 Subsequently, Hardiman completed a master's degree in Aesthetics and Politics from the NCAD Dublin and a PhD in Film Studies from Trinity College, Dublin.In 1998 Hardiman became the youngest ever director of the Irish soap opera "Fair City", which airs on the RTÉ network in Ireland.Hardiman's early work with RTÉ also included producing and directing more than twenty documentaries and a number of entertainment shows including the Irish broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest.