What do todays workers say about the subjects they chose when they did their Leaving Cert (or equivalent exam)?
By clicking on the job titles from the list of interviews below (approx 150), you will be able to read what each person answered to the question "What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?" You can sort the list by clicking on the column titles (Sort by Title / Sort by Employer).
To view descriptions of each Leaving Cert subject, click here.
Elaine McGarrigle, CRH plc
What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
After my Junior Certificate in secondary school, I chose to study Physics, Chemistry and Classical studies for the Leaving Certificate.
Physics gave me a basic understanding of mechanics, which I found very enjoyable and this influenced my decision to choose mechanical engineering.
Chemistry and Classical Studies were subjects that I found very enjoyable but did not really entice me to choose a career in those areas.
Engineering drawing provides a basic understanding in this area and this is a subject that I studied through-out my 5 years in college and use on a regular basis in my job.
I would recommend a student to study physics and engineering drawing and possibly metalwork as these subjects would best support mechanical engineering as a career.
However I believe that it is not imperitive to study these subjects or to excel in these areas to pursue a career in engineering. My first year in college involved learning the basics of many subjects including maths, mechanics and engineering drawing. This allowed those who were weak in those subjects to catch up.
