Advice for degree

Niamhk93

Hello, I am returning to education after a bit of a break as I am determined to get a degree as i want to secure a high salary for myself in the future. I only really have time to do it once as im a bit older than traditional students. Currently I am completing a level 6 certificate in Advanced Tourism after scoring with full distinctions in my level 5 tourism cert. Im not sure whether to continue with tourism for my degree due to Brexit and now is the time to decide , at the same time im not really sure what would be a clever area to study ,ive been researching different types of careers but im still a bit mind boggled. just wondering does anybody have any ideas on degrees that would be a good asset to me in the future, maybe somebody that knows areas that would be a good idea to study due to upcoming job opportunities in a few years? My current choices are either tourism management, business or I.T. All advice is welcome and greatly appreciated !

skooterblue2

Niamhk93 wrote: »

Hello, I am returning to education after a bit of a break as I am determined to get a degree as i want to secure a high salary for myself in the future. I only really have time to do it once as im a bit older than traditional students. Currently I am completing a level 6 certificate in Advanced Tourism after scoring with full distinctions in my level 5 tourism cert. Im not sure whether to continue with tourism for my degree due to Brexit and now is the time to decide , at the same time im not really sure what would be a clever area to study ,ive been researching different types of careers but im still a bit mind boggled. just wondering does anybody have any ideas on degrees that would be a good asset to me in the future, maybe somebody that knows areas that would be a good idea to study due to upcoming job opportunities in a few years? My current choices are either tourism management, business or I.T. All advice is welcome and greatly appreciated !

Congrats on returning to education. Its a tough decision and the sooner you make it the easier it is. As you know Tourism is a tough career with few rewards in comparison to other industries. There are certain careers that are in high demand all the time. IT, Healthcare and Pharma are easiest entry into compared to the "higher" professions without glass ceilings.
I would take some sort of short sample course rather than invest a lot of time and money on a degree.

Springboard have a Loads of under rated courses. They do great pharma and IT courses that are approved of by industry leaders. You got loads of options. FAS/Solas do night courses and if you are on social welfare you are entitled to two a year. They are a good start.

Sales is great if you have the soft skills, you cant buy them skills. A good salesperson can survive any storm.
Hope this helps.

Niamhk93

Thank you so much for your reply I really appreciate it ! I’m only 26 at the minute so I have time to go for a degree but I’ll defiantly look into springboard courses or maybe some shorter term courses ! I hadn’t thought of pharma but I’ll look into it ! Thanks again this answer it was very helpful

skooterblue2

Niamhk93 wrote: »

Thank you so much for your reply I really appreciate it ! I’m only 26 at the minute so I have time to go for a degree but I’ll defiantly look into springboard courses or maybe some shorter term courses ! I hadn’t thought of pharma but I’ll look into it ! Thanks again this answer it was very helpful

I would get onto it quickly many companies stop hiring after 30. They want you "in house" by 26 and arent into hiring over 30. You are in a great position to go back to education before the next recession. 30's go a lot faster than the 20's and you will probably be taking on social commitments in your 30's.

Pharma/BioMedical is a nice "clean" industry. Nice regular hours. steady work, doesnt suffer the ebbs and flows of a economy. You are still going to need you insulin pump, xray, antidepressant, statin and antibiotic every day of the week. All these are made in Ireland if you just have a look around. They like gentle people with a fast consistent work ethic and an eye for detail. Your time in hospitality will stand to you here.

You win double when you are living in a rural town like Clonmel, outside Limerick, outside Waterford, Donegal, Athlone and Dundalk have the city job with rural costs.

I think Springboard might suit you better but you have to be completely self motivated. The buddy is on it and he finds it lonely compared to a highly dynamic class room.

bobbyss

skooterblue2 wrote:

I would get onto it quickly many companies stop hiring after 30. They want you "in house" by 26 and arent into hiring over 30. You are in a great position to go back to education before the next recession. 30's go a lot faster than the 20's and you will probably be taking on social commitments in your 30's.

How do companies get away with hiring under 30s?

skooterblue2

bobbyss wrote: »

How do companies get away with hiring under 30s?

Easy answer : stick the CV in a file that says "furnace". A company never tells you why you didnt get the job.
You are profiled for a company by a computer algorithm. They talk about diversity but in some companies they are all profiled. They want a specific candidate. You never hear of a female over 30 with young children getting hired. There was company specialising in women recruitment in the high technical end in Cork about 10 years back. They were gone in a few months. There was one poster on boards said he had a female colleague leaving for maternity leave from the IT section, He said she wasnt returning afterwards and probably wasnt going to replace her afterwards. The work place is very competitive.


Some companies I wont mention, like you in early and after college. They are usually jobs that burn you out.
Another kind are the pharmaceuticals, they like you in early and dont want you to leave. They do this by guilded cages. You got your salary, study leave, CPD, Stock options, promotions projects, overseas projects etc etc.
The most important job is your first job. If you get with a dog do-doo company it will be hard to get a better company. If you enter the jobs market in a recession that is also a problem. If you enter a job where the salary is on a rising tide or the economy is on the crest of economic boom you are sorted.
I know guys who entered the computer industry in 2001-2 and they are still with the same lame companies and never rose. I also know fellas who graduated 3 years before and have always gone on from success to success.
Intelligence, Productivity and innovation are always desirable things in an employee but if you dump them in a place with no opportunities they will remain there.