CareersPortal @ Work

CareersPortal contains a range of resources designed to assist you to make sound, informed decisions about your career. From this site you can complete self-assessment exercises, create a career plan, develop a job search strategy, research employers, explore occupations, keep up to date with our labour market trends, discover training opportunities and watch and read career interviews of people from all walks of life in Ireland.

What's your Career?

At various times along our career journey we reach a crossroad. We must choose (or have the opportunity to choose) which direction to move. These times can be exciting, challenging, stressful or frightning depending on circumstances and our readiness to face change.  

In my second year in Grammar School I won a Bronze Medallion in the UK Schools Mathematical Challenge and this highlighted to me early on that mathematical problems and logical thinking was one of my major strengths. This helped me to make my first major career decision at 16 when choosing my 3 A-Levels subjects. I chose to study Math’s, Physics and Chemistry. Deciding what course to take up in University proved a much more difficult decision for me to make. Studying Math’s, Physics and Chemistry A-Levels opened up a huge number of possible university courses to aim for and choosing Chemical Engineering as a suitable course for me only became apparent at the very last minute. I think that a desire to work in an environment that is dynamic, constantly evolving and cutting edge with a variety of professional people helped me to choose a career in Chemical Engineering. I also had a keen interest in international travel and wanted a qualification that would be recognised internationally. My A-level grades enabled me to get straight on to the Masters Engineering course at Queens University Belfast .I liked the idea of having the added value of a Masters qualification which offered additional management skills for possible management roles later in my career. Choosing to work for a Multinational Pharmaceutical Company was also a milestone career decision for me. Some of my college peers sought careers in the heavy chemicals industries like oil and gas but I opted for the Pharmaceutical environment, as the job prospects in this area in Ireland and internationally were very good. Who said this? Find out here:

There are many factors to consider when the time for a change arrives.

• Negative Internal factors - such as job dissatisfaction, job apathy or health issues all require you to take stock of who you are and what you want from your life.
• Positive Internal factors - such as a passion to follow your dreams, ambition or simply the urge to do what you love to do, requires you to seek out ways to create the realities you desire in the world of work, and overcome whatever leglislative and practical challenges you might be faced with.
• Negative External factors - such as job loss, redundancy or change of location requires you to establish a workable financial budget to sustain you until the next opportunity arises, and the skills of planning and managing a job search so that you get that opportunity as soon as possible.
• Positive External factors - such as when a new position becomes available, or a promotion, or an attractive redundancy package, requires you to evaluate such opportunities in the context of your short and long term life goals, your values and your life/work balance.

Personal Career Choices

Care About The Success Of The Business
	Invest some energy and emotion into the success of your organisation. Care about it. Show that. Doing so will move you and your business forward.

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