Useless qualifications

LegacyUser

Male, late 20s...

Like everyone I'm looking for that concrete job and meanwhile workin in a newsagent where I can't even get enought hours...

I have a degree, higher diploma, 3 FETAC certs...
and I've signed up for another two this year (they are at night) things that sound good like management and marketingbut are at the end of the day only certsm nothing more

There is the argument that a qualificaiton is better than none, but a FETAC level 5 cert, well...

am I wasting my time, my prescious winter weeknights in "college" for nothing?

tenchi-fan

Doing the certs shows you did not sit idly by when you were working in a newsagent.. but on the other hand, seriously, what do you need with all those certs? Are they related to your degree at least, and are you sure you aren't just repeating the content of your degree in bite-sized certs?
Even a cert in management could be followed by a dip in marketing, and that followed by a degree. Doing countless certs doesn't show any real progression.

Education aside, there is no substitute for work experience. Rather than doing endless night courses you should do a Fas course which is followed by paid work experience in an area relevant to what you want to work in.

Denerick

The only possible use doing all those certs would have would be to show prospective employers that 'you weren't lazy' during the past couple of years. But I don't see the point, from a utilitarian point of view, as to what they actually achieve. You aren't doing to bad with a degree and HDip as it is.

Keep plugging away with applications and maybe take on a night course in a language or something? Something more tangible? I don't know... I'm skeptical about the value of these numerous 'certs' that do the rounds, methinks they are just an easy opportunity for ITs to make a few extra quid where possible.

pog it

Hmmmm. Maybe op, come up with a clear picture of what job you want to get at the end of all your certs and only target the courses that you need to do in order to get that job. For example, had you been in film/media, I'd imagine there are a range of different short term certs and diplomas that could all cover different aspects and be of a help.

Depends on the job you are targeting really methinks.

dudara

You need to find some direction - too many certificates and qualifications can look like someone has no direction in life.

You could also consider learning another language if academia suits you which it sounds like it does.

It sounds like you are already highly qualified in what you do... so another language would increase where you can do it, both in terms of the companies here that would be interested in you and companies abroad that would take you.

A lot of companies in Ireland for example that are in marketing etc, are looking to the EU and not just at home for their business these days. So skills in communication on that theme could not possibly hurt to have.