If you were a teenager again.....

Brussels Sprout

....and filling out your CAO form, what would you choose?

For the sake of argument you aren't allowed to emigrate now, or in the future, so you're choosing a course that will be suitable for the Irish economy of the immediate and long term future.

What would you choose if you knew you were going to get <500 points?

The_Honeybadger

Brussels Sprout wrote: »

....and filling out your CAO form, what would you choose?

For the sake of argument you aren't allowed to emigrate now, or in the future, so you're choosing a course that will be suitable for the Irish economy of the immediate and long term future.

What would you choose if you knew you were going to get <500 points?

Good idea for a thread, I'd do what I did in college again, B.Comm followed by an M.Sc through research, but might do the degree with Spanish or French if I got the chance again. Very happy with qualifications I have and there will always be opportunities for people with qualifications like this as long as you've a good head on your shoulders and good communication skills. A recession shouldn't really be let effect your career choice much IMO, unless you want to become a blocklayer or something obviously, which would be madness at the moment.

changes

I would study one of the following; Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Audiology or Dietitics and look to work in the Public Service.

Good pay, reasonable hours and good work/life balance.

Brussels Sprout

any more takers?

IrishTonyO

It'd be psychology for me. Study it a bit after school and have a keen interest in it and philosophy .

Paleface

I have a BSc in Software Engineering.

I wouldn't change anything. The world is only going to rely more and more on computer software. Its already a part of most peoples daily lives.

I can't understand why more people don't go for it.

helimachoptor

Did computer science and happy with that, am doing A business degree now and ambtrying to decide between a couple of network engineering masters and business ones, was going to do marine biology and probably would if I ever went back!

jmayo

changes wrote: »

I would study one of the following; Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Audiology or Dietitics and look to work in the Public Service.

Good pay, reasonable hours and good work/life balance.

Ehh from knowing a few OTs very well I think it is a horrible job and the pay is not that great for the depressing stuff you have to deal with.
I would say do Clinical Physcology, they are much better paid since linked with Psychiatry and you can always pretend you are listening even if you are day dreaming.

Me I if I was back in my teenage years I would do something vagely bank related, try and join Anglo, ar**lick seanie thus making lots of money, then move to say New England when it all went t*ts up.
Just call me david

MaceFace

IT, IT, IT, IT, IT, IT

Today, A Web Development degree that is based around Java.

helimachoptor

Did computer science and happy with that, am doing A business degree now and ambtrying to decide between a couple of network engineering masters and business ones, was going to do marine biology and probably would if I ever went back!

Welease

B.Sc in Computer's 22 years ago, and would make the same choice today...
It's been a great skill set that has allowed me to see the world.

RichardAnd

Not a thing. I choose software engineering and it's gotten me work. All I might consider doing differently would be the college I choose. I went to DCU but in hindsight I would have preferred Trinity perhaps (simply because of location).

I can't understand why more people don't go for it.

Simple answer; it's hard. Someone going to college for fun first and prospects seconds will not wish to wade through the finer points of POSIX thread programing in C now will they

omahaid

BSc Comp Sci, graduated 2007, still happy with my decision, would do it again.

Brussels Sprout

Hmm bit of a trend developing here-Oh well I guess it is an internet forum :rolleyes:

danman

To change the road of IT.....
I did Civil Engineering, 20 years ago.

I've enjoyed it, and fortunatly, still enjoying it.
I followed my head instead of my heart and I still have ambitions of going back and studying archeology.

Perhaps when the kids are grown up.

MysticalRain

I did computer science. With the benefit of hindsight, I would probably have done something else if I had known I would have been graduating right in time for dotcom recession. Maybe accountancy.

The_Honeybadger

RichardAnd wrote: »

Not a thing. I choose software engineering and it's gotten me work. All I might consider doing differently would be the college I choose. I went to DCU but in hindsight I would have preferred Trinity perhaps (simply because of location).



Simple answer; it's hard. Someone going to college for fun first and prospects seconds will not wish to wade through the finer points of POSIX thread programing in C now will they

IT is hard and I barely knew how to turn on a computer when I went to college, but am much more competent now and have even built a few websites. IT is a terrific skill to have these days.

I am thinking of starting accountancy exams next year, I do alot of the books at work but don't have a mentor to help me out so still have to figure out how to get past the work experience element . I know there are alot of accountants out of work but it is a skill that travels well and is worth doing IMO.

Spudmonkey

Did electronics and would probably do it again.

In fact I wish I had put more into the course in order to get more out. Don't know how I could have made myself more motivated but in hindsight I probably would have tried a lot harder...

RichardAnd

This would seem a good place to ask this question but has anyone any figures for how IT graduates do after leaving college?

I got a job fairly quickly but I put that down to luck really. Apparently most get jobs still but it would be interesting to see some figures.

Welease

I think a lot would depend on what type of "IT".. When I did "Computing" (20+ years ago) it was strictly computers.. In recent years a lot of degree's are IT plus languages/business/arts etc... not necessarily less worthy, but the IT market is a lot more diluted as a result (and some skills have niche markets).
Some skills will always be in demand, and will outstrip the more generic "IT plus X" less generic skills.

thebman

Degree in Computer Science & Software Engineering.

Hardest thing I've ever done, work is like a holiday by comparison but it was worth it. A massive sense of accomplishment getting through it and I program every day and have not faced a challenge I couldn't meet within a deadline since then with what I learned on the course.

They pushed me harder than I've ever been pushed in college and many people thought I was crazy when I choose it but I have a great job now

cson

Liquidator/Receiver/Examiner

Amhran Nua

I'd be a bit more cautious about the long term prospects in programming/development, the trend is to outsource to developers in places like India for the much lower wages. One area that might be good given the greater connectivity between European countries is languages, I'd say you'll be able to get into almost any business with a few skills in that area.

bamboozle

am an accountant, if i could do it all again i'd become a secondary school teacher. lots of holidays, life would be good.

MaceFace

bamboozle wrote: »

am an accountant, if i could do it all again i'd become a secondary school teacher. lots of holidays, once permanant you never have to worry about turning up for work, meeting targets! life would be good.

Seriously, save this type of garbage for somewhere else. Why does every thread have to involve PS bashing (and please don't answer).

bamboozle

MaceFace wrote: »

Seriously, save this type of garbage for somewhere else. Why does every thread have to involve PS bashing (and please don't answer).

sorry for having an opinion!
i've 3 siblings who are teachers and believe me i'm jealous

cson

MaceFace wrote: »

Seriously, save this type of garbage for somewhere else. Why does every thread have to involve PS bashing (and please don't answer).

Refute it then; while what he's said has an inflammatory edge to it, it's true by most accounts.

MaceFace

cson wrote: »

Refute it then; while what he's said has an inflammatory edge to it, it's true by most accounts.

No. I will not engage in a debate about teachers as it is not relevant to this thread.

The posters remarks are provocative with the intention of having a dig at a group of people:

am an accountant, if i could do it all again i'd become a secondary school teacher. lots of holidays, once permanant you never have to worry about turning up for work, meeting targets! life would be good.

If those are the reasons the poster wants to be a teacher, then its a good thing he/she isn't one.

bamboozle

MaceFace wrote: »

No. I will not engage in a debate about teachers as it is not relevant to this thread.

The posters remarks are provocative with the intention of having a dig at a group of people:



If those are the reasons the poster wants to be a teacher, then its a good thing he/she isn't one.

i've amended it now just to keep you happy, if by pointing out parts of the teaching profession i'd like is having a dig then my apologies!

Sleepy

I think I'd probably have gone more towards software development than the B.Comm & HDSA. I don't have a solid enough grounding in programming to work in the area and it was the part of my college course I enjoyed most.

The prospects for ridiculous salaries aren't there any more but I'd be happy enough at the level most developers tend to plateau at (circa 50-60k without taking on management duties).

stepbar

As funny as this sounds I would have studied Business and Accountancy. However I would have had to have done a lot better in the Leaving. That's where the money is my friends.

dan_d

I would do civil engineering, same as I chose almost ten (eek!!) years ago now.
If the sensible part of my brain got the better of me, I might actually choose mechanical engineering. It would definitely be engineering though. Never once regretted it.

Shelga

Just finishing a mechanical engineering degree, would pick it again.

Ask me again in 6 months though :pac:

Head The Wall

Cert in programming in college and then got into hardware. Was a systems admin before I went travelling. Great variety in the work.

A software developer will only ever be involved in software development but there's computer hardware in every company so there is a broad spectrum of industries to work in and learn how they operate. Keeps the mind active

Love sys admin work, although the only computer option at the time in college was programming. possible would be more options nowadays re networking and hardware etc

Seth Brundle

I'd just set up my own bank with me making a huge salary + bonuses.
I'd specialise in loans to friends in the building trade - as they are friends I wouldn't worry too much about about any security on the loans, sure my mates are good for it!

Dannyboy83

Amhran Nua wrote: »

I'd be a bit more cautious about the long term prospects in programming/development, the trend is to outsource to developers in places like India for the much lower wages. One area that might be good given the greater connectivity between European countries is languages, I'd say you'll be able to get into almost any business with a few skills in that area.

You would think so, but most people I know who went into languages ended up working in jumped up call centres. The only people I know making money out of it are translators, and it's like a cross between a PA and a translator really, lots of travelling.

They redesigned the Comp Sci course in UCC the year after I started so I was the last year on the old program. The new program consisted of some Comp Sci and some languages. Hasn't seemed to benefit any of the people I know who did it tbh, but that could be the recession too in fairness.
Comments I heard back was that they weren't the jack of any trade.
I think the course is being redesigned again in light of this.

OP, different courses may vary, but I found Comp Sci was mostly irrelevant.
A lot of the stuff I've used in my career thusfar was mostly self taught or learned on the job. There were really only 2 or 3 modules that were in anyway relevant, the degree could have been taught in 1 year, not 4.
Hardest thing I've probably done in education so far was Honours Maths at Leaving Cert. Discrete Maths/Calculus/Statistics were all a step down at college level in terms of difficulty imo. Never used anything resembling them in industry.

Most of the people I know who did Comp Sci still earn less after 6 years in industry than a teacher would even start on. The big plus to IT is that you'll probably always find work, just don't expect to live well off it unless you start your own company. A few are paid like kings in high positions, most of the rest are paid standard or a little less.
To be honest, a lot of the people I went to college with have already bailed out and gone into different careers or retrained.

If you're intent on doing IT, I would try to get into the networking side of things, Cisco/CCNA and go down that route, seems to be far better money in that and more opportunity. Linux is also good.
Most of the big earners I've encountered pretty much skipped over the technical areas, got straight into management, got something like Six Sigma under their belt.

Sep 11th occurred on the day I was paying my registration fees - stood in the AIB bank in Nth Main street watching the planes smash into the twin towers.
What an omen! End of the dot com era.

If I was gonna choose a career again, I'd probably have gone and done medicine or pharmacy.

population

Law.

I know apprenticeships are like gold dust right now but I think if you can offer the employer something the other candidates can't you will land a job.

Also as long as you stick to something unrelated to bubbles like conveyancing, you could have a very very well paid job on your hands.

I went back to college a few years ago as a mature student after spending 13 years working as an electrician in construction. Did a Journalism degree, which I worked hard at, received a First, and thoroughly enjoyed. But in retrospect I left one dying industry and focussed my energies on entering another.

I am teaching English in Italy now, which though not what I set out to do, I actually quite enjoy. However the money is shocking

Colonel Sanders

I studied Maths in Trinity and then sat the actuarial exams

If I'd my time over again I would probably have either done the actuarial degree DCU or UCD, tried to get the 3rd year work experience in an investment bank rather than an insurance company and maybe gone down the IFSC route career wise

There is certainly no way I'd go back and spend 4.5 years sitting professional exams in my twenties after I left college!!

Sarn

I wouldn't change a thing. Chose science and ended up specialising further in an area that I enjoy. Good work/life balance so I have been quite fortunate.

Flamed Diving

Biology.

max 73

astronaut...............so i could fly my rocketship off this corrupt little island with little green people (maritans not leprechauns - at least leprechauns are not spacers!!!!!)

phelixoflaherty

Would have kept the old Slean, sharpened it and gone cutting turf

Als76

A PE teacher

chocgirl

changes wrote: »

I would study one of the following; Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, Speech and Language Therapy, Audiology or Dietitics and look to work in the Public Service.

Good pay, reasonable hours and good work/life balance.

Well as someone working as a physio, public sector jobs are like golddust so realistically you're talking about emigrating and the pay is only good if you're working privately.

I would like to work as a clinical psychologist but I wouldn't study it, I don't know one person who studied psychology who actually managed to end up working as a psychologist.

I think I'd probably study a few languages in hindsight or maybe teaching for the holidays.

Wudyaquit

Surprising so many people would make the same choice now as when they were 17, especially almost all of the Engineers and IT workers.

I'd probably do IT myself - good job opportunities, and you don't have to be stuck doing the same thing for more than a few years if you fancy a change.

waffleman

I would have studied nutrition or physiotherapy.

Nearly decided to be an architect. I'd be pretty fecked now if I did.

Ended up in I.T. and still have a secure (well we're still hiring so I'm assuming things are secure) job.