Job hunting for finalists

Autumn/Winter

Get started

• Visit your careers service and find out what help and information is available.
• Research the options by reading the career sectors pages on this website and the career sector guides available there and through your Careers Service.
• Browse the first destination returns (FDRs) from your careers service, and speak to alumni to get information about what graduates from your course went on to do.
• Attend careers workshops, such as career planning, CVs, interviews and job hunting.

Research the job market

• Attend your own institution’s careers fair and employer presentations on campus.
• Attend the gradireland Graduate Careers Fair, which takes place in October each year in Dublin.
• Check 'milkround' vacancies advertised to final-year students by your careers service.
• Sign up for jobs by email from gradireland.com.
• Read the gradireland directory, published in September each year and available free from your careers service.

Start applying for jobs

• Identify the employability skills you have developed through work or study throughout your course.
• Write or update your CV and ask a careers adviser to review it.
• Check deadlines for graduate programmes and be aware of early closing dates. The ‘Big 4’ accountancy firms for example have closing dates in October.
• Start making job applications.

Consider further study

• Apply for HDip courses for teacher training. These tend to have early deadlines.
• Research postgraduate opportunities and funding, and talk to course co-ordinators of study programmes that interest you.
• Contact your postgraduate studies office regarding further study options and funding.
• Attend the postgradireland Further Study fair, which takes place in February each year in Dublin.
• Read the Further Study section in the gradireland directory, published in September, and visit their Further Study section online.

Spring/Summer

Get a job!

• Attend employer presentations and careers fairs on campus.
• Attend the gradireland Summer Fair, which takes place in June each year in Dublin.
• Keep an eye on local and national newspapers.
• Develop a hit-list and job search plan for making speculative applications.
• Apply for jobs – responding to advertisements or speculatively.

Consider postgraduate study

• Research further study options.
• Talk directly to course co-ordinators of programmes of study that interest you (see the gradireland directory and their online Further Study section).
• Apply for postgraduate courses.