My eldest daughter is going into transition year in September and I’m organising work placements for her throughout the year. I’m not sure where to start. I recently moved to Clare, where I don’t have many contacts, but we have family members both in Dublin and Galway, so we are not confined to opportunities locally.
It’s a fine line for a parent to walk when supporting your eldest in her first foray or engagement with the world of work. Offering too much support detracts from the long-term benefits and skills developed while securing a work experience or work shadowing placement; too little and they might not know how to approach the task.
Every parent understands their own child’s interests, strengths and weaknesses as they guide them through childhood. A conversation with your daughter as to the kind of job she might like to consider long term could be very useful.
A good place to start is the excellent “interest inventory” on the careersportal.ie website. If she enters her interests, it generates occupations that might suit her and act as a trigger for conversation.
Your daughter should also draft a general letter of application along with a basic CV setting out her hobbies and interests. Each letter of application should be tailored towards the company/placement she is applying for. Instilling good practice in terms of how to engage with potential employers will pay huge dividends later on in life.
Having identified some areas which she might like to explore as part of her TY work experience, you might pay a visit to your local councillor or TD who will have a huge network of connections.
A student-friendly opportunity for finding work experience opportunities can also be found on careersportal.ie where there are hundreds of TY placements advertised. She can search for one that interests her and apply online. I suggest she chooses the sector she wants to work in and finds a location that suits her.
For example, at the time of writing, there are plenty of TY placements available. If she is interested in the retail or sales, there are work experience opportunities in dozens of shops. Or if she is interested in tourism and hospitality, there are opportunities to work with Michelin chefs, major tourist attractions, top-class hotels and restaurants, as well marketing, event management, finance and HR.
Once she has found a placement she is interested in, get her to prepare for her interview by researching all about the sector and the related occupations.
