Career Guidance is usually described as a range of interventions to help people to move from a general understanding of life and work, to a specific understanding of the realistic life, learning and work options that are open to them. It’s about helping the young person to:

• Know themselves
• Explore possibilities
• Make a Career/Educational Choice
• To make it happen

Career Guidance includes career education, information and counselling.

Careers Education includes:

• Learning about the World of Work, employer expectations and workplace requirements
• Learning about changes and trends in employment, occupation, legislation, work practices and policies
• Developing self-awareness in relation to interests, abilities, competencies and values through career assessment tools e.g. aptitude tests
• Developing awareness and understanding of career and educational paths and routes
• Developing career decision making and the implementation of skills
• Developing career transition skills

What happens in a one-to-one career guidance session? 

Every child is unique, and while some sessions may focus on personal issues in relation to careers and education, other sessions may focus on exploring career preferences, aptitudes, identifying goals, targets, deadlines and agreeing on a Career Development Plan. Sessions may be free-flowing or more structured depending on circumstances.

The meeting might look at plusses, minuses and interesting aspects of various course and career options. This is called a PMI scan (from Edward De Bono) and is an effective way of assessing options. Another framework for engaging with young people is OFFA’s AGENDA – where your child works with the counsellor to establish a solid understanding of their current position and career options by breaking down the students concerns into:

OPINION - FACT – FEELING - ASSUMPTION

The guidance counsellor will also look at the overall student picture - their aptitude test results, career assessment results, Junior Cert Results, sports & recreational activities, school report & record, personal and educational achievements, any additional educational requirements (disability and other access routes to college).

By looking at all these factors together, your child will have the opportunity to weigh up their options, identify career and vocational interests, and work towards good career and educational decisions. The one-to-one session offers a private and confidential space that is not possible in a group setting.