Discover your story with Career Craft

Did you know that best-selling crime author John Grisham was once a lawyer?

| By Susan Kealy

He wrote The Rainmaker between meetings and court hearings, and then The Firm, A Time to Kill and a whole host of other law-related crime books which became Hollywood blockbusters.

It makes sense that he wrote about what he knew, what fascinated him, what he cared about. And yet, his extreme success did not come from his legal training or even his ability to fight for justice for his clients. It came from his capacity to weave a narrative and to write so articulately - the law simply fuelled his inspiration.

Choosing a career can be tough and terrifying work. The pressure to get it right, to discover your gifts, to judge the jobs-market, to make money, to do what you enjoy; even Grisham would struggle to tie all these plot lines together. The tools we used to choose careers 30 years ago, before constant technological innovation, offshoring, global dependencies, mass migration, remote working and a whole host of other features of the modern world existed, cannot be applied to today.

As a career coach, I would argue that there is no “safe” job anymore and there is no “perfect” career for anyone. Yet there is a direction that may suit a person more than another, a field that might allow for someone to play to their gifts, to make the best contribution they can make. That direction does not have an end-point, and the journey of career exploration is a constant state of learn- ing, course correcting and acquiring different experiences and skills that allow for a unique offering to the world. I work together with my clients to help them find this direction, to discern whether Due West would be more compatible with who they are than North, not to help them know whether they’ll hit America or the Spice Islands – the adventure is their own. The tools we use to orient the process are coaching and psychometrics; they tell us about the Strengths, Higher purpose, Interests, Non-negotiables and Environmental needs of a person – about their SHINE. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, had studied to become an engineer. He used engineering principles and thought processes to create the Kindle and the Amazon platform. In 2009 he gave a talk to engineering students at Princeton and he told them to try to figure out what they were interested in, not what they thought would make them money. “It’s very difficult to chase after a wave,” he said. "What’s better is to place yourself in the middle of something you genuinely love and wait for the wave to come find you."

If you or someone you know is at school or has recently finished and is trying to navigate their career journey, I am a chartered work and organisational psychologist and have been working with career seekers for over a decade. Susan is based locally in Killarney and can be reached for a confidential chat at skealy@careercraft.ie.

For more information visit www.careercraft.ie

The scholarship covers tuition fees for the duration of the course, as well as the opportunity to complete work experience during summer vacations and college placements throughout the academic year.

Qualifying degree courses for the scholarship include mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, structural engineering, mechatronics, automation, business information systems, computer science, software development, and data analytics.

Successful scholarship recipients will be given the opportunity to work with Liebherr on innovative technology projects that are changing the way goods are moved around the world.

"Liebherr Container Cranes is proud to continue our tradition of investing in the development and training of young professionals. The scholarship programme is now well established and provides a pathway to fulfilling careers with Liebherr Container Cranes in Killarney,” said Charlie McCarthy, the Managing Director of Engineering at Liebherr Container Cranes.

“Our company is a world-leading technology company, and we offer exciting opportunities for high-tech jobs in one of the most attractive towns in Ireland. The Liebherr Scholarship Programme is an excellent opportunity for students to gain valuable experience and a degree in several fields that are undergoing significant development.

“At Liebherr, we are at the forefront of technological advancement and design in the field of container handling. The pace of change has really accelerated in recent years, and we look forward to continuing to support and inspire the next generation of Liebherr employees.” Liebherr Container Cranes currently sponsors 26 scholarship recipients, with 12 studying mechanical engineering, two studying structural engineering, eight studying electrical engineering, and four studying computer science. Interested candidates should apply by email to scholarshiprecruit.lcc@liebherr.com. Applicants should include a CV detailing Leaving Certificate/Junior Certificate/college projects and results and a cover letter explaining why they have chosen their specific career path. In the case of Leaving Certificate applicants, a copy of their completed CAO form showing their course choice should be included. Closing date is May 26.

3 Course Lunch

€55.00 per person easter sunday lunch

Is served from 1pm to 3pm

Experience Easter sunday lunch at The Peregrine

Indulge in exceptional cuisine celebrating Kerry’s finest produce. Relax in natural surroundings, cozy booths and a stylish oval bar. Enjoy an unforgettable Easter celebration at The Peregrine.

TO BOOK VISIT Killarneyparkhotel.ie OR Call 064 663 5555

The Killarney Park, Town Centre, Killarney, Co. Kerry, Ireland, V93 CF30 Email: info@killarneyparkhotel.ie

llr MAURA HEALY-RAE

glad to welcome the following funding that has been secured and approved for roads in this area:

Restoration Maintenance Programme