Getting onto Career Guidance Course

riddle_diddle

Hi folks,

Im a qualified Geography Teacher (teaching council will not recognise me as a CSPE teacher even though I have Sociology degree!!)

Anyway, Im qualified four years now and havent had hours in Geography yet. Ive had part time contracts in Pe and Resource and cant see myself going on the way I am! Im picking up sub hours in my area, but I WANT a job!! Ive always wanted to do Career Guidance and now is my chance. I will cry if i have to sit through another year of waiting for the phone to ring!

The course in Cork is full time which is what I want as I dont want to spend 2 years doing it part time (I wouldnt say no to it if offered part time though!)

Im currently doing a Cert in Psychology with NUI Maynooth in order to improve my application. Has anyone any ideas or in the know as to what else I can do to help my application? Closing date is March. I know I'm a little late in asking but every little helps right?!

Any replies are very much appreciated!! Thanks!:)

Enright

UL In LImerick offer a part time 2 year course in Career Guidance

Details on www.ul.ie pastgrad section

riddle_diddle

Thanks Enright! But I know where the courses are. I dont want to do the course part time as stated!

Its tips or suggestions on helping buff up my application that I'm looking for!

Thanks anyway

golden virginia

It would do no harm to get familiar with Qualifax

smallgarden

Hey
If you could I would try do a foundation course in counselling. It will give you some basic counselling skills and basic theory. Its REALLY important you dont think of it as career guidance. Most courses are guidance and counselling. They REALLY stress the importance of counselling. Within counselling theres career and personal counselling. Knowing qualifax will be of little use for interview but useful for the job.If you could do a few personal counselling sessions to get a feel for it as a client they'll love that. You dont have to have and issues but useful learning tool. Also the Cork course was cancelled last year which was only announced after closing date of course. NUI Maynooth do a year full time postgrad diploma course which has two days a week work placement in a school.
In a school you may be doing career guidance, personal counselling or both.It depends completely on the school

riddle_diddle

Thanks smallgarden!! Im so shocked that UCC course was cancelled??? :eek::eek: Will it be back for 2012?? I really wanted to do it full-time!

Thanks for the tips, I use to work with Childline as a call operator so got some training with them. But the counselling sessions are a good idea!!!!

golden virginia

here is a link what guidance in second level school involves http://www.sdpi.ie/inspectorate/pp_guideliines_second_level_schools_9c%20Appropriate%20Guidance.pdf

I think its not just a case of careers or counselling - you need several strings to your bows!
I note that you are a qualified teacher. There are not a lot of qualified guidance counsellors around. i would guess that even the qualification that you are doing now would make you very useful as a sub for guidance.