Careers and Jobs

Netezza has announced that it will be creating 65 jobs over the next 5 years in Dundalk. If you are a technical graduate then there could be the jobs for you. Infact Netazza actually suggested that the reason they are creating the jobs in Dundalk is because of its close proximity to DKIT. Netezza provides data warehouse equipment which helps store, retrieve and analyse large amounts of data.

On another positive note FAS has been receiving praise in the states on its visionary programme “The Science Challenge Initiative”. This programme will see 42 grads travel to th US for internship programmes. So if you do not fancy Dundalk perhaps 6 months in the states.

A new career site Careersportal has been launched aimed at 2nd and 3rd level students. Much needed if you ask me!! The site will provide information on a variety of careers across industry sectors. Apart from supporting students the site will support parents and teachers and guidance counselors keeping all up to date. This is a problem sometimes with career advice from an educational source – there can be a lack of up to date knowledge about the job market, trends etc.

Careersportal will give students as much information as possible to help them make an informed decision on career direction. It will include tools like Career Exploration to help find a suitable career, employment sector or educational course. It will also profile 30 sectors in Ireland and up to 500 occupation profiles. Companies in Ireland also get an opportunity to profile themselves.

Hopefully initiative like this will reduce the large number of graduates pursuing the wrong qualifications and careers. If you are a student you should definitely check out the site. If you are currently working this site could still prove to be a valuable resource.

Unfortunately many employees in Ireland are on the wrong career path. They are stuck in dull jobs which do not fit their personality or skills. These employees accept this fate without doing anything about it.

What can you do?

Well you can try and understand yourself better. Identify your interests, your preferred behaviour in a working environment, your skill and key competencies. Understanding yourself will provide clarity and help you onto the right career path.

How do I do this?

Some individuals do a self assessment but other individual use the services of a career coach and range of career tests.

There are many career coaching services in Ireland which offer career direction and a wide portfolio of career tests. These include personality questionnaires, motivational questionnaires and interest inventories.

What are you waiting for? Get on the right career path now!!

I recently read that students are to be given 1,000 Euro to study physics as a subject. GMIT has guaranteed this money to each student who undertakes its degree course in physics and instrumentation. Why are they doing this? Well there is a demand for these skills and a lack of students taking the course. GMIT feel that putting this carrot in place will increase the numbers of students taking this course and these graduates will meet the demand in the jobs market.

I often wonder if initiatives like this have any positive outcome. I regularly meet individuals who have taken the wrong course or entered the wrong career. I feel an initiative like this will perhaps amplify this problem. I appreciate that we need to meet the demand for industries with a skill shortage but not with individuals who are not interested or suited to the roles. Monetary reward may increase the flow of graduates but are they the right people. Will we see another generation of miserable workers?