Finishing up your journey in education and placing that first foot on the career ladder — where you will likely spend most of the rest of your life — can be a daunting prospect, but there are steps you can take and supports you can utilise to smooth the transition.
The first port of call, according to Michael Murphy, principal of Mayo College of Further Education and Training (FET), are career counselling services, CV workshops, and networking events offered by your college and local Education and Training Board (ETB).
“These resources are designed to support you in your job search and career development,” he says. “Before you graduate, gain practical experience.
“Take advantage of work-integrated learning opportunities such as internships, apprenticeships, or co-op programs. These experiences allow you to apply classroom knowledge in real-world settings.”
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A spokeswoman for Laois and Offaly ETB’s adult guidance service agrees with Murphy that these networks put a strong emphasis on job advancement.
“During their time on a programme, students are supported by adult career guidance counsellors who will work with them to identify a number of potential progression routes,” she says.
“Students are supported with job applications and interview skills. This support continues after the student progresses to work with many students returning for career guidance throughout their career.
“Completing work placement is an essential part of a full educational award on an FET programme. Before their work placement, students are prepared for the work environment, they develop their CV, and learn job application and interview skills.”
She points out that employers place a high value on work experience. “It is proof of your capacity to adjust from academia to the workforce,” she says.
“The work placement module is a practical way for students to gain insight into working in their chosen field while also enabling them to lay the foundations and build on their skills.
“This is especially helpful during the interview process because it makes it much easier for you to respond to competency-based questions that are based on actual situations, which demonstrates to the employer that you are aware of the responsibilities of the position.
“In many cases the work experience results in a job offer for the student when they have completed their course.”
The supports and experience on offer at ETBs in terms of kick-starting your career are plentiful. Maeve, who doesn’t want her surname published, discovered this when she completed a Level 5 programme in business administration.
“When I finished secondary school, I had just turned 17 years old,” she says. “My parents thought I was too young to go away to college and so enrolled me in a course which I would not have to move away to complete.
“While on this course, I gained experience in how to do up a CV, do an interview, and then gain work placement, which was required.
“The work placement I obtained was in an insurance brokers. It was for two weeks, but they offered me a full-time summer job. Coming to the end of the summer, they again offered me full-time permanent employment. That was the start of my career.
“I have done extra modules over the years such as medical terminology, payroll, spreadsheets, etc.
“Each job has taught me new skills and I have kept up with the ever-changing world of technology, but I never would have done any of this if it wasn’t for that first Level 5 course and I have never regretted it.”
It is important to remain open-minded and resilient when it comes to the job search and your career path, the spokeswoman for Laois and Offaly ETB’s adult guidance service points out.
“Working in jobs that may not be the ideal role can often offer a chance to advance a pathway to your ideal role,” she says. “Also working with companies that present internal opportunities can result in career options that one has never considered.
“Completion of an FET programme provides school leavers, career changers and unemployed people with a great opportunity to explore a potential career choice, develop essential transferable skills, update their work skills, develop academic skills and make contacts through their classmates, teachers and work placement employers.”
Jennifer Ryan, who leads editorial strategy and content production for the Get Hired section of LinkedIn News Europe, says the past year has seen “a seismic shift in the world of work”.
“Traditional career paths have been upended, new industries have emerged, and the skills employers seek are changing faster than ever,” she says.
But where are jobs to be found? “Ireland’s thriving tech industry has created a strong demand for highly-skilled workers and that is reflected in the LinkedIn data, with software engineer emerging as the top job for new graduates,” says Ryan.
“These engineers are at the forefront of emerging technology, whether it’s developing new microchips and processors, or working on the latest operating systems or security software.
“In fact, demand for software engineers in Ireland outstrips supply, with a steady flow of talent coming into the country from places such as India, the UK, Brazil, Turkey and the Netherlands.”
Social workers, credit controllers and accountants are also among the most in-demand professions in the State, according to recruitment firm Hays.
The top 10 list, outlined in the company’s salary and recruiting trends guide for 2024, also includes quantity surveyors, maintenance engineers, cybersecurity managers, engineering project managers, data analysts, supplier relationship managers and quality analysts.
Hays said the top 10 list reflected employer demand and job listings across Ireland and indicated the hiring intentions of 85 per cent of employers.
Sarah Kelly left school early and did not sit her Leaving Cert, but found her path to a fulfilling career through Westport College of Further Education (WCFE). “I wasn’t very interested in learning at that time,” she says.
“I began working as soon as I left school. There have been times I regretted not doing my Leaving Cert but when I reflect over my career history and my achievements to date, I feel like I have worked hard to get to where I am today.
“I qualified as a beauty therapist in 2006 when I commenced a private college course part-time in Galway. As this course was part-time it did not cover all aspects of beauty therapy so I did find it harder to get work in that area without all the qualifications that I needed.
“I shifted my focus at the time to another career but always missed the beauty therapy. I went travelling and when I returned to Ireland I was delighted to see that WCFE had commenced a new course which was full-time and was a duration of two years.”
Kelly says the course was a great success for her, covering all aspects of beauty therapy and massage and had recognised qualifications. “It gave me great confidence in that line of work. I worked hard, did well in my exams, and got student of the year,” she says.
“It gave me many new skills and I really enjoyed it. I secured a job as a beauty therapist in a four-star hotel in the town where I worked for four years. I then moved into a management position in another four-star spa in the town where I worked as a spa manager for five years.
“My current role is spa manager in the Westport Hotel Group and I have a team of 19 that I manage. I really enjoy this job as I have the background in beauty therapy and can use my knowledge in this area to improve sales and customer experience.
“I enjoy being a manager as I like to interact with people and enjoy when the staff are happy in their jobs because of my management approach.”
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