According to a Garda spokesperson, "between 15,000 and 20,000 applications for 1,000 positions is the norm." The Garda recruit from a pool which includes Leaving Cert holders, graduates and post-graduates. However, they stress that they are looking for people with potential who will benefit from the training.

So, the advice is - dont' put all your eggs in one basket. Your application may be unsuccessful, so you should have some other career choice. Even if you are chosen, you may not be called for training for more than a year.

Second-level students who leave school in a year when the Garda are not recruiting are often in a quandry about which course to pursue in the meantime. According to the Garda spokesperson, there's no particular course that will improve your recruitment chances. The advice is that you will benefit from almost any reputable course.

So, you would be wise to take a course in which you have a definite interest. There's room in the force for people with a wide range of qualifications.

The job is very varied. It's worth remembering, though, that the job can have its dangers - law and order is, after all, what it's all about. However, people with good diplomatic skills who can keep calm under pressure can defuse many potentially violent situations.