MOTIVATION - that one word cropped up in every conversation between E&L and people who have completed a unique job hunting course piloted in Limerick. Developed and run by Career Decisions for the Department of Social Welfare, it was the first of its kind in the State.
Twenty five people, mainly but not exclusively long term unemployed, were chosen. Over a two month period, they were brought through a series of steps, including careers assessment and consultation, CV preparation, interview skills, dealing with applications forms and covering letters, job search methods and motivational training.
Throughout the course, the students went job hunting, and there was continuous feedback on that.
The careers assessment involved computer based personality, occupational interests and aptitude tests, which were then matched against a database of career and job information. There are 191 personality questions, 122 occupational questions and seven different aptitude tests.
These computer based tests are at the heart of the work of Career Decisions, which provides career guidance to secondary school students and adults.
"The course motivated me to get up and do something to get a job," Geraldine Roche, from Limerick city, says. "After three years unemployed, my self esteem had gone way down, but the course builds you up to know that you are just as good as the person with a job."
She had previously worked in fashion shops and was delighted to find a job in the Baby House, a children's clothes shop in Honan's Quay in Limerick.
"Half the battle is the motivation," agrees Fidelma Hartley, who had resigned from the civil service when she married. "I also found the personality tests very accurate, because I always liked clerical and administrative work, and this showed up strongly.
"The aptitude tests were good at showing where I was good and where I lacked," she said. "I got a job (in a medical centre in Limerick) after just one session on motivation, but others who didn't get jobs so quickly were given more sessions as they were needed."
Anne McCarthy's children have now grown up, and she did the course to help her find a full time job. I found the course excellent," she said. "I found it good to be made aware of how the interviewing system works, and how you can sometimes come up against indifference because mowadays employers can pick and choose.
"Career Decisions covered the full circle of job hunting, putting theory into practice, and helping us to cope with the highs and the lows," she says. "The course gave us confidence, and a sense of our own self worth, and made us realise that the interviewer had once been in the same position as ourselves." She has now been offered a full time job.
To date, 68 per cent of the participants have found suitable employment, and the figure is rising all the time, says Orla O'Connor, marketing executive with Career Decisions.
Some of the participants have decided to go for further training, rather than straight into job seeking. Dermot Ronan of Adare is now seriously considering repeating his Leaving Certificate in order to be able to go to college to study interior decorating and design. Meanwhile he is looking for assembly or similar work - and he is confident it will come his way.
"I couldn't praise the course enough, particularly the motivational training," he said. "It helps you to say to people `you need me', and sell yourself."
