Junior Cycle

Have you ever thought about what you would like to do when you leave school? The Junior Cycle is a good time to start thinking about different career options and considering what subjects you might choose for Leaving Cert. We have lots of useful tools to help you start exploring yourself and the thousands of exciting career paths that lie ahead.

Explore different Career Sectors - for example, business, medicine, or beauty to get a picture of the types of skills and jobs involved in working in that particular area. 

Search hundreds of occupations in our Career Explorer to find out what the job involves, the type of person it would suit, what you might earn and the qualifications you would need.

You can also watch lots of career videos or read career stories with people employed in a variety of jobs across the country to get an insight into different sectors and industries. 

Discover Careers
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Kate Walsh
Beauty Therapist - Kate Walsh
Engineering Careers Q&A
Q&A - Engineering Careers Q&A
Jonathan Pugsley
Energy Manager - Jonathan Pugsley
Part One
Meet the People Who Make the Technology You Use - Part One
Marcus - Sustainability Engineer
Sustainability Engineer - Marcus - Sustainability Engineer

Join our complete Guidance programme designed for Irish Junior Cycle students (purchase required).

Build you own unique Career Portfolio through exploring our fun Island of Discovery as the programme takes you through a series of explorations about yourself, your motivations, and your dreams and ambitions.

What Career Type are you?

Naturalist?

Not surprisingly, some aspect of the natural sciences will run through the Naturalist's interests - from ecological awareness to nutrition and health. People with an interest in horticulture, land usage and farming (including fish) are Naturalists.

Some Naturalists focus on animals rather than plants, and may enjoy working with, training, caring for, or simply herding them. Other Naturalists will prefer working with the end result of nature's produce - the food produced from plants and animals. Naturalists like solving problems with solutions that show some sensitivity to the environmental impact of what they do. They like to see practical results and prefer action to talking and discussing.

Explore Career Interests...
Career Chat...
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Dave McDonald
Dave McDonald, Astronomer

Science Ambassador Dave McDonald is a health and safety representative by day, and amateur astronomer by night. In 2008 he became only the second person to discover an asteroid from Ireland, 160 years after Andrew Graham in 1848. This was followed by a second discovery in March 2009.

In this interview – before he became famous – he talks about how he chose his career, the cool things in his work, and his tips on work experience and what to study.

Ask me a question!

Career Articles

Thomas Dennis DKIT BA Culinary Arts
Thomas Dennis DKIT BA Culinary Arts
Posted by Dundalk Institute of Technology - DKIT
Changing Career - Your Options in Science
Changing Career - Your Options in Science
Posted by CareersPortal
Career Profile - Drystock Herd Management
Career Profile - Drystock Herd Management
Posted by Teagasc
Transferable skills helped Orlaith in her career and as an entrepreneur
Transferable skills helped Orlaith in her career and as an entrepreneur
Posted by SETU - Waterford Campus
Studying Tourism and Hospitality at Third Level
Studying Tourism and Hospitality at Third Level
Posted by CareersPortal
Landscape Gardener
Landscape Gardener
Posted by Teagasc
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