Recession influencing CAO?

naasface

Hi fellow LC-ers!!
Just wondering what u thought bout picking courses. I was sure i wanted to do some thing english/language-based i.e an Arts degree but all this credit crunch etc. has made me put down business language courses on my cao. Is this a good idea?

should u do what your passionate for or go for something that's better for getting a job in the long run? im completely torn!!

PurpleFistMixer

Well. On one hand, it's hard to predict what the economic climate will be by the time you've finished your degree; for all you know there might be loads of jobs going and you'll kick yourself for not picking what you genuinely wanted to do.
On the other hand, it's also likely that economic screwups will happen again, due to the nature of the world we live in, so maybe you want to think in the long-term and try to get some profession which will never face hard times. (Suggestion: politician, banker. :pac:)

Fad

naasface wrote: »

Is this a good idea?

Put simply, no it isn't.

Do what you want to study, you can do a postgrad, very few people can expect to get a job straight out a degree, even before the recession this was the case.

dragonfly!

hey OP
I'd say go for whatever you are really happy doing.... no point going to college (And poss having to pay for it.... ) and hating your course wishing you had done what you wanted to do....

timmywex

Always wanted to do engineering

Put down engineerin.

Itll all be sorted out in 4 years hopefully, if not ill go on a working holiuday thing to australia/america/somewhere else cool or do a masters perhaps!

Delta Kilo

Fad wrote: »

Put simply, no it isn't.

Do what you want to study, you can do a postgrad, very few people can expect to get a job straight out a degree, even before the recession this was the case.

+1.
I think everyone should do what interests them most rather than just go by how well paid the job after is. You are going to have to spend 4 years studying hard, and as another poster said possibly paying for the privilege, to do something that you don't like, just so that you can spend the following x no. of years pulling your hair out doing something you don't like just so that you can have a job! Think about it.

There is no pressure on you yet (although the fees could scupper this, which is I think a big problem with them) to get a job straight after college. You wont have a huge mortgage or car loan to pay off so you don't have to be guaranteed a job. If the recession is still raging then, there is no reason why you couldn't do other things to gain experience and improve your CV. Travel, join a charity organization, go to Africa for a while or something, you don't necessarily have to be in employment immediately. The economy WILL recover eventually and all your extra skills that you have gained will stand your CV out from the rest, and give you numerous things to talk about in the interviews.

Bottom line, do what you feel you like doing and would be happy doing for a long time, not based on the economy, which is ever changing. I know so many people who pursued careers because of the "calibre" of job they would be doing. Most regret their decision and wish they done what they liked doing.

I know others who were laughed at during the celtic tiger because they chose careers that weren't high paying, but they liked them. They are the ones that have the last laugh in the end. They may not be millionaires, but they are very, very happy.

Happiness is more important than size of income.

SligoBrewer

Dear Applicants of TR001, especially those doing English Lit and Irish.

The recession is hitting.
Arts is a wasters degree.

Choose SCIENCE instead.

Regards,
Christopher.

Yes I have applied for TR001.

But seriously, you should be studying whatever you like and interests you.
Regardless of the economic conditions.

I wanna be Journo. I am perfectly aware of the easpa oibre in Iriseoireacht i saol an lae inniú.
But I really want it. And I'll give it a bloody bash anyways.

kippy

Mr.S wrote: »

You shouldn't think about jobs etc when putting down courses, do what you want to do, jobs come after that.

Just by sticking down business on your CAO doesn't meant your going to guranteed a job in 3 or 4 years.

Why do a course that your not really interested, to get into a job that you probally wont like for god knows how long.

Hi,
Sat my leaving cert about over 10 years ago, I am getting old.

To be honest the kind of attitude, not thinking about jobs etc when deciding what course you want to do in college is pretty foolish. Speaking from experience here, if you do what you THINK you want to do because you liked it in school or you THINK you'll enjoy the course is pretty foolish.
You absolutely HAVE to think about what jobs you'll be able to get after you get your college education. Otherwise college is pretty pointless in my opinion.
Study very closely what your options are when you finish the course. There are multitudes of courses out there now that have very few and very limited job prospects afterwards.

Just my 2 cents.....
Kippy

EDIT- Trying to make two points here.
1. A college course may not be all it is cracked up to be, and generally isnt. It may have looked like something you had an interest in but the reality could be very different.
2. You are going to need a job at some stage in your life, the decision you make in relation to college courses is very important in this aspect.

Delta Kilo

SligoBrewer wrote: »

But I really want it. And I'll give it a bloody bash anyways.

Thats the attitude that LC students should have. Summed it up in one there, SligoBrewer.

It'll be interesting to see how the recession will effect the points on some courses in August. No doubt, there will be some big surprises. I was told a few months ago that teaching was going to rocket as everyone would try and jump into the "safe" ship. But now, that is looking to drop or stay the same because as teaching is not looking so good either. (The first choice preference for teaching courses is down on last year) Nobody can see into the future so stick to what you like doing.

Delta Kilo

kippy wrote: »

Hi,
Sat my leaving cert about over 10 years ago, I am getting old.

To be honest the kind of attitude, not thinking about jobs etc when deciding what course you want to do in college is pretty foolish. Speaking from experience here, if you do what you THINK you want to do because you liked it in school or you THINK you'll enjoy the course is pretty foolish.
You absolutely HAVE to think about what jobs you'll be able to get after you get your college education. Otherwise college is pretty pointless in my opinion.
Study very closely what your options are when you finish the course. There are multitudes of courses out there now that have very few and very limited job prospects afterwards.

Just my 2 cents.....
Kippy

EDIT- Trying to make two points here.
1. A college course may not be all it is cracked up to be, and generally isnt. It may have looked like something you had an interest in but the reality could be very different.
2. You are going to need a job at some stage in your life, the decision you make in relation to college courses is very important in this aspect.

But how can you explain some of the richest people in the world then. Look at Bill Gates. He done computer science when computers hardly existed. At the time he was doing what people consider to be a "waster" degree. Most of the top ten richest in Ireland have not even got a Leaving Cert, let alone a degree. Any that have, their degree was completely unrelated to how they made their fortune. Nobody can predict the future.

But as I said, money isn't everything. I know a guy who done Ecology in college in NI. Everyone said he was mad, but it was what he wanted to do and he knew he would like doing it. He was mad into hiking, camping, fishing etc and could identify any tree or flower you could see. It was his passion and he really liked it. He is now in Scotland working as an ecologist in a place he loves. He was recently married and has a baby on the way. He is also involved in the reintroduction of Eagles into Ireland. He loves where he is and what he is doing.

In contrast, his brother went to NUIG to train to be a Civil Engineer (finished ~ 7years ago) because he knew there would be a well paid, highly regarded job at the end of it all, which there was. He got a really highly paid job about a month after leaving college, but hated it. Left that company and tried doing a different aspect of civil engineering, which he also disliked. He regrets not pursuing a career in aviation, which is what he really wanted to do. He is now bumming around on the dole and about to pursue a career in aviation.

Tbh, I don't think your theory holds water, especially in these times.

kippy

Delta Kilo wrote: »

But how can you explain some of the richest people in the world then. Look at Bill Gates. He done computer science when computers hardly existed. At the time he was doing what people consider to be a "waster" degree. Most of the top ten richest in Ireland have not even got a Leaving Cert, let alone a degree. Any that have, their degree was completely unrelated to how they made their fortune. Nobody can predict the future.

But as I said, money isn't everything. I know a guy who done Ecology in college in NI. Everyone said he was mad, but it was what he wanted to do and he knew he would like doing it. He was mad into hiking, camping, fishing etc and could identify any tree or flower you could see. It was his passion and he really liked it. He is now in Scotland working as an ecologist in a place he loves. He was recently married and has a baby on the way. He is also involved in the reintroduction of Eagles into Ireland. He loves where he is and what he is doing.

In contrast, his brother went to NUIG to train to be a Civil Engineer (finished ~ 7years ago) because he knew there would be a well paid, highly regarded job at the end of it all, which there was. He got a really highly paid job about a month after leaving college, but hated it. Left that company and tried doing a different aspect of civil engineering, which he also disliked. He regrets not pursuing a career in aviation, which is what he really wanted to do. He is now bumming around on the dole and about to pursue a career in aviation.

Tbh, I don't think your theory holds water, especially in these times.

What ages are the top 10 richest people in Ireland and how prevalent were degrees when the were in their late teens? What these people have, you don't learn in college.
For every Bill Gates there are plenty others who werent so successful. What gates learned in college wasnt the reason he became a multi billionaire.
Again not exactly the points I am trying to make.
You HAVE to take jobs into account when making decisions about your college education. Its vital.
I know countless people who did degrees when they were in their late teens, in fields they "liked", then they got out realised there werent that many jobs in this country that they could even start to apply for....they ended up moving into totallly different areas and have found it very difficult to find a career they have any interest in.
Its obviously nice to be able to marry a college education with a job you think you'll like.

In these recessionary times its even MORE important to try to something that you'l have a chance in getting job from in the future. There are less jobs out there, with more people applying. If your college cert is at least relevant to the job you have some chance of getting it. The times when people with degrees in different fields to the job getting that job are over, employers have the options now.
Someone in another post stated that very few people get jobs straight from college "even in the good times", that is plainly untrue.

Obviously, there are people who get jobs no matter what qualifications they have and people who move through various courses in college and various careers after but not to take future jobs into account is foolish in my experienced and possibly slightly biased opinion.. (I did two years of a degree of a subject which I loved in school, got a cold harsh hit of what the subject was about in college and more importantly figured out the odds of getting a decent job after were limited despite slogging it out for 4 years in college. Left it after two years. Fell into a PC manufacturing job, never entered my head before, went to college, did a VERY PRACTICAL IT cert and been in Support ever since. Love the job, didnt particularly like the course but it was a means to getting a job. I havent been out a job since having moved about 7 times to gain job experience)
Kippy

irishmonkey

Study something you know that you want to study, and are going to enjoy studying.

There's no point in choosing a course, and getting into a career you're going to hate.

As it was said about, undergrad in whatever you want, post grad after

Delta Kilo

kippy wrote: »

What gates learned in college wasnt the reason he became a multi billionaire.

In these recessionary times its even MORE important to try to something that you'l have a chance in getting job from in the future. There are less jobs out there, with more people applying.

possibly slightly biased opinion..

Hello? That was the very point I was trying to make, thanks for supporting it. College is not the be-all and end-all of everything.

There are going to be loads of people looking for jobs with degrees in another few years. (high unemployment=people advancing themselves at 3rd level instead). As you said there are less jobs. If everyone has a degree, then what advantage is having one because it wont be the degree that will get you the job. It will be the other stuff you have done, such as volunteering in Africa, teaching english as a foreign language etc etc.

Take for example 3 years ago people got 500+points to do engineering and architecture courses. They will be leaving college next year and joining dole queues or queuing up at embassies to get out of here. I'm sure lots of them thought they would get great jobs when they leave college. Nobody can predict what it is going to be like in 4 years. Why should we start guessing where the jobs are going to be so that we can go down a route that we more than likely not like. No matter how you look at it, there is a better chance of liking something that you are now interested in rather than "chancing it" because of prospective careers.

You have a biased opinion because you qualified in the middle of a boom and it all went fine and dandy for you. There is a lot of uncertainty out there now as to how things are going to fair out. Teachers will qualify this June with no hope of getting into a school in September. Mary Immaculate are not running the Post Grad in Education this year because there are no jobs. Teaching was always a course where you were "set-up" for a job afterwards. Now it is not.

I hope you always have it as good. We are not as lucky as you were as regards the economy. I think it is imperative that people do something they will enjoy, rather than gambling on certain careers being in demand in 4 years time. You do not understand the predicament that we are in.

PurpleFistMixer

Well, if unemployment increases and college fees come in I doubt there will be more people throwing themselves into university tbh.

Anyway... Obviously one needs to consider what they want to do when they're older. Not planning for the future is well, very short-sighted, and generally not a good idea. However it's also important to remember that college is not easy, and you're going to be spending four years working hard on whatever course you chose. So if you pick something you don't have any particular love or passion for, you're going to make life either very difficult or very miserable for yourself, and may end up with no degree at all, and rather out of pocket, should you drop out.
Choosing to study something you only vaguely enjoy with the sole intention of having a guaranteed job sounds like a recipe for an unfulfilling later life, to me. Do you want to take the risk of going for what you love, or settle now for working some job you don't care much for? Sadly it comes down to the fact that some people do have the freedom (less financial concerns for the future, etc.) to do the former, and others simply cannot take that risk and must go for the latter. Such is our lovely society, where all are equal, but some more so than others, yadda yadda.

kippy

Delta Kilo wrote: »

Hello? That was the very point I was trying to make, thanks for supporting it. College is not the be-all and end-all of everything.

There are going to be loads of people looking for jobs with degrees in another few years. (high unemployment=people advancing themselves at 3rd level instead). As you said there are less jobs. If everyone has a degree, then what advantage is having one because it wont be the degree that will get you the job. It will be the other stuff you have done, such as volunteering in Africa, teaching english as a foreign language etc etc.

Take for example 3 years ago people got 500+points to do engineering and architecture courses. They will be leaving college next year and joining dole queues or queuing up at embassies to get out of here. I'm sure lots of them thought they would get great jobs when they leave college. Nobody can predict what it is going to be like in 4 years. Why should we start guessing where the jobs are going to be so that we can go down a route that we more than likely not like. No matter how you look at it, there is a better chance of liking something that you are now interested in rather than "chancing it" because of prospective careers.

You have a biased opinion because you qualified in the middle of a boom and it all went fine and dandy for you. There is a lot of uncertainty out there now as to how things are going to fair out. Teachers will qualify this June with no hope of getting into a school in September. Mary Immaculate are not running the Post Grad in Education this year because there are no jobs. Teaching was always a course where you were "set-up" for a job afterwards. Now it is not.

I hope you always have it as good. We are not as lucky as you were as regards the economy. I think it is imperative that people do something they will enjoy, rather than gambling on certain careers being in demand in 4 years time. You do not understand the predicament that we are in.

I came out of college in the middle of the dotcom crash. Because I had a decent college qualification (In a field of IT which I believe will always be in demand to some level) I was still able to get a job. People who had programming degrees found it a lot harder......they couldnt even get into support jobs as there were plenty people out there with support qualifications. Thing got easier for them as time went on all right.
I would much rather people did something they could get jobs in than something "they enjoyed". You wont know how much you are going to enjoy a college course until you are slap bang in the middle of it. Thats my experience. You wont know how your going to enjoy a particular career until you are in it. Thats reality.
Teaching is still a strong qualification. Teachers retire, classes increase, teachers can teach grinds, add to their degree with TEFL etc and best of all its something that you can travel very easily with. It is a career that you will need to enjoy howeverer so I would not advise someone to get into this just because it looks like a good number.
You miss my point re the degree.
If everyone has a degree the more relevant the degree to the job you are applying for the more chance you have of getting that degree. As I said there have been so many jobs around in the past few years people with "European Studies" degrees and similiar, have been able to get sales and marketing jobs in certain cases. I cant see that continuing.

As I said, I have a biased opinion, not because I came out of college in any boom/bust but because I did exactly as many are telling people to do here.

Kippy

figor

Fill in CAO
Are you crazy?
Have you completely lost it?
Maybe your parents have a second mortgage!!!!!

figor

The geezer wants to fill in a CAO
Let him do it.
Its his funeral (sorry bankruptcy).

PurpleFistMixer

figor banned for a week; stop spamming the place with this UCAS-advertising nonsense.