Do you wish you received better career guidance when you were younger?

kerry4sam

Some people on this thread seem to think it falls on the Career Guidance teacher to provide information to almost tell you, like a magic-8 ball, an answer to which they couldn't possibly know.

At that age, few know what they want to do. If students spent some time researching areas themselves before speaking to the CG teacher and asking for their opinion, they may be better off. Instead of waiting for them to give you an answer for something they truly don't know to answer to.

It is never too late to change course or direction. Never! It may be harder down the line, but it's never too late. Don't lay the blame on a CG teacher who tbh won't have the answers and cannot see into the future.

Study your ass off, research the course you feel best suits you and aim for said course. If that doesn't work, then re-evaluate. Don't put your future in the hands of anyone, never-mind a CG teacher with no answers or insight into the future imo.

Seren_

The career guidance teacher in our school was awesome. He was unbelievably helpful, and was the reason that I put Maynooth down on my CAO form as he did his degree there and loved it (I hadn't even heard of NUIM before my first careers meeting, but they had the exact course I wanted). I kinda owe my great college experience to him so

On the other hand, the careers teacher in my brother's school was crap and I ended up having to explain how the CAO worked to him because they were never told.

kfallon

kerry4sam wrote: »

Some people on this thread seem to think it falls on the Career Guidance teacher to provide information to almost tell you, like a magic-8 ball, an answer to which they couldn't possibly know.

We were made go and talk to the CGT, do you honestly think I wanted some clown who hardly knew anything about me as a person telling me which way to go careerwise! Like I said I was good at maths and liked all things 'numeral' so I knew I'd more than likely end up working with numbers. I didn't need that tit to tell me!

Zulu

kerry4sam wrote: »

Some people on this thread seem to think....

I'll stop you there. The question was: "Do you wish you received better career guidance when you were younger?" & people are answering.

kerry4sam

Zulu wrote: »

I'll stop you there. The question was: "Do you wish you received better career guidance when you were younger?" & people are answering.

kerry4sam wrote: »

Some people on this thread seem to think it falls on the Career Guidance teacher to provide information to almost tell you, like a magic-8 ball, an answer to which they couldn't possibly know.

At that age, few know what they want to do. If students spent some time researching areas themselves before speaking to the CG teacher and asking for their opinion, they may be better off. Instead of waiting for them to give you an answer for something they truly don't know to answer to.

It is never too late to change course or direction. Never! It may be harder down the line, but it's never too late. Don't lay the blame on a CG teacher who tbh won't have the answers and cannot see into the future.

Study your ass off, research the course you feel best suits you and aim for said course. If that doesn't work, then re-evaluate. Don't put your future in the hands of anyone, never-mind a CG teacher with no answers or insight into the future imo.

No, you won't take my quote out of context. Thanks. Read that full sentence again and it will make sense

Tea-a-Maria

My career guidance teacher was a priest.He told everyone,and I mean EVERYONE to do Arts in Galway.When I told him I was thinking of doing law,he suggested Arts with Legal Studies in Galway and then get an LLB.This would have taken longer than a regular law degree and probably wouldn't look as good on a CV.Though at one level I was impressed at the gymnastics he did to convince me to study there.:rolleyes:

Everyone in my school saw career guidance as a period for dossing.You mostly just went to pick up the prospectus for a college.Useless!

kerry4sam

Zulu wrote: »

I'll stop you there. The question was: "Do you wish you received better career guidance when you were younger?" & people are answering.

in other words, cont of my post above: some people have an un-realistic expectation of what the CG is there for and what they can do and provide imo.

Zulu

yeah whatever. With insight like that, did you ever consider becoming a CGT yourself?

Personally I take it to mean that people wish they received better career guidance when they were younger, but you'd know better.

Lollipops23

My CG teacher actually lost me a year, as she didn't tell me my PLC options when I asked (she told me the one i liked as fee-paying, like DBS etc). Stupid bint didn't know her arse from her elbow.

BUBBLE WRAP

The CGT I had, was a right bell-end to say the least.

CGT: what are you going to be when you leave school.
Me: I'm going to be an artist sir.
CGT: Oh really? Have you an interest in art?
Me: No im going to draw the dole!
CGT face just turned bright red.

It was immature of me, But it was an opportunity for me to act the maggot so I took it.

But since that incident he called me useless and good for nothing for the rest of the year. So I was delighted to get out of school, but I got my pay back on him, I reported him to the principle and HE is now drawing the dole. :pac: I am going on in IT.

coolisin

Mine was useless, asked for options in what I wanted to do was told do business and IT in the end I did a course that I touched on some of the stuff I wanted to do.
Now in a career related to the diploma and cert I have, not what I wanted to do at all it turns out.

Useless cow never informed me properly of my options, or explained things properly, would love to go back and change stuff that is for sure

I know they cant know everything but they should be able to help you as what institutes of education may have courses in what you want to do.

Feckless Rogue

How the flipping feck do I post an image...

(SFW)

Richard Hillman

My career guidance teacher was very unapproachable and a bit of a spoofer. He was a disciplinarian so the people who need guidance the most tended to avoid him. You would have to seek him out to get genuine guidance. The career guidance classes were absolutely nothing to do with careers. After the leaving cert results he said he will be in contact with me in a couple of weeks. 7 years later im still waiting on that phone call. He used to babble on for ages in each class about how he loves his job etc. He left his job about a year later :pac:

I didnt have a clue what options or opportunities i had after i finished school.

Whatsernamex33

I absolutely despised my careers guidance teacher, she had her favourites in the class and would answer any question and help. The other half of the class, well she basically belittled them. I'd always skip that class, it was a waste of time in my school imo.
I remember first time though in the class, she handed us out the CAO handbook and told us to check off the courses we thought sounded interesting. Basically, I hadn't a real clue what I wanted through this way. Or another time, I told her I'd be interested in studying music and she put me right off it talking about the auditions, etc.

Next school I was in was frickin' incredible for careers guidance, can't fault it at all. If you have the right person for the job, it's a very helpful class.

él statutorio

My CGT was awful, did my leaving in 99 and his recommendation to almost everyone in the class was to get into telesales.....

daheff

my CG teacher was useless. his only advise was to go to NUIM Maynooth (because its near and you can do anything there) !!

he did aptitude tests with us...nobody ever got a result even when we asked for the,. "I'm still marking them, so i dont have results yet".

i got my parents to get a book about college courses...he saw me looking at it one day and took it off me, accusing me of stealing it from his office :eek:

unholy row errupted when the mother was told..she went down to the school...and 'miraculously' he found his own copy in his office.

for me the problem with CG teachers is that they have no idea of the world outside schools...they have no commercial experience. how are they qualified to give any advice then? They're a waste of space

im invisible

from the moment i set foot in the school in first year, she set me wrong.
"science, tech. graphics AND art? no, no, no! you NEED a language"
but miss, i hate irish, and i'm not too good at english either...
"No, french or german, you have to have a language, which is it? you can keep science all right, but youll have to choose between tech drawing and art, shure why would anyone want to do both..."

Silly bitch!!! :mad::mad::mad:

Shryke

No guidance at all. One or two classes where the guidance teacher went around the class asking everyone what they were going to do. If you didn't have a definite answer she basically just gave out to you!
Did the aptitude test in Leaving Cert year. The aptitude test told me I would be suited for engineering or software. I did a software course for 2 years before dropping out although it was more to do with the course not being up to scratch and me being too young to care enough about my future to barrel through anyway.
Out of interest I repeated the aptitude test after getting engineering/software while varying only a few answers that I was fairly wishy washy about and got back Gynecology as result one. WTF? was all I could think.

Feckless Rogue

Shryke wrote: »

Out of interest I repeated the aptitude test after getting engineering/software while varying only a few answers that I was fairly wishy washy about and got back Gynecology as result one. WTF? was all I could think.

Hm, with my recommendation as a jeweler I'm thinking we go into partnership in the vajazzling trade?

Just spitballing here but how about "Shryke and Rogue's House of Vajazzling" or simply "Prittstick and Sprinkl'em"?

LadyMayBelle

Our career guidance was shocking. If you were good at English, you did Arts in NUIG, if you were good at Business, you did Commerce in NUIG or Gmit. That was it.

I hadnt a clue about what I wanted to do, and was advised at 12years when starting secondary by my Grandmother and the Deputy Head (who was a neighbour of my Grans) to do Home Ec because 'I was good at baking'. Missed out on Science and it was the biggest regret to date; totally foiked my chances of doing anything sciency or medical; when I was about 18 I thought I d like to consider nursing, but naturally didnt have any science.

Hated Home Ec with a passion.

Took me years to get a vaguely health related college course without science/biology experience.

scrumqueen

LadyMayBelle wrote: »

I hadnt a clue about what I wanted to do, and was advised at 12years when starting secondary by my Grandmother and the Deputy Head (who was a neighbour of my Grans) to do Home Ec because 'I was good at baking'. Missed out on Science and it was the biggest regret to date; totally foiked my chances of doing anything sciency or medical; when I was about 18 I thought I d like to consider nursing, but naturally didnt have any science.

Hated Home Ec with a passion.

Took me years to get a vaguely health related college course without science/biology experience.

Same thing happened to me, figured out I wanted to do Physio in fifth year, after dropping all my sciences after the JC because I was good at Art and Home Ec :cool:

dazberry

I told my career (mis)guidance teacher I wanted to do computer programming. This was back in the late 80s, so he sat doing the motions on a typewriter as to what he thought computer programming involved and told me I had two choices, science in UCD or an expensive private course in Bray... :rolleyes:

D.

Shryke

Feckless Rogue wrote: »

Hm, with my recommendation as a jeweler I'm thinking we go into partnership in the vajazzling trade?

Just spitballing here but how about "Shryke and Rogue's House of Vajazzling" or simply "Prittstick and Sprinkl'em"?

Would Jizz'um N' Jazz'em be a bit much?

Feckless Rogue

Vajazz Hands ok I'm excusing myself from the rest of the thread.

Sorry.

Sorry all.

Yes, I wish I had gotten better advice.

Although the best advice would have been to go off and grow up for a couple of years and then come back and decide.

NegativeCreep

I'm guessing Qualifax wasn't around when you guys were deciding on careers? That site is better than any guidance counselling :cool:

Teyla Emmagan

The career guidance in my school was unbelievably sh(t. You could be:

a) a Guard
b) a Nurse

There was nothing else. If you mentioned college yer one would hand you a couple of leaflets and send you off.

My Dad more or less did my career guidance for me.

pearliefan

Clareman wrote: »

The guidance teacher in my secondary school was a priest.

Flannan's? If so... he really was an awful CG 'teacher'.

OneArt

Our CGT was gas. One of the most useless people I have ever met. I have discalculia (basically dyslexia with maths), but made up for it with being good at English and languages in general. We would often have career sessions with her one-on-one so she had some idea of my strengths and weaknesses. Then, in fifth year, what does she do? Hands me a prospectus about engineering courses, telling me engineering is good for "creative people". As much as I love science, I am not mathematically gifted (I struggled to get a B3 in Foundation Level), there was no way I would get into a course like that. And she had been the one who organised to get me tested for discalculia in the first place!

I did languages after school which was a good choice, I only ended up dropping out because I was so absolutely sick of living in Ireland. I'm going back to study English lit and Spanish next year (through German! Feck!), and the job I work in now is all about language (copywriting, translation, proofreading and teaching a bit of business English). This CGT, on the other hand, continued to tell me to do courses like psychology, business (again, you need maths!) and even childcare.

I'm very glad I ignored her advice.

steddyeddy

We had a caring guidance counselor but our teachers didnt care n the slightest bar one or two. So there wasnt a lot she could do.

yer man!

Well for myself, my CGT asked me what I'd like to do, I said civil engineering, it's what I've always wanted to do. He then kinda freaked me out about the job market (was 2008-09) and difficulty of the course and recommenced I look at science, I ended up in chemistry and now in my final year. It's grand... but after a placement in the chemistry industry I just don't think it's for me. I'm now looking at going back to college and doing another degree and paying full fees myself, I know it's what I would like in the end and if the jobs aren't here sure there's out foreign, would love to get out of here anyway. I just can't stand the thought of being 40 and in a job that I hate!!!