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Career Advice With Avril Quinn Of Resources.ie

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Hi Readers,

My name is Avril Quinn and I have worked in the area of Human Resources and positions in which I have been helping people for as long as I can remember! I think it is safe to say that we have all experienced the economic downturn to various levels and today it is my hope to provide genuine Career Advice that will positively contribute to your life in the coming weeks and months.

Being on the job market can present many challenges whether you have experienced redundancy, have recently graduated, are returning to Ireland from abroad, are living in Ireland for the very first time, returning to the workforce after leave such as maternity leave, sick leave, carer’s leave or indeed entering employment for the very first time.  No matter if we have or have not worked before and regardless if we chose direct work options rather than University we are all human and we can be very nervous and apprehensive when it comes to applying for work and considering career options that are available to us.

What I have done in the past in this situation is break what seems like an enormous and definitely daunting task into smaller parts, take baby steps as they say and gradually through determined and genuine effort the pieces of the jigsaw should come together.  Give yourself the best chance possible and gather as much information as you can, the saying is certainly true; information is most definitely power.

These are some suggestions that I would like to give you when you are carrying out your research and arming yourself with information:

Adult Education – both UCC and CIT have put phenomenal work into their Adult Education Programmes and their reputation speaks for itself however if you feel that is too big a step for the moment local Schools & Community Colleges offer a fantastic range of short term programmes which are very affordable and can give you an opportunity to try a course to see if you like it and if that area is something you would like to learn more about and possibly specialize in for the future.  If indeed UCC, CIT or other Universities and Colleges are options that you would like to explore then I would strongly recommend that you go onto their websites and contact their Mature Student Officers who will be very helpful and knowledgeable in giving you the best advice.

Enterprise Boards – we have a number of Enterprise Boards in Cork and their staff are always willing to provide advice on new business start ups but in addition to this they provide a number of training programmes on a wide range of areas at highly subsidised rates, definitely research these on the internet.

FAS – provides a comprehensive set of supports to those on the job market and it is easy to forget just how much they offer the public in terms of advice, support and opportunities to go on courses etc.  Ensure to include them in your research.

Financial Advice – speak to a Financial Advisor about your options.  Financial pressure is one of the worst pressures a person can be under and if you can make positive adjustments to your Financial Affairs it will not only decrease the stress in your life but it can open up options to you that you never considered possible.

Job Fairs – yes these are still happening as hard as it is to believe! In fact I was at an excellent fair which was organised by FAS & Cork Chamber of Commerce and others this June.  The Jobs Fair took place at our very own Mahon Point Shopping Centre and it ran over three days.  Another organization that run Jobs Fairs to a very high standard are Grad Ireland and they run a number of them throughout the year with a very impressive list of companies available on the day.

Libraries – when we are very busy at work we can easily forget something like the local library; where else can you access a wide range of books at such a low cost and not only that but most have free internet for members!!! A trip to the library may be a nice social event if you have recently stopped working and who knows who you will meet on your travels to brighten your day.

Local Resource Centres such as Family Resource Centres – I was blown away by the amount of training programmes and support events take place at my local Family Resource Centre and if you don’t want to complete such a programme why not offer your services to teach something based on your own background?

National Learning Network – The NLN as you would hear them called by many do fantastic work on helping people to re-integrate and rejoin the workforce.

Networking Groups – These have really taken off and I am a member of many of these myself including Cork Chamber of Commerce and Network Cork both of whom I highly endorse.  Networking Groups take many forms from local to regional to national and it is a good idea to see if there are any that you might like to join as there is real benefit from meeting up with people in a similar position to you and genuinely seeing if you can help each other.

Newspapers – These continue to be a main source of job advertising and all papers are worth going through to see if there are any new opportunities on the horizon.  Keep an eye out for announcements of new companies opening, companies recruiting and any changes to the job market, you may even find that job advertisement you have been waiting for!

Personal Contacts – These take all forms from family members to names on your mobile phone to people you have worked with in the past who you might have lost contact with.  Do get in touch! Pick up the phone and catch up, if the person is working you can enquire if their company is recruiting or if they can help you think of any suitable opportunities and of course the road goes both ways don’t forget to repay the favour when they contact you!

Recruitment websites – these still continue to advertise job vacancies and many companies are recruiting at the moment such as Abtran, Apple Computers, Big Fish Games, Blizzard, Voxpro etc. etc. There are many recruitment websites and the most popular that I have come across include www.irishjobs.ie www.recruitireland.com www.loadzajobs.ie www.monster.com

Social & Business Online Networking – Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter… the list goes on! The amount of activity happening on these sites is incredible and my advice; get on them! Make contacts, reconnect with old contacts it will all help you as you move to the future.

Start your own Business – again in Cork we are very fortunate to have comprehensive support for new business start ups.  The Rubicon Centre at CIT is a leading example and the Genesis Enterprise Programme has seen many successes in their relatively new history; check out www.gep.ie

Support Groups – Job Seekers Networks – Engineers Ireland is an example that comes straight to mind of a support group of members who meet on a regular basis to assist each other in gaining employment and moving forward with their careers.

Volunteering – Ireland is such a charitable nation that we have countless Charities working in Ireland who are always looking for extra help.  Would you consider putting some of your new free time into giving something back? Not only will you really enjoy the experience and feel like you are contributing but it will look very well on your CV and that you show concern for all groups of Society.

Work Experience – have you considered writing to companies and asking about the possibility of you doing work experience with them? Is there an industry that you have always wanted to work in but for whatever reason it didn’t happen (as so often happens in life!)? Now is as good a time as any to try.  However do ensure that you do proper research in the Company, the work they do, what they stand for and what types of positions they have and when writing to them ensure to mention what value you feel you would bring to them by allowing you to complete work experience with them.  Who knows if it works out there may be a position for you down the road, it is certainly worth a shot, why not?

When carrying out your research keep notes on key contacts you have made, summarize the advice that was given to you and again to quote an old but highly reliable saying ‘Action is the magic word’ was never so true! You really do need to action advice, to move forward, to bravely continue in the face of whatever the economy is doing and put yourself and indeed your Career as a clear priority for yourself – you deserve it!

Finally I would like to very much thank you for giving me the opportunity to write to you today and share some of my experience, I wish you every possible success and don’t hesitate to contact me or my staff at any point should you need our assistance.

Avril Quinn works with Resources.ie which is an Irish company that works in the areas of Human Resources, Health & Safety and Training.  Resources.ie works with both companies and individuals to support them in attaining their goals and objectives.  Career Coaching is a service that is available from Resources.ie and for details please contact their Cork Office on (021) 4815325 or email info@resources.ie

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