in journalism. Before I got involved with the tech industry, I covered football, film, and music!
Q: If you were a super hero what would your superpower be
A: Now I’m the wrong side of 30, I’d love a super power that gave me the ability to exercise regularly without my body breaking down!
Behind the Scenes with Kieran Devlin
Q: Tell us about your role at Today Digital, what does a “day in the life” here look like for you?
A: I’m a technology journalist with UC Today, and I’ve been working here for exactly eighteen months now – which has been incredible. Every day has it’s unique elements, but most of the time it starts with an “early morning”. I’ve always been a morning person, so by 7:30am I’m usually scanning the web for news and interesting updates.
After uploading something new and exciting to the site for our readers, I’ll usually dive into some more administrative tasks for a while, before diving back into writing. I might end up covering more news, creating an analysis piece, writing up an interview or something else.
Throughout the day, there will usually be some video content to record, too, as well as publishing on socials and engagement and outreach with the UC Today community.
Q: What inspired you to pursue a career in journalism? How did your journey start with Today Digital?
A: I actually spent some time as a “student journalist” for my university. When I graduated, I started jobs in higher education and the recruitment field – but I never really felt the same passion, fulfillment, or job satisfaction I’d had when I was focused on journalism. So I retraced my steps.
I retrained and completed a journalism Masters in London five years ago, and have never looked back. After experimenting with a range of journalism jobs, I ended up finding Today Digital, and dove head-first in the technology industry.
Q: How do you think you’ve grown since you joined our team?
A: I think my knowledge of technology and my skills as a journalist have continued to grow since I started working with Today Digital. I’ve really loved developing my expertise in this industry, and exploring new topics with my content.
I find it incredibly exciting to be involved in constantly recognizing and writing about the latest technology trends in the sectors we cover. I’ve really developed a great understanding of how the latest tech trends aren’t just impacting businesses, but the global economy, and the world at large.
Q: What do you do with your extra time, thanks to the 4-day work week?
A: The four-day work week has been a brilliant evolution at Today Digital for me – and a lot of my team members too. It’s really giving me a lot more freedom to balance my work and personal life. Currently, I’m learning to drive, so that takes up my extra availability on mornings.
I also have more time to visit the gym, and handle housework and day-to-day chores through the week, so I can spend my weekends with friends and family.
Q: What are you looking forward to right now?
A: I’m getting married next year, and I can’t wait!
Q: What one piece of advice would you give to someone following a career path similar to yours?
A: I honestly think that all journalists could benefit from reading more. Read as much as possible, whenever possible. Learn everything you can about the industry you follow, but read for the sake of self-development and fun too.
The only way to become an expert in your patch (in my opinion), is by taking every opportunity you can to learn, and nurturing an instinctive curiosity about the “how’s”, “when’s”, “where’s” and “why’s” of a story.
