Researching Occupations
As well as parents, students may not realise the actual reality of work for many occupations outside those they have experienced, or have seen on TV and films. If your child has a particular occupation in mind, then it is worthwhile exploring the 'typical' characteristics associated with it.
In school, many students undertake a 'Career Investigation' of an occupation they think may be of interest. These are structured investigations designed to ensure the student is familiar with the more typical aspects of an occupation, as well as research into what courses or training that may be required to be qualified to work.
Ask if your child has completed an investigation and take the opportunity to discuss it with them. If they have not, encourage them to do the research, even informally. The information required can be completed in a worksheet (or simply use it as a guide), and can be found through our occupational database.
Occupational information for Ireland is available free through the CareersPortal Career Explorer. Our database provides occupational profiles along with information from other UK and American sources. As many occupations are similar across the globe, these international links often provide additional useful information.
For each occupation we provide:
- Simple Job Description
- Video/Interviews (where available)
- Typical Tasks (where available)
- Job Zone (a guide to education and or experience required)
- Qualifications Required
- Typical Entry Routes
- Related Sectors
- Salary Information (where available)
- Labour Market Information (where available)
- Job Search (search for the occupation in recruitment sites)
- CAO/PLC courses that may be of interest
- Links to Career Directions database (where available)
- Links to international databases and videos (where available)
