For many young people choosing their ideal, realistic (and indeed sustainable) career, can be a daunting exercise, challenge and worry. What do they do with their second level education? Do they pursue Third Level, do they repeat or do they start seeking employment immediately? So many questions, not much answers and not much solid, helpful advise available either. The ‘criticality’ of making the right decision will have implications long into their future both in time and financially. Before they choose Leaving Certificate subjects, before they choose a further education course, they must first choose a career. So many do it the opposite way around.
Since the Irish Government cut Career Guidance Teacher funding to secondary schools and urged these teachers to return to teaching, students parents and guardians have been left struggling to fend for themselves and help their son or daughter choose a vocation in life that meets their needs and requirements utilizing their natural talents and competencies. There is no longer someone to help students choose their ideal realistic career.
So, how does a young person choose an ideal, realistic career?
Ask these questions:
- Am I a people’s person, a hands-on person or a mind person?
- Am I a job-orientated or a career orientated person?
- What am I good at?
- What type of lifestyle do I want to live?
- Do I want to stay in Ireland or am I open to travelling the world?
1. Am I a people’s person, a hands-on person or a mind person?
- Do I enjoy working with and helping people?
- Do I have a skill with my hands; can I use my hands to make a living?
- Or am I a thinker, a researcher, someone who enjoys to work on their own?
2. Am I a job-orientated or a career orientated person?
- A job-orientated person is someone who enjoys 9-5 and has no interest in progressing to the top of their profession
- A career-orientated person is someone who has ambitions to reach the pinnacle of their profession i.e. be the best they can be and get to the top
- Both very understandable and completely fine, but which one are you?
3. What am I good at?
- What are you good at, what do you enjoy, is there an interest that you want to turn into a career?
- What do your family, friends say about you and your skills and talents?
- If you don’t know, find out, you have to, if you don’t you could end up anywhere
4. What type of lifestyle do I want to live?
- What are your job / career goals?
- What do you want to have in your life?
- Where do you want live?
- What is important to you?
- What are your values?
5. Do I want to stay in Ireland or am I open to travelling the world?
- Where would you like to be educated?
- Where would you like to work?
- Is your homeland, town, county and country important to you with respect to work?
The above questions are intended to get you focused, get you thinking; as decisions need to be made re; choosing your ideal, realistic career.
Remember, ‘Stand for something or you will fall for anything…’
