What am I going to do after school?
This is a question that many Leaving Cert. students ask themselves. For some, it is easy to answer. For others, it is a huge source of stress. There is so much choice, but this can bring its own problems. Career planning is like building a jigsaw and all the pieces will eventually connect bit by bit in the years ahead. Deciding what job, you want to work in, is not a major issue this year. The main thing you have to do is figure out the next piece of the jigsaw in your career journey. Everything else will fall into place in its own time.
In my own Leaving Cert. year, I was interested in Law and Teaching and could not decide between the two. I pursued a B.A. in NUI Galway and was fortunate to combine the study of my favourite subjects, English and Geography, with Law. I am extremely grateful to have had the opportunity to sample Law as I learnt very quickly it was not for me. I was able to continue my studies in confidence realising where my true passion and interests lay. And so, I continued into second year with English and Geography.
I never knew in those early days in college that I would later study Career Guidance and Counselling. That is another piece of my jigsaw. In my first teaching job, I was fortunate to secure resource hours, working in small groups and one to one. I enjoyed the class environment, but I also really enjoyed getting to know the students better in the small groups. This led me to research further study options and I began my journey into Career Guidance & Counselling. A role I absolutely adore and love. Why am I telling you this? Because this illustrates how the pieces of our career jigsaws fit together piece by piece through our life journeys. I am where I am through experiences, opportunities, knowledge, and time.
My advice to Leaving Cert. students asking themselves this same question is to choose the next piece of your jigsaw based on your interests and passions, not points. You may not know where it will take you but if it is something you like and enjoy you will be successful. For example, if you like Business but can’t decide which part, study general Business rather than specialising. You can specialise in a particular area after your degree. If you have an interest in Science / Engineering but cannot pick a particular stream, study general Science/ Engineering. There are so many Postgraduate programmes and Conversion courses now, your undergraduate programme can open so many doors. Doors you do not even know exist at this point in time.
I meet so many anxious parents/ guardians and young people worried about what they are going to do after school, and I understand this worry completely. But it is important to remember in the months ahead that the one most important factor in choosing your next step is your interest and passion for a particular area. If you feel that you still cannot choose, then completing a PLC course or Traineeship or taking a year out are all valuable learning experiences and may be a part of your jigsaw. If you would help and support in choosing your next steps, contact McCullagh Careers today at info@mccullaghcareers.ie or call 0872120527.