Career planning for penultimate year students

Use our checklist to help you start your career planning and make job hunting easier in your final year.

Autumn

Self assessment
Revisit your self assessment. Identify what additional skills you will develop from your study.
Identify the learning outcomes of specific modules you study.
Understand your limitations and build up an in-depth understanding of what it is to be you.
What new skills do you have and what skills do you need to develop?

Using the Careers Service
Read newsletters and check e-mails sent from the careers office.

Researching employers
Approach employers at careers events to find out what skills they are looking for.

Careers events
Find out about careers fairs and other events organised for the year.
Attend on-campus careers fairs and visits.
Attend the gradireland Graduate Careers Fair in RDS in October.


Winter

Researching careers
Think about what sort of work is of interest to you.
Identify what you want out of a job; generate new job ideas and check out your existing ideas.

Researching employers
Identify which employers are recruiting on careers websites and in the press.
Continue to meet employers at careers events.
Find out what skills and qualities employers are looking for.

Work experience
Identify summer work that is available in your chosen sector.

Careers events
Attend on-campus careers fairs and visits.
Attend the postgradireland fair in Dublin in February.

Using the Careers Service
Read newsletters and e-mails from the careers office.


Spring

Researching careers
Identify an area you hope to specialise in and how you can get there.

Researching employers
Familiarise yourself with opportunities available.
Find out what skills and qualities employers are looking for.

Work experience
Identify summer work in your chosen sector. Customise your CV for each job you apply for.
Consider working on a voluntary basis if you do not get paid work.

Using the Careers Service
Read newsletters and e-mails from the careers office.


Summer

Work experience
Undertake summer work experience; amend your CV and incorporate new skills you have developed.

Using the Careers Service
Read newsletters and e-mails from the careers office.