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AS THOUSANDS OF students receive their Leaving Certificate results this week, it’s important to remember there are always options for your future career. Trust me, I’ve experienced a few.
Before I left school, all I wanted to do was join the army cadets. I was totally against an office or desk-based job, and I believed wholeheartedly that I did not want to spend my working life in that type of environment.
I made it to the final interview stage with the army but unfortunately, a minor medical issue identified there, meant I could never join. I was devastated and for a long time I felt lost.
As this was happening, I was sitting my Leaving Cert. I’d completed a CAO application out of necessity and in the end I took up a place on the Arts Degree programme in UCC. Because I hadn’t thought about studying Arts before this, I just let my interests guide me and picked subjects that I was interested in rather than ones which had a clear career path. I completed a joint degree in philosophy and sociology and then completed a Masters in Sociology.
After college, I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but from the age of 16, I worked part-time as a chef so, I decided to pursue that next. I had no formal chef training but as I moved around between different kitchens and served more intricate food, I began to really enjoy it, visiting the English Market daily and reading cookbooks in my spare time.
I wasn’t always interested in the law, but during college, I wrote extensively on the topic of morality and the social dynamics which lead to changes in the law e.g. what were the social changes which lead to the decriminalisation of homosexuality.
These interests sparked a desire in me to learn more about how and why societies regulate themselves, and how those rules and structures operate and change. At the same time, I was also interested in topics like logic, argument and critical thinking. These are fundamental principles of being a lawyer and so, again, following my interests, this eventually led me to consider law as a career.
I think the most difficult thing about qualifying as a solicitor is the fear of failure around the process — at least that was the case when I was qualifying.
While you don’t need a law degree, or any degree, to become a solicitor, everyone must sit eight exams known as Final Entrance Exams (Fe1s) and complete a training contract and the educational training course at the Law Society.
The qualifying exams and getting a training contract can be hard, but both are achievable. It’s important to emphasise that becoming a solicitor is not some insurmountable undertaking if you are coming from an alternative background. At the start of my journey, someone who had gone through the process said that to me, and it really helped me persevere.
I found the solicitors training intimidating. I expected to find myself at sea amongst other trainees who, in my mind, must have all been brighter than me, all have done better than me in the Leaving Cert and who all have been planning to study law their entire lives. However, this perception was wrong. The legal community is extremely welcoming and supportive, and I was never made to feel less than my peers.
The critical thinking training I received throughout my Arts Degree and as a chef, doing things properly but efficiently and quickly have been helpful to my current career. Writing a standard solicitor’s letter, in the same way as if you are making good scrambled eggs, should be done properly, with care and attention to detail and always with an eye on whether it can be improved.
Having a non-law background means that I have a different training from all of my law-graduate colleagues, not better or worse, just different. The real benefit of a non-law background is that when you come together with your colleagues to discuss and solve problems, we are collectively bringing more experience, insights, and ideas to the table every time. That benefits everyone. I continue to be grateful that I had the opportunity to study something completely different and still build a career in law afterwards.
As a lawyer, you will make a difference, every single day that you go to work. You will help people when they need help the most. You will sit and speak in rooms where some of the most important decisions are made.
Whether or not you got your points today or you get your top CAO offers next week, don’t worry, there are many pathways to a successful career. Speaking from experience, if you are passionate enough about, are willing to do the work and meet the challenges required to qualify, it will be worth it every day after that.
Cian Moriarty is a partner on the employment team at Philip Lee. He qualified as a solicitor 10 years ago at the Law Society of Ireland.
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Not shocking anymore. Kind of half expect this sort of stuff now.
What is it with this man and “conflicts of interests” ?
Nothing to see here move along now !!
Ah lads , cronyism in ireland ? NEVER !!
Of course he denies a conflict of interest. When did you ever read, “Minister admits conflict of interest.”
O’Reilly would deny today is Friday. He cant even lay in bed straight at this stage.
From a guy who pushed two primary care sites in his own constituency up the list of potential sites…still waiting on the criteria you used Stroker!
Then what exactly is it then? Walks like a duck…etc
Welcome to Ireland,probably the most corrupt country in Europe
Hands up who is shocked or surprised by this. …….
We’ll get there stroke by stroke.
Reilly involved again no surprise there to be honest.
Shattergate mark2 ….Reilly on the inside track…….FG/Lab even more corrupt than FF, there is a scary reality…..Resign James you have your money made…..
How come the 20,000 commission was so low? The going rate for a report like this was 125,000 in 2011 and the Health Partnership is not a charity!
Women of Ireland, come together and let us al put a stop to this madness, I’d like to c a man in the full throws of labour, having to face a 2 hr car journey. On lovely pot-holed roads!!!
If he appointed someone from outside the area, the complaint would be that they didn’t understand the area.
If he appointed someone without the medical knowledge, the complaint would be that someone who didn’t understand medical provision was making the decisions
If he appoints someone from inside the area with the right medical background, the complaint is that there’s a conflict of interest.
I wish people would state who they think should be appointed, because almost every decision can have some line of attack.
How many absolute effin’ outrages are we, as a nation, prepared to put up with? This Minister and his shady pals should be run out of the country, let alone sacked.
And deny being in denial
How come this commission was 6 times less than the going rate for the job? A bargain at 20,000! Such reports cost 125,000 in 2011.
The Journal got it wrong! The Health Partnership predates 2008! in March 2005 the company wrote to the Dept of Finance highlighting their role in private health care ventures in Ireland, UK, Portugal and Germany and suggesting tax incentives for private sector players in e.g. direct service provision, the supply of high tech equipment, patient and staff accommodation, primary care provision, nursing home care, etc. Even hospital traffic management got a look in. Hard to believe no one in the West/North-West hospital group knew of Mr Daly’s involvement with this high profile healthcare company.
Why would anyone be surprised with this ruling class carryon, and they wonder why people voted for the left
The main conflict of interest here is the fact tgat Noel Daly wrote to revenue in 2005 with what could be described as a bluepriting which would see private interests profiting from tge removal of public services. In that letter it mentions how the private sector could provide accomodation for people who due to clousure of public services would have to travek greater distances.
Over 6 years later tgis man is appointed chair of a hospital group. In the space of little over a year his company is given the task of reviewing maternitu in the same region. This report is said to recommend many clousures.
Given all this histiry I cannot see how this review can hold any authority. Or indeed how anyone in this countru could trust its recommendations.
In fact this review ihas been damaged beyond repair. Hiwever it should be made available to the public.
Luje Ming Flaagan spoje about concerns that gospital staff had about how tgis revuew was completed. Perhaps he should come back to this important debate in Irish healthcare before he leaves fir Europe.
Reilly people dont believe a word from your lying mouth!
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