Career planning before final year

If you're part-way through your university course, use this checklist to help you start your career planning and make job hunting easier in your final year.

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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.
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