Girlfriend looking for a career change

Gavin "shels"

Need some advice Boards...

My gf is looking for a career change - currently coming up to 8 year in childcare with a level 5 behind here. She's fed up of the shift work (changes every week for 6 weeks or so, then back to the original), the poor pay, the getting sick from the kids, etc...

I got her to do the careersportal.ie personality profile to which she got "Idealist".
"They are likely to be attracted to organisations that promote humanistic values or towards jobs
that allow them to help others find fulfilment. They may be attracted towards Human
Resources and Personnel occupations as well as in Teaching, Consulting, Counselling and the
Arts."

She's looking at maybe doing a course - one being QQI Medical Secretary Level 5. Is she mad? What's the pay like? Working environments, etc...?

Trying my best to help her but I've run out of thought and need help

GalwayGrrrrrl

Being a medical secretary won’t be helping people- you’d be audio typing all day and not see any patients. From her analysis it sounds like the childcare would suit her personality better! It’s surely not real shift work - working nights and weekends?

GalwayGrrrrrl

Apologies - my last post was very negative - that’s monday morning’s for you! If she wants to help people how about being a health care assistant? You can work in a hospital or nursing home or doing home care with companies like Bluebird care/ Home instead etc.
Or if she wants to move on from crèche how about teacher training? It would mean doing a degree as a mature student but pay and conditions would be much better in the long term.

Gavin "shels"

Thanks for the replies xfactor.

xfactorfan23 wrote: »

Being a medical secretary won’t be helping people- you’d be audio typing all day and not see any patients. From her analysis it sounds like the childcare would suit her personality better! It’s surely not real shift work - working nights and weekends?

Sorry not real shift work but could be a variance of a start and end time of 2 hours. It changes every week which is frustrating.

If it's just Audio Typing, etc... it won't be her cup of tea whatsoever.

xfactorfan23 wrote: »

Apologies - my last post was very negative - that’s monday morning’s for you! If she wants to help people how about being a health care assistant? You can work in a hospital or nursing home or doing home care with companies like Bluebird care/ Home instead etc.
Or if she wants to move on from crèche how about teacher training? It would mean doing a degree as a mature student but pay and conditions would be much better in the long term.

Good ideas - I did mention SNA to her as she is already qualified for that. But she's not how she would deal one to one with a Special Needs child. Will suggest again along with the health care assistant.

Tenigate

Healthcare assistant sounds horrible. Min wage, working nights, carrying useless coworkers (I've heard from experienced nurses and careworkers that you don't want to be working with people from *certain* backgrounds, yet it's inevitable)

Her best bet is HR. There are loads of jobs in Dublin, and despite the culture in the company they always seem to have "business hours". It's a job, a career, and will pay more Than most admin positions because supposedly bureaucracy is worth it, and they write the contracts. Entry wage maybe 25k, but i know plenty on 32k for effectively admin.

SNA for a wealthy family with a kid who needs a lot of attention but won't pummel her would be a good shout. Not quite a career, but half decent money and if you mind in own home can be very tax efficient.

GalwayGrrrrrl

SNA Job can vary from child to child and from school to school. One child I know gets SNA hours as she has severe allergies. Can be hard to get jobs as there were cutbacks a few years ago and lots of SNAs have panel rights which means they get offered jobs before newcomers. Not all SNA get paid over summer hols and contracts not always renewed each September. Can be a great job though if you land on your feet.

Gavin "shels"

Resurrecting an old thread.... said girlfriend is now fiancee but still looking to get out of childcare.

She's now living in the city centre and she's looking to get into a desk job, etc... secretary idea she's happy enough to leave. She was looking into Pitman Training - office skills but doesn't seem that useful imo. Aside from call centre, what desk jobs are there out there realistically?

Sir Ophiuchus

She could apply to the civil service when there's an open competition; that would be a stable flexible desk job with good benefits.

Gavin "shels"

Sir Ophiuchus wrote: »

She could apply to the civil service when there's an open competition; that would be a stable flexible desk job with good benefits.

Was thinking that - when do they normally have them?

Crunchymomma

Gavin shels wrote: »

Was thinking that - when do they normally have them?

There is an open EO comp open at the minute. There is a thread on it in here

HelgaWard

I wonder if she could get paid better in a more comfortable environment as a nanny/childminder for a wealthy family?!

Gavin "shels"

HelgaWard wrote: »

I wonder if she could get paid better in a more comfortable environment as a nanny/childminder for a wealthy family?!

Nah - just wants out completely at this stage. She doesn't know how'd she'd cope when we do decide on having kid(s) and also working with them.

Gavin "shels"

Crunchymomma wrote: »

There is an open EO comp open at the minute. There is a thread on it in here

https://www.publicjobs.ie/en/index.php?option=com_jobsearch&view=jobdetails&Itemid=263&cid=101376

That is it?

Says "Nationwide (Excluding Co. Dublin)"

Sir Ophiuchus

If you're based in Dublin, keep an eye on publicjobs.ie and this forum for future advertised competitions.

Gavin "shels"

Sir Ophiuchus wrote: »

If you're based in Dublin, keep an eye on publicjobs.ie and this forum for future advertised competitions.

Will do - cheers guys!

GaGa21

Sir Ophiuchus wrote:

If you're based in Dublin, keep an eye on publicjobs.ie and this forum for future advertised competitions.

Is there any point in applying for an EO role now with no previous admin training or experience? I'm looking to change career from childcare too and thinking of this but can't see how I would get a job without some form of admin on my CV?