A Co Kildare man is urging Leaving Cert students to think of an education that will give them money making skills.
Seanán Ó Coistín, native of Kilcock, and now living abroad, says that following advice from a Career Guidance Counsellor, he decided to study History and Politics but regrets it.
He said: " Following her advice, I chose to study history and politics. I gained my second choice on the CAO form. My ninth choice on the CAO form was to study hotel management as I had worked at the K Club and enjoyed 5 star hotels and thought that it would have been a good job. Looking back on my life since leaving school, I wished that I had put hotel management on top of the list as I probably would have had a successful career with a skill-set that can be used anywhere in the world."
He said: "I did what my parents and society wanted from me - I stayed in school, did my Leaving Cert, went to university and got a degree. However when I finished university with my politics degree, I was bitterly disappointed as I found it impossible to get a job - even in hotels and supermarkets. If I had stuck to my side of the bargain getting educated, why wasn't everyone else? The problem was that I had a useless degree. What would a supermarket or hotel manager do with a politics graduate? I had no obvious skills that employers could use."
Mr Ó Coistín said: "My CAO form choices were made based on idealism and youthful inexperience of life. The message that education was crucial to success was drummed into me from an early age by my parents and teachers. Unfortunately, they did not convey the real message which is that it is not education but a money-making skill which is crucial to success. Many people have money-making skills but not all of them are educated in the academic sense of the word. Nevertheless those with money-making skills are more financially successful than those with a wonderful education but no money-making skills."
He said: "For example someone could have a PhD in ancient Egyptian theology. It would be a fascinating education to learn about the pharaohs, the pyramids, but the reality is that this type of degree will not land such a graduate a job unless they want to work in museums in Cairo. They won't get a job anywhere else."
Mr Ó Coistín said: "Money-making skills can range from being trained hairdressers, to being a restaurant chef, an engineer, a solicitor, a nurse or a pilot. The list is endless. An arts degree alone does not offer a money-making skill. It needs to be combined with another discipline or skill in order to make arts graduates employable. If someone studies history, it probably won't get them a job whereas if they study journalism and history, they have a money-making skill."
He is urging any Sixth Year student to : "Follow my advice based on ciall cheannaithe (hard-learned experience) - select an education or training that provides a money-making skill rather than an Arts degree. Your parents or teachers might say that an education is needed for a job. What they probably mean is that you need a skill that will make you employable. Focus on something that will make you money."
Seanán Ó Cóistín
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