Joining the bank/insurance etc

darraghw

Ok so i've just finished my leaving cert and am positive i have failed atleast two subjects which really cuts out the option of college for me.

Could anybody give me some of advice on joining the bank or other institution as a career without 3rd level education? Is it a viable option or will i be always at the bottom of the food chain so to speak, i.e never get chances for promotion!

stepbar

Advise: Repeat the leaving. You wont get anywhere without a leaving.

pow wow

Does failing two subjects mean you failed the whole thing? You won't really know until your results come out, but I know most banks will take you on cashiering at least with a bare bones leaving cert.

Or go to England. I did that with just my junior cert and had no problems getting a job and working my way up the ranks. I did give it all up in the end but I was earning a fair bit when I did that aged 23.

Vikings

stepbar wrote:

Advise: Repeat the leaving. You wont get anywhere without a leaving.

While that is good advice, its not the only option out there. Saying he will get nowhere without a good leaving is ridiculous.

OP, banks will take you on with a decent enough leaving cert, if that fails maybe get into a trade you are interested in, give FAS a ring and have a word with them.

I didnt do the best in my leaving certificate, didnt feel like repeating was my best option at that point, tried a level 6 college course and decided college wasnt right for me at the time.

Got a job and started working, 2 years later still working and earning more than what I should be at my age. Yes it will come back and bite me in the ass later on down the line but college is on the cards at some stage.

OP, you have many options right now so keep your eyes open.

Vokes

Maths, OP! Thats the big one. If you failed that, you should definitely repeat it.

Otherwise, like previous posters have said, there other options apart from repeating.

damnyanks

Personally I'd do the leaving cert but if you dont want to you dont want to.

You can move into one of these banks with a leaving cert but with a failed leaving cert you are making things more difficult for yourself. You will also hit a glass ceiling in a few years time in most cases.

stepbar

damnyanks wrote:

Personally I'd do the leaving cert but if you dont want to you dont want to.

You can move into one of these banks with a leaving cert but with a failed leaving cert you are making things more difficult for yourself. You will also hit a glass ceiling in a few years time in most cases.

Exactly. If you want to get into banking you would need to have a minimum of 5 passes in the leaving. But because most people who go for the bank nowadays have certs/diplomas/degrees (even at the entry levels), you would find it very hard to compete.

Slippers

darraghw wrote:

Ok so i've just finished my leaving cert and am positive i have failed atleast two subjects which really cuts out the option of college for me.

If you did seven subjects, as far as I am aware five subjects is enough for UCD if you get three Higher Level Cs. There could be other loop-holes for other circumstances or institutions so try and talk to the admissions people before making a decision.

darraghw

Yeah i did 7 subjects all higher level, its just maths and physics i know i failed.

jackbhoy

darraghw wrote:

Yeah i did 7 subjects all higher level, its just maths and physics i know i failed.

I can't see a bank taking you on having failed maths, or at least not in a position with any prospects. Unless you really want to do a trade I'd advise you to take the pain and repeat, a year seems like a long time but it flies by and it will be worth it in the long run.


I know from personal experience you can do well without the LC, my brother left school at 16 to start his own business wheras I went to college for 6 years, he now makes 4/5 times what i do. At the same time many entry-level applicants for junior/clerical positions now have certs/diplomas, so passing the LC would at least give you a decent shot.

DublinWriter

darraghw wrote:

Could anybody give me some of advice on joining the bank or other institution as a career without 3rd level education? Is it a viable option or will i be always at the bottom of the food chain so to speak, i.e never get chances for promotion!

The way banks and other financial instituations recruit now is very similar to the Army in that you either go in at 'Officer' (Cadet\graduate) rank or 'Other' rank.

Put it this way. You might get in at cashier level with a half-decent leaving, but your promotional prospects are going to be severely limited. Don't expect to even reach branch manager level, ever.

Get a leaving, go to college, get a degree, and if you're offered something on the milk-round then you're promotional prospects will be a lot better.

Again, that's the unfortunate way things work these days. You really need to decide what you want to do with your career and make a five-year plan.

Pythia

Maybe you could apply for a cert or diploma and then work your way into college that way, if you really don't want to repeat.