FAQ's
Most frequent questions and answers about career guidance and career advice
Helping to prepare your son/daughter for life after school is one of the most important tasks you’ll have as a parent. With the right approach, helping your teen move into adulthood can be rewarding and help them develop a sense of independence.
Going to college, getting a job are common choices teens face. Here’s how you can help your adult-to-be make the best decision.
College or PLC or Apprenticeship
Many teens these days need to get started early because of the extensive research involved and the deadlines for early admissions programs like Unicas. Also having an awareness of which leaving cert subjects at which grade needed for particular college courses e.g. Engineering usually needs a H3/H4. In fact, We would always recommend starting the research as early as transition year to start subject choice with researched knowledge.
A good preparation for your son/daughter is to sit down and start writing — this is great practice for the application process. Teens should list their goals as well as their accomplishments, even if they haven’t yet decided on a field of study or career. Ask your teen to write down a list of:
- Academic and personal strengths and weaknesses
Extracurricular activities
Awards and achievements
Grades
Next we would recommend they take psychometric testing i.e. Interest/Personality Profile/Ability testing to give direction on strengths and core values.
Also I have found many teens knowing what they want to do but not sure if it’s ok to pursue, listening to them I see they usually have some of the answers. They might already know what they want to do but not sure how to communicate it, if we help them to communicate this big decision, it’s a great template for life communication.
For apprenticeships again it is important to research many apprenticeships have mandatory subject results they would like from leaving cert i.e. Maths, physics depending on the apprenticeship. Start to research the different apprenticeships available, contact companies/institutions that provide apprenticeships ask for information on the apprenticeship.
Most importantly Don’t push your children into careers they’re not suited for – it will backfire.
As with how to pick a career it’s the same process for when choosing a college course. By taking the psychometric testing ie Interest test/Personality Profile/Ability testing you will be armed with knowledge on your strengths.
Next is to know which college course will deliver the best options for you. How many points are you likely to achieve which colleges will give you the option of. Each college has its own core values and its own particular emphasis on how it delivers its programmes so do your research to ensure they align with your son/daughters.
Look at the curriculum of the college course, you will find each year’s curriculum listed out on their website under that specific course. When applying for a job we look for a job description if it looks like something we can or cannot do or if we are interested in this job the same idea can be applied to college courses. Look at the curriculum which will detail which modules are covered.
When we do this in a session it cuts out some courses and adds others as this is essentially getting down to the nitty gritty of what this course will feel and look like day to day it’s also a great way to see what your future job may look like.
Next, teens should think about and list the qualities they’re looking for in a college: do they want to go away to school, stay close to home, would they flourish in a big college environment or would they be better suited in a smaller environment for example?
Armed with this preliminary information, it’s time to begin the research. Guidebooks, the Internet using qualifax and help from us as career guidance. As your son/daughter chooses potential colleges, start visiting campuses and talking with students who go there.
Experts suggest narrowing the choices to a diverse mix of about six schools where the odds range from low to high for gaining admission.Understand the CAO system before 6th year is very helpful and takes the stress out of the CAO time for both you and your son/daughter.
Look at financial help and grants/scholarships available be prepared with knowing the application process, there are grants through Susi and other sources to ensure those who are candidates for college get there.
Create a to do list of goals and plans for the transition year and put into a calendar you will be amazed how much you achieve in this year. The following is a list that you could use to help with your planning:
Create a plan
Interest Inventory
Personality Profile
Occupational Ability testing
Future Planning
Goals
What I have achieved to date and what I would like to achieve this year
Work experience
Transition year programmes
How to pick subject choices
Start with your plan of self and world discovery. This year you can take the time you need to create a structure from your plan of how to go forward in your future. By the way nothing is set in stone its a road map sometimes this changes but at least you have direction.
If you are considering a college course that will need a portfolio this is a great year to start your research and get a start on the portfolio.
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if you would like any information on any of our career advice services please email us: info@careermanagement.ie
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- A year before start to look at www.cao.ie to look at the steps involved.
- Look at the demo given on www.cao.ie you can practice with the demo to get familiar with the form.
- When you start looking at college courses take note of the code of the course and keep those notes as your research material.
- Look at the course requirements i.e. is a portfolio required or interview or do they require a minimum grade from a particular subject.
- Go to open days, walk the grounds of the college, speak to students/tutors remember you can go any year this doesn’t only have to be 6th year. Go twice if you like it’s your future.
- Give yourself options to always have a fall back. Fill in as many Level 8/Level 7 and Level 6/5 as possible. We truly believe in striving forward and dreaming big but we are also realists that understand sometimes things don’t go as planned.
- Use online research like Qualifax and college websites to understand what options are out there. Also ask people who have gone or are going to the college.
- Start looking at the www.cao.ie website in advance to look at the process involved with the form.
- There is a demo on the website to start to practice.
- Tick the box to say you are applying for Dare.
- Ask at open days if the college uses the DARE scheme and how many awarded
- Below please find a link for the 2020 Dare handbook through Access College website
- Understand the documentation required to start to get your ducks in a row and have copies of everything.
- This is a good time to start looking at the personal statement and how education has been for you so far not to rush into this statement last minute.
- This statement can also be used as a template for your future planning for education: what worked for you and what didn’t, which college is a good fit for you.
http://accesscollege.ie/wp-
Some colleges offer a reduction in the standard CAO course entry points requirement to students whose disability has had a big impact on their education to date. Examples of a big impact could be, missing long periods of school due to illness, limited access to texts due to a visual impairment or poor memory/concentration causing below par study and exam performance.
This type of admissions route is known as supplementary entry and students who qualify could end up securing a place between 10-15% below the points requirement. In real terms this could mean for example getting offered a course which is pitched at 450 points despite only getting 400 points in your Leaving Cert.
This is not an easy route into college; this is for people who have had additional issues throughout school that have impacted on their education and made it more challenging than those without those issues.
In our opinion this system is for the warriors who have faced challenge after challenge that most others don’t understand and still they stay driving forward and upwards. The world of Industry/Medicine/Engineering/
Yes there is support for people with disabilities in college more than you might have experienced in previous education. This is where open days are great to investigate the support in each college.
Please find the list of supports generally available but check your college of choice to ensure they have the supports you need:
Speaking to the disability or access officer
All universities and colleges have someone who is responsible for support of students with disabilities. They are usually called a disability or access officer. Make sure to speak to this person and let them know if there’s anything specific you need (like educational materials, recorders, printouts of lectures or wheelchair access) or any facilities you’re not happy with.
The disability or access officer will be your go-to person within the college to discuss any concerns you have regarding your disability and education. Every college is different, so it’s a good idea to have a conversation with them and find out exactly what supports are available so that you can make the most of your time there. You could also ask the Students’ Union if there are any clubs or societies for students with disabilities, or consider starting one yourself.
Asking for additional support
There are a few reasons why you might want to ask for additional support. Below are some examples of what you might ask for:
Permission to record lectures
If you have dyslexia, hearing difficulties or sight difficulties, you can ask for permission to record classes or ask the teacher/ lecturer for printed notes. Some universities and colleges can also provide a recorder for you to use during the year.
Accessible classrooms or lecture halls
If you are a wheelchair user or have mobility problems then you should contact the school, university or college to make sure that all classes and facilities (including sports) are accessible to you.
Assistants
Some universities and colleges may be able to provide an assistant who can come to lectures with you and takes notes if you are unable to take notes yourself.
Exam support
Supports might also include extra time for exams, having the examiner read the questions to you, or taking exams in a private room and having an examiner scribe for you.
Accommodation
Some universities and colleges provide accessible accommodation. Speak to the disability or access officer to find out more about your options.
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if you would like any information on any of our career advice services please email us: info@careermanagement.ie
connect with us
If you are in a school or college and not sure which direction to take:
Firstly start to write down what you have achieved so far in education/hobbies etc look for the areas that have interested you most.
Look at your strengths. You can take psychometric testing to check your strengths and interests. Then armed with this knowledge you can make a plan step by step of how to move forward.
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle.” — Steve Jobs
We believe there is a direction and role for everyone, and this usually changes throughout life it’s about seeking advice when your not sure how to make this change or where to change to.
An interview can be a nervous time, but in my experience with fore planning and using the below tips you can be much more successful at interviews:
An interview is given in different ways for example there is the usual interview in an office but also be mindful the world is changing and interviewing could be happening without
you realising please find the following examples of some interview types:
- The Telephone Interview
- The Face-to-Face Interview
- The Panel Interview
- The Group Interview
- The Sequential Interview
- The Lunch / Dinner Interview
- Competency Based Interviews
- Formal / Informal Interview
Everyday in Business you should consider each day is an interview really. This might sound stressful, but if you flip how it sounds and realise you have already been interviewed everyday of your working life so far and succeeded Great to know!!!
This should help you alleviate the stress you might feel about the interview and try to think of it as a normal working day where you are totally on your game.
So prepare for interview, the initial phone call, the application process, certificates needed, C.V. and your interaction with the initial person who contacts you this is all part of the overall interview and selection.
When applying for a job be mindful this is the beginning of the process tips on how to make this easier:
- How much information provided- make their job easier by providing everything needed remember they don’t know you yet!
- Make a plan, list out what you need to do in order to get the job
- Be articulate and informative – again make their job easier by making it easier to know you and what your capabilities are.
- If you are asked to provide additional documentation or certs have this with your application- don’t make it difficult to get access to your accreditation or certification.
- Be professional and courteous from the outset you don’t know who you are speaking to yet
- Don’t send in a C.V. without up to date career information- very important they are looking at the information you have provided and it’s up to you to ensure you provide everything to enhance your possible selection.
- Most companies now have different selection stages. This is to ensure they take the right candidate- Sometimes I hear people being fearful of this, flip this and see how the company is trying to ensure they take the best candidates to match the roles and teams already existing. This means if you are successful that the company is going to do quite an amount of work to ensure the next person on your team is fit to be there.
- Recruitment and selection is an expensive process for any company so be mindful they want to hire, it’s up to you to show how hireable you are by showcasing your capabilities this will also help you see if you are right for the job.
- Most importantly do you want the job? Do your research for yourself to understand the company you are being interviewed by. The most successful candidates at interview from my experience are those who really want the job as in they want to do the actual job and they are excited about the role. They understand the role what it entails and they understand the company.
- Do your research on the company and what kind of service/products do they provide? Do you believe in their products/services? Could you work day to day hour to hour with providing this service/product?
- Remember no recruiter expects you to know everything on-one does, but if you have made a good effort at researching, knowing if you want the job and why this goes a long way to answering interview questions.
At interview please find the following tips from my experience as a recruiter.
So the normal questions asked at interview are as follows:
- Tell me about yourself. …
- Why should we hire you? …
- What is your greatest strength? …
- What is your greatest weakness? …
- Why do you want to leave (or have left) your current job? …
- What are your salary expectations? …
- Why do you want this job? …
- How do you handle stress and pressure?
- It amazes me how in interviews people find these questions unusual they are common.
In interview I wanted to know:
- About the person in front of me in their own words, I didn’t know them yet other than in paper.
- What skills have they got to bring to the job, how much upskilling is involved?
- Do they know their own strengths and weaknesses and do they have enough self knowledge to tell me what they are?
- Are they going to be honest with me when making a mistake, can I thrust they know their weaknesses enough to ask for further training when needed, and we all need ongoing upskilling.
- Do they have realistic expectations of the role/company/salary?
- Do they really want to work here or is it for another job? Can they tell me what we do?
- Are they interested in the business?
- Do they have previous knowledge of this industry?
- How will they work in a team?
- What are their communication styles when working within a team?
- How are they working under pressure? How will they react to stress?
If you ask yourself these questions and have your own answers. Practice an interview before hand with those questions and answers this will certainly help you prepare.
- Some work experience might even give you the opportunity to take on some really interesting and challenging responsibilities even if this is making tea and filing you are in the door and looking at the way the business runs and performs its an opportunity to learn your first steps in this career.
- Young people are more likely to be successful in their career search if they have done some good work experience. Fact.
- Want some evidence? Well, over half of the graduate recruiters that took part in a recent research study by Highfliers said that, “graduates who have had no previous work experience at all are unlikely to be successful during the selection process and have little or no chance of receiving a job offer for their organisations’ graduate programmes.
- If you haven’t got a clue which career you would like to work in, then work experience is a perfect way to sample all the career options out there. It’s a way of exploring different jobs without actually committing to anything. You can dip your toe in the water without taking the full plunge.
- It’s the best way to get a real sense of your chosen industry. You’ll get to speak to employees and ask them questions. You won’t know what it’s like until you get closer to the action.
- Doing work experience shows passion and interest. Evidence that you have work experience shows the employer that you are motivated to get into a chosen career and that you’ve done your homework and you were prepared to get tooled up when making your future decisions. In other words you are prepared to work and research when it comes to a big decision, employers will see that as you being a safe pair of hands to deliver projects in future as you have proven you are prepared to work and research when making decisions.
- If you’re floundering about and frankly aren’t that bothered about your career, work experience might just be the motivation you need. If you do a variety of different work placements you might find something you are passionate about and get motivated.
- Work experience gently introduces you to the world of work. You get to learn the do’s and don’ts, get work place savvy and learn to navigate your way through the jungle of office politics. Vitally, it’ll give you an idea of the skills you might need to thrive in the workplace and which skills you need to brush up on.
- It’ll help you identify your own skills and perhaps even highlight the areas that you might want to work on. It’ll definitely give you a good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.
- You might wow them so much that you’ll manage to wrangle yourself a job!
- It’s all about networking. It’ll help you build up contacts and, you never know, they might even give you a heads up about a future job or recommend you to another company
- And yes, work experience does give you something to put on your CV!
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