Career planning before final year

Getting started

• Visit your Careers Service and sign up for their newsletter.
• Think about the sort of work that interest to you and what you want out of a job; generate new job ideas and check out your existing ideas.
• Identify an area you hope to specialise in and how you can get there.

Developing employability

• Talk to employers at careers events to find out what skills they are looking for.
• Think about what you can offer employers: the skills you have now and those you are developing through your studies.
• Identify the skills you need to develop to apply for jobs you're interested in. Plan how you will achieve this.

Researching employers

• Attend on-campus careers fairs and employer visits.
• Attend the gradireland careers fairs in June and October.
• Find out which employers are recruiting on careers websites and in the press.
• Read the gradireland directory, published in September.

Considering further study?

• Attend the postgradireland fair in Dublin in February.
• Read the postgradireland directory, published in November.

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.
• After any work experience, amend your CV and add the new skills you have developed and specific achievements.