Most secondary school students will have met their guidance counsellor in recent months to go through the process of identifying suitable courses, and may have completed interest inventories in their career classes.
However, if you are still unsure:
Take an interest inventory, on qualifax.ie and careersportal.ie for example, and see if any areas of particular interest to you are highlighted.Review previous examination results, are you achieving particularly well in one or a few subjects? What subjects do you enjoy the most? Can this help reveal your strengths? Have you any work experience to draw from? Or did you do work placements as part of transition year or the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP)? What aspects did you like and dislike? Use online tools to explore different career paths, but consult with a few to ensure you gain a balanced overview. The CareersPortal website has comprehensive information about different careers and industries as well as interviews with professionals in different fields explaining their role. If you really do not have any idea of what to do, make an appointment with your guidance counsellor again and evaluate all of your options including non-CAO options such as PLC courses, apprenticeships, traineeships or work experience which can serve as an alternative vocational route or a way into CAO courses at a later stage. Keep an eye on CAO deadlines
Remember that you can list or amend your course choices from 6 May until 1 July (change of mind, no charge). However, keep an eye out for any course listed as “restricted” in the CAO handbook as the deadline for such courses is 1 February.
After completing the Leaving Cert exams it is a good idea to review your course choices. Consider how did the exams go for you? Will you achieve what you hope for or do you need to make amendments to your CAO choices and find alternate ways to your dream career. There is no one best way.
What to consider now:
1 It is important to take note of the deadlines and important dates.
2 Secondly, register early. Even if you have not decided on courses yet, register on the CAO system with your personal details as soon as possible.
3 Spend some time thinking about your future and researching your preferred courses. You need to inform yourself about the course, the college and the supports it offers, and your options after graduation. Whilst you can change your career at many points in the future, career decisions are hugely important as our overall sense of wellbeing is closely associated with how we spend our time.
4 Your entire life does not depend on the CAO application and you have opportunities to change your mind during the summer. The point is, spend sufficient time evaluating your options, but do not put undue pressure on yourself to make the perfect decision at this point.
Pitfalls
Not registering in time because you have not made up your mind in January is the most common mistake students make. Even if you do not know what you want to do, it is a good idea to register and submit an application as you will be able to change your mind at a later stage.
Another common pitfall is to limit the courses in your CAO application based on what points you think you will get. At this early stage, it is your interests and aptitudes which should guide you in relation to the order you enter your course choices.
Some students tend to overlook Level 6 and 7 course options and thereby limit their options. Many Level 6 and 7 courses can be a better fit for your abilities and most offer the possibility of progression.
Is it ever a good idea to just register and not list any courses? Ironically, some students feel a huge sense of relief to simply register with CAO and initially enter only their personal details. I have learned to accept that this works for some personalities.
However, it is imperative that they then remember to fill in courses at a later stage in good time to meet deadlines. At such a busy time of year with so many other deadlines and stresses we would advise students to simply list some courses they are interested in when they first register with CAO. Students can log into their account to add courses and change the order of courses as many times as they like, for free up until 1 February and later again when “change of mind” opens from 6 May to 1 July.
Most secondary school students will have met their guidance counsellor in recent months to go through the process of identifying suitable courses, and may have completed interest inventories in their career classes.
However, if you are still unsure:
Take an interest inventory, on qualifax.ie and careersportal.ie for example, and see if any areas of particular interest to you are highlighted.Review previous examination results, are you achieving particularly well in one or a few subjects? What subjects do you enjoy the most? Can this help reveal your strengths? Have you any work experience to draw from? Or did you do work placements as part of transition year or the Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP)? What aspects did you like and dislike? Use online tools to explore different career paths, but consult with a few to ensure you gain a balanced overview. The CareersPortal website has comprehensive information about different careers and industries as well as interviews with professionals in different fields explaining their role. If you really do not have any idea of what to do, make an appointment with your guidance counsellor again and evaluate all of your options including non-CAO options such as PLC courses, apprenticeships, traineeships or work experience which can serve as an alternative vocational route or a way into CAO courses at a later stage. Keep an eye on CAO deadlines
Remember that you can list or amend your course choices from 6 May until 1 July (change of mind, no charge). However, keep an eye out for any course listed as “restricted” in the CAO handbook as the deadline for such courses is 1 February.
After completing the Leaving Cert exams it is a good idea to review your course choices. Consider how did the exams go for you? Will you achieve what you hope for or do you need to make amendments to your CAO choices and find alternate ways to your dream career. There is no one best way.
What to consider now:
1 It is important to take note of the deadlines and important dates.
2 Secondly, register early. Even if you have not decided on courses yet, register on the CAO system with your personal details as soon as possible.
3 Spend some time thinking about your future and researching your preferred courses. You need to inform yourself about the course, the college and the supports it offers, and your options after graduation. Whilst you can change your career at many points in the future, career decisions are hugely important as our overall sense of wellbeing is closely associated with how we spend our time.
4 Your entire life does not depend on the CAO application and you have opportunities to change your mind during the summer. The point is, spend sufficient time evaluating your options, but do not put undue pressure on yourself to make the perfect decision at this point.
Pitfalls
Not registering in time because you have not made up your mind in January is the most common mistake students make. Even if you do not know what you want to do, it is a good idea to register and submit an application as you will be able to change your mind at a later stage.
Another common pitfall is to limit the courses in your CAO application based on what points you think you will get. At this early stage, it is your interests and aptitudes which should guide you in relation to the order you enter your course choices.
Some students tend to overlook Level 6 and 7 course options and thereby limit their options. Many Level 6 and 7 courses can be a better fit for your abilities and most offer the possibility of progression.
Is it ever a good idea to just register and not list any courses? Ironically, some students feel a huge sense of relief to simply register with CAO and initially enter only their personal details. I have learned to accept that this works for some personalities.
However, it is imperative that they then remember to fill in courses at a later stage in good time to meet deadlines. At such a busy time of year with so many other deadlines and stresses we would advise students to simply list some courses they are interested in when they first register with CAO. Students can log into their account to add courses and change the order of courses as many times as they like, for free up until 1 February and later again when “change of mind” opens from 6 May to 1 July.
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