Leaving Cert students are busy over the Easter holidays preparing for orals and practicals, as well as trying to focus on study and revision. It is a great idea to allow some time in your schedule to return to your research on courses, colleges and careers. The process is different for everyone. Some of you have a clear idea of what pathway you would like to take, others have no idea. If you don’t know, don’t panic, you still have lots of time. There is so much choice out there now that it is easy to get confused and feel overwhelmed. There are lots of great resources available to help you on this journey towards making effective career choices and lots of routes that will take you to the career you really want if you don’t manage to get into it directly.

SELF ASSESSMENT

If you are still unsure about what you want to do or what might suit you, start with some self-assessment. While they don’t give you a definite answer as to particular careers or courses you should choose, they will give you plenty of suggestions that you can research further. Think of them as part of the jigsaw. You will find a range of skills, interests and personality trait tests, all of which are free, on www.careersportal.ie, www.qualifax.ie, www.yooni.ie and on the Exit Entry App. By completing them you will get suggestions for sectors, career areas and courses that match your responses. They will generally include a variety of CAO courses at levels 6, 7 and 8, Post Leaving Cert (PLC) courses in Colleges of Further Education, apprenticeships and traineeships, which you can then filter down.

Have a Plan A, B and C

If you have an idea of what pathway you would like but are concerned about a potential rise in CAO points, now is the ideal time to look at your backup plans. Remember we won’t know the points for 2021 until the Round 1 offers come out after the Leaving Cert results and that is completely out of your control. What is within your control however is making sure you have a plan A, B and C. Cover all bases by filling up all 20 choices on your CAO form. The CAO Change of Mind facility opens on May 5 and you will be able to make changes up to July 1. Apply for PLCs (www.fetchcourses.ie) and explore the ever growing number of choices on www.apprenticeships.ie. Consider applying to college in Europe where applications are still open. You will find helpful information on www.eunicas.ie and www.medicalpoland.ie. While the deadline for most courses in the UK has closed you may apply to www.ucas.com later in the summer when they open their clearing system.

Be rigorous in your research at this stage. Examine closely the detail of all courses, particularly the entry requirements, modules throughout the course, work placement, study abroad options and career opportunities. Many colleges are running one to one Q&A sessions for prospective students which you book online, and recordings from virtual open day talks as well as virtual campus tours are available on college websites. As well as the sites mentioned above you can also check out specific career and college application webinars on www.synergycareers.ie. Take a look at an extensive selection of very informative and short video guides on www.classroomguidance.ie. Explore a variety of really helpful career guidance podcasts on Instagram from @leavingcertguidance, @farrellycareerguidance, and @yooni.ie.
It is also a great idea to check in with your guidance counsellor in school early in the next term to clarify any confusion, answer your questions and to reassure you that there is a life after the Leaving Cert and an exciting one at that!