Career Planning

What is Career Planning?

Career planning is all about making appropriate and realistic career choices. The role of the Guidance Counsellor in career planning is to help raise the student’s awareness of the opportunities that exist, so that the student is empowered to plan their career and make the right choice.

Access to information is the key to career planning, whether a student is considering applying for a third level course, upgrading their existing skills or trying to find the right job.

In essence, career planning enables the student to:

make educational and career decisions
set and achieve goals
secure appropriate accommodations
enter the world of work



What are the issues faced by students with disabilities when it comes to career planning?

All students need to develop an ability to make good decisions, to clarify their understanding of themselves and enrich their knowledge of work possibilities. Once a student has developed these career-planning skills, they are in a better position to make informed decisions regarding their career choices.

Many students with disabilities automatically think that they are at a disadvantage because they have a disability. Others have unrealistic expectations about their career choices and can end up following complicated paths. For example, students may drop out of college because they feel were on the wrong course to begin with, or end up having to change or defer courses.

It is up to the Guidance Counsellor therefore to encourage students with disabilities to avail properly of the services provided by them and to draw up an effective career plan.



What considerations need to be made when it comes to career planning for students with disabilities?

It is important to remember that no two people with disabilities are the same, so the Guidance Counsellor must consider each student as an individual case and together, with the student, investigate fully the career options available to them.

The Guidance Counsellor is responsible for exploring:

• the student’s perceptions about their career choices - what impedes or increases their career choices and development?
• the student’s skills and interests, abilities, experiences and strengths
• the barriers or implications that exist for the student (physical, social and attitudinal) before they enter the world of employment or invest in third level education.
• the influences on the student’s choices (i.e. the relationships, environments and structures which shape their experiences)
• specific accommodations the student might need in a college / work environment (e.g. physical access supports, Assistive Technology, examination support etc.)
• finding out who is responsible for existing supports for students with disabilities within a particular college / workplace

The student is responsible for:

• thinking about what actually lies ahead of them and taking a pro-active role in planning their career
• finding out about any training or study they might need to undertake in order to pursue their career choice
• being aware of specific accommodations they might need in a college / work environment
• identifying the skills that employers seek (reliability, motivation, communication etc) and marketing themselves effectively
• looking at the range of opportunities within the employment market in relation to their area of interest.
• planning a strategy to get work / continue studying within their chosen field.

What role does Assistive Technology play in career planning?

The availability of good advice and good information leads to informed decision making for all students, regardless of ability. There is a vast amount of web-based resources that will prove useful tools in career planning. Increasingly, the web is proving to be the most effective and accessible platform for information.

Assistive Technology (AT) plays a key role in making information accessible to students with disabilities - particularly those with visual impairments and those with specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia). The student should be encouraged to research the types of jobs / further study options that they express an interest in. If AT is not available in the school, there is a grant available from the Department of Education toward the purchase of equipment for pupils with a disability in second level schools, or indeed some students may already have Assistive Technology (such as JAWS or screen magnification packages) at home.

Moreover, students should also be advised that some core career publications are available in alternative formats, such as large print or audio and video materials (this is normally stated on the inside sleeve of the publcation).



What services do Career Advisers provide at third level?

In the majority of cases the core services provided by Careers Services in third level include advice on curriculum vitae writing, interview techniques, individual advice and guidance, advice on taught modules and job hunting tips, as well as providing information on career resources and events.
For students with disabilities, Services will also explore:

• Disclosure issues
• Interview practice
• How to gain valuable work experience
• Effect of employment on receipt of disability allowance
• Equality legislation
• Identifying companies positive to disability etc.

Most careers services have their own website and some services enable students to e-mail queries and receive ‘virtual’ careers advice. Some colleges also have specific career advisors for students with disabilities (i.e. Dublin City University, University College Cork, University of Limerick).



Where can I find out more information

The following links provide some very useful tips in terms of further education, career planning, employee profiles and job suitability:

Disability Specific Resources

Access Ability provides practical supports to employers and people with disabilities.
http://www.accessability.ie/employerserv.htm∞


Disability.ie portal site for disability related information in Ireland
http://www.disability.ie/displaydoc.asp?a=gohome∞


Employability (UK) has a comprehensive resource for students with disabilities, containing information relative to employment opportunities and career skills, entitled ‘Career Management Resources for Disabled Students and Graduates’. http://www.ruralnetuk.org/employability/∞


Employment Opportunities for people with disabilities is a useful resource
http://www.opportunities.org.uk∞


FÁS is Ireland's national training and employment authority.
http://www.fas.ie∞


Quest for Learning is an excellent website targeted at students, teachers and employers around disability issues. It inlcudes topics on study skills, disability awarenss and employability skills.
http://www.questforlearning.org∞


Skill: National Bureau for Students With Disabilities is a national charity promoting opportunities for people with disabilities in education, training and employment across the UK. A useful publication by Skill is ‘Careers and work for disabled people’. http://www.skill.org.uk/info/infosheets/emp_careers.doc∞


The Aisling Foundation is a useful resource
http://www.theaislingfoundation.org/∞

The Career Service in Limerick University developed a comprehensive website which addresses in depth the area of career planning for students with disabilities. It focuses on specific disabilities including:

• Physical Disability
• Deaf or Hard of Hearing
• Blind or visually imapaired
• Chronic Illness
• Learning Difficulties
• Mental Health

http://www.ul.ie/careers/inclusion/students∞


The Employers' Forum on Disability (UK) is a useful resource
http://www.employers-forum.co.uk∞


The HEAG database is a guide to accessibility services in Higher Education Institutions across Europe and provides information on disability support services in seventeen European countries
http://www.heagnet.org∞


The National Council for the Blind of Ireland has a useful resource entitled ‘Career Paths – A Guide to Possibilities’. http://www.ncbi.ie/information/education_and_employment/career_paths.php∞


Youreable.com is a useful resource
http://www.youreable.com/∞


Workway is a project which raises awareness around the employment opportunities for people with disabilities. http://www.workway.ie/home/index.php∞



General Careers Resources

AGCAS
The Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) is the professional association of careers professionals in Higher Education (UK)
http://www.agcas.org.uk/∞

Career Directions
http://www.careerdirections.ie/∞

Careers World
http://www.careersworld.com/∞

Doctor Job
http://doctorjob.com/∞

Grad Ireland
http://www.gradireland.com/∞

Graduate Prospects
http://www.prospects.ac.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/p!eLaXi∞

Hobsons Graduate Employment and Training
http://www.graduatecareers.hobsons.co.uk/index.jsp∞

Qualifax - The National Courses Database
http://www.qualifax.ie∞

Real World (UK)
http://www.realworldmagazine.com/adv_cs.asp∞



Career Services - Institutes of Technology.

Athlone Institute of Technology (hyperlink)
http://www.ait.ie/facilities/stuserv/careers.shtml∞

Cork Institute of Technology (hyperlink)
http://www.careersandcounselling.com/∞

Dublin Institute of Technology (hyperlink)
http://www.dit.ie/DIT/careers/∞

Dundak Institute of Technology (hyperlink)
http://careers.dkit.ie/view.d∞

Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology (hyperlink)
http://www.iadt.ie/Dispatcher?action=findAllEntities&type=GenericPageContent&id=careerServices&page=studentServices&random=student_image∞

Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology (hyperlink)
http://www.gmit.ie/student_life/support/∞

Institute of Technology Blanchardstown (hyperlink)
http://www.itb.ie/site/studentservices/careers.htm∞

Institute of Technology, Carlow (hyperlink)
http://www.itcarlow.ie/careers_service/index.html∞

Institute of Technology, Sligo (hyperlink)
http://www.itsligo.ie/admin/alumni/careersDefault.htm∞

Institute of Technology Tallaght (hyperlink)
http://www.it-tallaght.ie/current/studentservicesfacilities/careersandappointmentsservice/∞

Institute of Technology Tralee (hyperlink)
http://www.ittralee.ie/StudentLifeampServices/SupportServices/CareersOffice/∞

Letterkenny Institute of Technology (hyperlink)
http://www.lyit.ie/careers/prospective_student.htm∞

Limerick Institute of Technology (hyperlink)
http://www.lit.ie/Careers/index.htm∞

Waterford Institute of Technology (hyperlink)
http://www.wit.ie/careerscentre/∞


Careers Services- Universities

Dublin City University, Dublin 9 (hyperlink)
http://www.dcu.ie/students/careers/index.shtml∞

National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) (hyperlink)
http://www.ucc.ie/careers/∞

National University of Ireland, Dublin (UCD) (hyperlink)
http://www.ucd.ie/careers/∞

National University of Ireland, Galway (UCG) (hyperlink)
http://www.nuigalway.ie/careers/∞

National Universuty of Ireland, Maynooth (hyperlink)
http://www.nuim.ie/service/careers/∞

University of Dublin (TCD) (hyperlink)
http://www.tcd.ie/Careers/∞

University of Limerick (hyperlink)
http://www.ul.ie/careers/∞


Other Useful Resources:


OSCAIL provides flexible third level study options for students. http://www.oscail.ie/index.php∞


The National Centre for Guidance in Education (NCGE) supports and develops guidance practice in all areas of education. Click here for more information.
http://www.ncge.ie∞


The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a number of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs) in Schools throughout the country who are the key contact persons for parents and schools regarding educational services to children with disabilities.
http://www.ncse.ie∞


The Institute of Guidance Counsellors (IGC) is the professional body representing over 900 practitioners in second level schools and in other settings.
http://www.igc-edu.ie∞



The University of South Hampton (UK) has a list of UK based has a list of Careers and disability/dyslexia related websites. http://www.soton.ac.uk/cas/postgraduates/diversity/dislinks.html∞



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