Whether it’s a first year student or someone at the end of their course, no student should be preparing to enter the workforce without a powerful action plan. Completing a higher education course now gives students a much greater chance of opportunity to enter full time employment. Recent statistics have shown some 65% of students will go into full time employment, 82% of those will be in Ireland. A further 7% will be seeking something in their field of study. Graduating has never been more fruitful in Ireland, you will need to go back over a decade for there to be a better time to be a student. For a better picture please take a look at the statistics on www.hea.ie.
However the market today may not reflect the market that will exist down the track. Technology is changing at such a rapid pace that the skills required now may very well be obsolete. If you look at Industry now, everything is very transversal. Career paths can lead one way and then interlink across other sections. Looking at the abundance of Finance roles available today, someone who graduated 10 years ago with a Finance degree may struggle to gain employment in the current climate due to these positions being heavily interlinked with ICT (information and communications technology). Other areas that is undergoing a facelift is Marketing this now belongs heavily in the Digital world. As someone who has an ICT background I’ve always been aware of how things change rapidly in the I.T world. This change is no longer confined to the ICT sector, it permeates right across all Industries.
How you deal with these inevitabilities will have as a big effect on your career as the choices that are made as a graduate. From a personal development point of view this is the time when you can grow and flourish. Giving yourself a chance to become aware of what is important to you now and how this fits in with want you want from career in the future. What I do is to ensure that your goals are aligned to what employers are looking for. It is important to understand what employers are looking for in candidates, ensuring that not only does a candidate have the required hard skills, but that they also have necessary soft skills to fit within their organisation.
According to the Australian Association of Graduate Employers, Australian employers surveyed rated the top ten soft skills as follows:
1. Cultural Fit 2. Teamwork 3. Interpersonal Skills 4. Oral Communication Skills 5. Problem Solving Skills 6. Motivational Fit 7. Achieves Results 8. Written Communication Skills 9. Analytical Skills 10. Time Management Skill
Coaching is a very powerful way to achieve the very best in your personal and professional life, creating a strategy to give your career direction and purpose. What we will do is create a powerful action plan that will remove any obstacles that you might have in front of you to reaching your goals. Using my programme I will ensure that you build the necessary skills to have the best chance possible. In today’s market it’s important to cover all the basics.
· Strategies for successful Job Seeking
· Writing a successful Resume and Cover Letter
· Effective Interview Preparation
· Addressing Selection Criteria
· Navigating and Using the powerful tool LinkedIn
As someone who struggled with their career choices at young age I’m fully aware of the difficulties that can arise. However I truly believe no matter what choices you make in life these will help shape your future. The type of work you do affects all aspects of your life including: your self-esteem, family, personal relationships and finances. So planning is important to ensure you are able to satisfy your dreams and live a full and rewarding life
While all this may seem a little overwhelming ultimately knowing your interests, skills, abilities and personality type will help you to work out a great career path and find a career that you are passionate about
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