Why students make wrong career choices

starlit

Its a very well known fact that career guidance counselling here in Ireland isn't the best co-ordinated in Irish Schools. As is explained in the following Article. Though it not necessary up to the schools to be the main focus in helping students with their career choices its for the students and parents and family to help too but still a better organised career guidance system might help students make better career choices. At that age its difficult enough to make out what career you like and are suited too!?

http://www.independent.ie/education/features/why-students-make-wrong-career-choices-2896158.html

Riamfada

I did arts

starlit

Is there still a bit of a taboo on those that do BA's compared to those that do strict Business, Science, Engineering courses and so on like?

Celly Smunt

leaving school at 16 and straight into college is probably one of the factors.The minimum college age should be 19 or 20,a bit of life experience outside an institution would benefit studies at third level,and there wouldn't be an overwhelming smell of make up mixed with hormonal tears on campus

dr.bollocko

Riamfada wrote: »

I did arts

Chin up.
At least you're not a journalist for that despicable rag of a paper in the original post.

Lpfsox

every single one of the 6th years in my school was given the same "career guidance" - either become a nun or else take a secretarial course. Didn't matter what subjects you were studying, what you were good at or had an interest in - convent or office were your options.

prinz

When I was in school our career guidance counsellor was a muppet who obviously got things totally wrong for himself and seemed determined to make a balls out of everyone else's life. I am pretty sure he had a part to play in many students from my school making bad choices.

srsly78

doovdela wrote: »

Is there still a bit of a taboo on those that do BA's compared to those that do strict Business, Science, Engineering courses and so on like?

Only amongst idiots that don't realise that certain unis only give out BAs in strict Business and Science courses (I got a BA in Physics for example, and the uni does not award any BScs at all).

Career guidance guy told me 18 years ago to study MIS (management information systems). Turns out the ****er was right, I ended up working in this via a circuitous route.

smash

Lpfsox wrote: »

every single one of the 6th years in my school was given the same "career guidance" - either become a nun or else take a secretarial course. Didn't matter what subjects you were studying, what you were good at or had an interest in - convent or office were your options.

Are you THAT old?

starlit

Lpfsox wrote: »

every single one of the 6th years in my school was given the same "career guidance" - either become a nun or else take a secretarial course. Didn't matter what subjects you were studying, what you were good at or had an interest in - convent or office were your options.

You serious!? I wasn't too bad, thought the career guidance counsellors in secondary school weren't too bad though I found the sub better than the permanent one though. The sub definitely gave better career advice and to go with what suited each student and weighing out career options. The one thing that the permanent one said to to us was to try and apply for PLC courses no matter what your leaving cert result at least you have a back up plan if you didn't get the course you wanted through the CAO.

I was influenced by my mother a lot though I suppose but thought my career choices were the right ones and thought I can always pursue something else later down the line. I went with what I were capable of and what I'd enjoy but something I think I took the safe option in the hope of getting a job and that it be recession proof boy was I wrong.

Most definitely not recession proof sometimes I am happy with my career choice/course choice but something I think If I thought a bit harder I could have taken the risk and gone with something that deep down that's what I wanted to do yet I went with the safe option in the hope of getting work and doing my degree near home. Sometimes I think why didn't I do that course or this course or go to that college or this college. But in the end of the day I still think I didn't do too badly. Just finding work at the moment is an uphill rollercoaster ride. Just wish to get off it!

Celly Smunt

also the points system is a joke,consider this,Mr.X wants to become a journalist,He is exceptional at english and holds a high level of critical thinking however he cannot grasp science,geography or maths,his school does not offer other subjects that might benefit him,he has to take maths at ordinary level along with science and geography.He needs 445 (for example) to get his journalism course but only got 395.Regardless of his A1 at higher level english he cannot get journalism because of his ordinary maths subjects.He Chooses a management course and is mediocre at it.


Moral of the story your bad points in your leaving cert penalise your good point instead of your good subjects supporting your bad subjects.Load of Balls to be honest.

starlit

srsly78 wrote: »

Only amongst idiots that don't realise that certain unis only give out BAs in strict Business and Science courses (I got a BA in Physics for example, and the uni does not award any BScs at all).

Career guidance guy told me 18 years ago to study MIS (management information systems). Turns out the ****er was right, I ended up working in this via a circuitous route.

Really, I did a BA degree in business and IT but similar to BIS but regret not doing the degree in BIS somewhere else rather than where I did it but I suppose you never know like. So my gut feeling is still with IT but go away from Business but still feel based on my skills and qualities either area would suit me just that I think either IT or BIS be a more feasible option for me.

I picked out a course both me and my mother be happy to do and that I stay at home to do the course but often regret not having left home then and stood my ground though I wasn't ready to leave home then I should have been more brazen! I found the counsellor was trying to gear me towards business or multimedia I think or secretarial course rather than IT. I think the whole maths thing was putting me off going directly into a computer course. Though I kind of went the scenic route to do strict H dip in IT course after my degree. I suppose you never know what's around the corner I suppose I never predicated a recession like this!? Thought I were safe enough with my career choices.

Any one else feel the same?

Yve

Riamfada wrote: »

I did arts

i did humanities....

wish i hadnt

FatherLen

i was told i was best suited for engineering by the guidance counceller in my school. looking back he is a fucking moron. after i realised i hated it i went to a professional who laughed when i told him i did engineering. the new guy told me i scored lowest on engineering so now i do computing, much happier now no thanks to mr. howard

GLaDOS

pmcmahon wrote: »

also the points system is a joke,consider this,Mr.X wants to become a journalist,He is exceptional at english and holds a high level of critical thinking however he cannot grasp science,geography or maths,his school does not offer other subjects that might benefit him,he has to take maths at ordinary level along with science and geography.He needs 445 (for example) to get his journalism course but only got 395.Regardless of his A1 at higher level english he cannot get journalism because of his ordinary maths subjects.He Chooses a management course and is mediocre at it.


Moral of the story your bad points in your leaving cert penalise your good point instead of your good subjects supporting your bad subjects.Load of Balls to be honest.

Solution: take a course in a "lesser" college and catch up through that. For examples you can get into DCU after doing a course in Colaiste Dulaigh.

FetchTheGin

Eye did enlish langwedge n aced!

Celly Smunt

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Solution: take a course in a "lesser" college and catch up through that. For examples you can get into DCU after doing a course in Colaiste Dulaigh.

why should he be penalised another year and financially for a badly managed educational system?,If anything he should be merited on the relevant subject.

GLaDOS

pmcmahon wrote: »

why should he be penalised another year and financially for a badly managed educational system?,If anything he should be merited on the relevant subject.

It's the college's decision to run it by points. Maybe they want to see someone who can work all round rather than just the most relevant subject? Maybe they feel Leaving Cert English itself isn't a good enough barometer of what's required for journalism? End of the day, it's their choice.

Celly Smunt

ScienceNerd wrote: »

It's the college's decision to run it by points. Maybe they want to see someone who can work all round rather than just the most relevant subject? Maybe they feel Leaving Cert English itself isn't a good enough barometer of what's required for journalism? End of the day, it's their choice.

granted its their choice however its a flawed system,intense aptitude tests in the relevant field would be far more effect with the relevant subject adding to the final decision.

phasers

"What do you want to do in college then Phasers?"

"Honestly I'm not sure miss, I've always been interested in teaching but I'm not sure I can get the points."

"Forget that then. What are your hobbies?"

"I don't really have hobbies, I like reading and I like watching films and television programmes and discussing them."

"Do Media studies. It's actually quite broad and will help you in a number of different careers. NEXT."

Word for word what I was told in a career guidance meeting. Which led to me being a dropout with no job trying to figure out what to do now. Thanks guidance councellor

phasers

phasers wrote: »

"What do you want to do in college then Phasers?"

"Honestly I'm not sure miss, I've always been interested in teaching but I'm not sure I can get the points."

"Forget that then. What are your hobbies?"

"I don't really have hobbies, I like reading and I like watching films and television programmes and discussing them."

"Do Media studies. It's actually quite broad and will help you in a number of different careers. NEXT."

Word for word what I was told in a career guidance meeting. Which led to me being a dropout with no job trying to figure out what to do now. Thanks guidance councellor

Its really not that difficult to research these things yourself. Looks like you badly needed to grow up and use some independent thinking :rolleyes:

Nolanger

It's the points system not career guidance that's the problem. People with 550+ points studying to work as a GP or stand behind a counter in a pharmacy. Was told years ago that the brightest students should study arts or science as those areas are all about discovering new stuff.

Adamantium

on a side note is there anybody here who had done a journalism course and ACTUALLY enjoyed PLUS got a decent job out of it?

I'm currently a print journalism PLC and its not exactly encouraging to hear the vast majority of the www telling me "PRINT JOURNALISM IS DEAD or will be dead in a few years"

XxMCRxBabyxX

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Solution: take a course in a "lesser" college and catch up through that. For examples you can get into DCU after doing a course in Colaiste Dulaigh.

Or do an Arts degree and Journalism masters. I've heard that that is actually considered a better route by many journalists and journalism students

I did law as an arts subject with 395 points and transferred into a recognised BCL.

There is always a way to get into what you want

Nolanger

Nolanger wrote: »

It's the points system not career guidance that's the problem. People with 550+ points studying to work as a GP or stand behind a counter in a pharmacy. Was told years ago that the brightest students should study arts or science as those areas are all about discovering new stuff.

Eh? You can do a course with far lower points than you got you know....plenty of people do science with 500+ points, iirc in Trinity the minimum was 480

geetar

phasers wrote: »

"What do you want to do in college then Phasers?"

"Honestly I'm not sure miss, I've always been interested in teaching but I'm not sure I can get the points."

"Forget that then. What are your hobbies?"

"I don't really have hobbies, I like reading and I like watching films and television programmes and discussing them."

"Do Media studies. It's actually quite broad and will help you in a number of different careers. NEXT."

Word for word what I was told in a career guidance meeting. Which led to me being a dropout with no job trying to figure out what to do now. Thanks guidance councellor

shes a guidance counsellor ffs, not a mind reader.

if you tell her your only interests are in film and television and you like discussing them, of course she can only tell you to do media studies.

its not the counsellors fault you dropped out and didnt finish it.