low points

Twoandahalfmen

say you got 200-300 points. would that mean the job you get of a course would be worse than a 600 pointer or could it be b better.

randylonghorn

It's far too simplistic a way to look at it tbh.

Ok, the crumb of truth ... the more in demand a course is, the higher the points will be, and many courses which are in demand lead to "good" jobs ... e.g. medicine, dentistry, etc.

That's ofc assuming that these are "good" jobs for you ... they can lead to making good money eventually, but you might hate them: are they therefore good jobs for you?

The other thing to remember is that even in earning potential there are lots of ifs, buts and maybes.

Just one example: during the boom, electricians, plumbers, tradespeople made very good money, yet most of them never went through the CAO system. On the other hand, at that time the points for architecture were very high; most architects aren't exactly in the high earnings stakes these days now that the boom has gone bust, and the points for architecture courses have dropped majorly. Times change.

And the fact that you do a course which is in demand doesn't mean that you will automatically fall into a high-earning job even if the area is in demand; a lot will depend on your own work ethic, ability and commitment even if you have the right qualification.

All of these and lots of other things to consider.

In general, I would suggest concentrating on finding a course you will enjoy leading to an area of work you will enjoy rather than obsessing too much about the points which it might currently attract in the CAO. And sure, potential earnings and job prospects are both things you will want to factor in as part of the mix; but they shouldn't be the only factors.

Twoandahalfmen

randylonghorn wrote: »

It's far too simplistic a way to look at it tbh.

Ok, the crumb of truth ... the more in demand a course is, the higher the points will be, and many courses which are in demand lead to "good" jobs ... e.g. medicine, dentistry, etc.

That's ofc assuming that these are "good" jobs for you ... they can lead to making good money eventually, but you might hate them: are they therefore good jobs for you?

The other thing to remember is that even in earning potential there are lots of ifs, buts and maybes.

Just one example: during the boom, electricians, plumbers, tradespeople made very good money, yet most of them never went through the CAO system. On the other hand, at that time the points for architecture were very high; most architects aren't exactly in the high earnings stakes these days now that the boom has gone bust, and the points for architecture courses have dropped majorly. Times change.

And the fact that you do a course which is in demand doesn't mean that you will automatically fall into a high-earning job even if the area is in demand; a lot will depend on your own work ethic, ability and commitment even if you have the right qualification.

All of these and lots of other things to consider.

In general, I would suggest concentrating on finding a course you will enjoy leading to an area of work you will enjoy rather than obsessing too much about the points which it might currently attract in the CAO. And sure, potential earnings and job prospects are both things you will want to factor in as part of the mix; but they shouldn't be the only factors.

Great reply thanks

Eathrin

Think first and foremost about what course you would LIKE to do, not a course which falls within a certain points bracket. Then aim to better the points required to do this course.

Very high points courses tend to lead to careers with a good earning potential, but I am a firm believer that if you are doing something you like or love, then you have a good opportunity to make a good living from it.

user.name

I can see many people in my year going for courses just for the fact they are high points above is completely right go for someething you are interested in

spurious

In many cases you can do exactly the same course outside Dublin for much less points. Same degree, same job opportunities at the end though.