Barbara Mac Carthy
Disability Support Office
Overview of the session
Introduction – What will I do after I
graduate- what are the options
 Further Learning – Postgraduate
study
Conversion Courses
Introduction
 After you graduate – What next?
 Time out – Travel etc
 A Job – Think, Gather Information – narrow your
choices and focus your job hunt
 What you have to offer , degree, skills work
experience
 What interests you – hobbies, interests
motivations
 Post Graduate Study
 Still not sure – some online tools gradireland Careers
Report, Destinations, Prospects Planner
Why Pursue Postgraduate study?
 Trend towards highly developed skillset
and specialism in many fields
 Business, Finance, Accounting,
Science, IT, Engineering
Fourth level qualification
Reasons why people
Pursue Postgraduate study
 “I love my subject area”
 “Postgrad is essential to my chosen career
area”
 “I want to change my career direction”
 “Not ready to leave college yet”
 “If I don’t do it now I never will”
 “ No jobs out there so I will stay in college
until recession is over”
Postgraduate Study
Postgraduate Levels
 PG Certificates
 Postgraduate and Higher Diplomas
Postgraduate degrees are higher
degree qualifications undertaken after
primary honours degrees
 Masters
 PhD’s
What is it?
Postgraduate Diploma
 More vocational
 Subject Area can be very different to
degree
 Conversion Course
 Enhances Employability
 Chance at a new career
What is it?
Masters
 Research V Taught
 Gain a greater insight into a specialised area
 Less time and less demanding than PhD
 Taught Programme: course work and thesis
What is it?
PhD
 Original contribution to knowledge
 Takes several years, 3-5
 Requires determination and self
motivation
 Requires 1H or 2.1
3 steps on deciding what course of action
 Self awareness
 Awareness of Options
 Awareness of the options that match
your personal abilities, your interests
and your values
Time to ask yourself
 Am I happy in my current subject
area/degree discipline?
 Do I have enough interest and aptitude
for this area to build a career on?
 What career opportunities exist in this
field?
 What complimentary areas exist?
Factors to Consider
Do
 Explore a number of postgrad courses
 Get advice from people
 Follow your passion
 Consider trying something new
Don’t
 Choose a course because it seems cool or promises
prestige
 Let someone else push you into a course
Where?
Consider
 Place
 Prestige of department/institution
 Where past graduates of that course have gone
 Research track record of your supervisor
 Cost
Research the Programme
 Academic Contacts
 Graduates Studies Office
 Careers Service
 Past Graduates
 Internet
What are Conversion Courses
 Taught prograduate course that enable you to
“convert” your degree to a new discipline/career
 Found in most subject areas, Business, Arts,
Humanities and IT
 Possible in Science and Engineering (related
degree required)
 Available in Medicine & Health
Why convert?
 High employment rates
 Increased Job Prospects as these courses provide
sought after, relevant skills and knowledge
 You will have employable profile
 Your degree+postgraduate training = two qualifications
in different disciplines
 Attactive to employers
Increased Job prospects?
 Conversion courses created in response to current
or predicted skills shortages e.g. HEA Skills
Conversion Programme
 The Graduate Skills Conversion Programme
Joint initative with Dept of Eduation and Science
and HEA in response to Information and
Communications Technology ICT skills need.
Fees €2750 For further details see:
http://www.hea.ie/en//skills+funding
http://www.skillsireland.ie/
Entry Requirements
 Open to graduates of any discipline
 Some require relevant qualification
 Relevant experience may be required/desirable or
may even compensate for absence of degree
Characteristics
 Focussed and intense
 Tightly packed schedule
 Teaching and assignments very varied(group work,
presentations reports)
 Work placement may be included
Courses on offer in UCC
include:
 HDip Business & Financial Information Systems
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MBS in Electronic Business & Commerce
Msc in Multimedia Technology
Hdip in Management & Marketing
Hdip in Accounting & Corporate Finance
Popular conversion courses include
 Hdip in Systems Analysis(Busines Systems
Development) NUIG
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GradDip in Business Studies(Smurfit School UCD)
Dip Accounting (DCU)
GradDip Business Administration (UL)
Msc in Advertising (DIT)
MA in Public Relations (DIT)
Popular changes in direction  Socialwork ..HDip in Social Policy….Masters in Social
Work
 Psychology… Conversion PG Dip in
Psychology….Eligibility to apply for postgraduate
degrees in psychology…..professional qualification
 Allied Health professions
 Physiotherapy/speech&language therapy/Occupational
therapy/ dietetics
 Relevant Science/social sciences/psychology
 Pg Dip/MSc in Ireland & UK
Employers…What do they want?
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You + your degree +….. transferable skills
Willingness to learn
Dependability/reliability
Self motivation
Teamwork
Communication skills
Co-operation
Employment Trends
 40 % of Employers recruit Graduates from all
disciplines
 People change jobs /careers on average six times in
their life
Career Profile: 1
 Joanne Ahern
BA English & History, UCC
Experience: 2 years journalism(Voluntary)”College
Chronicle”
Postgrad: MA in Journalism DIT
Job: Reporter “The Kerryman”
Career Profile: 2
 Chloe O’Brien
 BA in Sociology & French
 Postgrad Course: HDip Business & Financial
Information Systems
 Job: Grad trainee :State Street Bank
Career Profile: 3
 Colm O’Sullivan,
 BSc Computer Science UCC
 Postgrad : Diploma in Legal Studies, Kings Inns.(2 yr
PT)
 Barrister at Law degree (one year)
 Job: Practicing barrister
Career Profile: 4
 Miriam Kelly
 BSc Nutritional Science, UCC
 Postgrad: Diploma in Management & Marketing,
UCC
 Job: Grad trainee Kerry Group
Resources
 www.ucc.ie/careers
 www.gradireland.com
 www.postgradireland.com
 www.hea.ie
 www.pac.ie
 www.prospects.ac.uk
 http://www.ucc.ie/en/careers/destinations/
 http://www.ucc.ie/en/study/postgrad/
Don’t forget UCC Postgraduate Open Days
6 & 7 February 2013
Contact Details
Barbara Mac Carthy
Careers Advisor
Disability Support Service
South Lodge
UCC
Phone: 021 4903768 or 021 490 2985
Email: bmaccarthy@ucc.ie
(Thursdays and Fridays)