Sometimes people reject areas such as business because they do not see themselves as accountants or budding entrepreneurs. They forget that they can use their qualification as a stepping stone towards a multitude of areas such as human resources, stock-broking, computing or marketing, says Mr John Hannon, careers adviser in NUI Galway.
"On the other hand, people latch on to a course such as marketing and forget that they will probably study accountancy, economics and other business subjects in their first year at least. The message is simply this: research all the courses you apply for. It is possible to be offered any one of 20 choices. It can be very costly to discover this in late August. Being offered a course which is not properly researched by an applicant can lead to a period of frustration and discontentment, the possible loss of a year or a poor grade in the course itself resulting from a lack of interest or ability," he adds.
The fate of 1997 business graduates
Close to two-thirds of degree-level commerce and business graduates took up full-time employment directly after graduation, according to the Higher Education Authority.
Each year, the HEA produces a report which details the first destination of graduates. This year's report provides an interesting insight into the whereabouts of the graduates of 1997 in April 1998.
Twenty-eight per cent of business and commerce graduates went on to further education, research or training, with 1 per cent of these going into teacher training. Only 1.6 per cent were seeking employment. This compares favourably with an overall graduate unemployment rate of 2.1 per cent.
Of those who took up jobs in Ireland, slightly more than half of the graduates were earning between £9,000 and £17,000. A further 5 per cent were earning more than £17,000 and, at the other end of the scale, 18 per cent were earning less than £9,000. Almost one quarter of respondents did not state their income.
At certificate/diploma level the situation was reversed, with the bulk of business graduates continuing their studies rather than entering the marketplace directly. Just over two-thirds of the certificate graduates went on to further study, while 30 per cent entered full-time employment, with only 1 per cent seeking employment.
At diploma level, 56 per cent of graduates continued their studies, presumably to degree level, while 37 per cent entered employment directly and 2.9 per cent were seeking employment.
These statistics give a very good indication of how well the ladder system - which takes students from certificate to diploma to degree - is working.
Choosing a course
The dilemma facing most students interested in the business area is which course they should choose. Should they specialise in accountancy, marketing, finance, actuarial studies, or economics, or opt for a more general business studies or commerce programme? You can also combine business studies with computing or law or a language, and a number of colleges offer international and European programmes.
If you are unsure which option is for you, a programme which offers a broad approach will allow you time to make up your mind. For instance, UCC, UCD and NUI Galway all offer broad based commerce degrees.
The booming job prospects for commerce graduates are borne out by figures for UCD's 1997 commerce and BBLS graduates which show that of the 474 respondents, 57 per cent went directly into full-time employment. A further 30 per cent opted for research work or further academic study, with 0.4 per cent going in to teacher training and only 0.6 per cent seeking employment.
Direct-entry programmes
There is a huge variety of direct-entry business programmes on offer in the various colleges. These range from certificate to diploma to degree. The following represents the tip of a very large iceberg:
Business plus Japanese in TCD
This year for the first time students taking business with a language at TCD can opt for Japanese. The language emphasis is similar to that of TCD's established business programmes with French, German and Russian (offered under the Business Economics and Social Studies umbrella).
Business and language are taught in an integrated manner, explains Mr Patrick McCabe, co-ordinator of the business and language degrees at TCD. "Language is taught in the context of contemporary culture, society, economy and institutions."
Japanese and Chinese are alternated every year for the purposes of first-year entrants, so students who are thinking of deferring a place should take note of this aspect of the programme.
Students taking programmes under the BESS programme are afforded an opportunity to study in four European countries and end up with a primary degree, a master's degree and an "embarrassing" number of job offers. After two years in BESS, students can apply for the European School of Management programme, which produces trilingual business graduates. Starting salaries average in the region of £30,000.
Accounting
There is a strong demand for professional accountants. Increasingly, the trend is for students to do a third-level qualification and then study for the professional accounting exams. There are exemptions available from some of the accountancy exams for most business studies and commerce qualifications.
Athlone IT is the only college in the Republic which offers full-time accountancy studies up to and including the final examinations of the major professional accountancy bodies, according to Mr John Cusack, head of the college's school of business, management and general studies.
Mr Dan O'Sullivan, head of the college's department of accountancy, says: "We offer the exams of the main professional bodies. One of the main programmes is the diploma in professional accounting, which was introduced 10 years ago. Graduates of this course are exempted from all but the final exams of the relevant professional accountancy bodies."
It can be difficult for second-level students to choose between the various accountancy bodies, with their differing emphases. Mr O'Sullivan says: "We're very conscious of this. In the first year of the diploma we expose students to a wide range of subjects. At the end of that year, they then decide if they want to go into the practice stream or the industry stream."
Graduates of the diploma can then opt for the BA in accounting and finance or a further one-year full-time course which allows students to take the final exams of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Economics and social studies at NUI Galway and St Angela's, Sligo
This new three-year BA is in its second year. There are no special subject requirements - students don't need economics in the Leaving Certificate, says Mr Declan Ashe, administrator.
Students spend the first two years in St Angela's in Sligo and the final year in NUI Galway. The course addresses the subject areas of economics, sociology /politics and information technology. "It has the features of a traditional arts degree, giving students a wide base from which to proceed," says Mr Ashe.
There are 30 first-year places. Graduates may proceed to postgraduate programmes as well as taking up job opportunities in public administration, corporate management, and development areas (economic/social/rural). But it is not really suitable for would-be teachers, as economics is the only subject taught at second level, says Mr Ashe.
Actuarial studies
Actuarial studies always attracts high-achieving school-leavers. Points have consistently exceeded 500 in the recent past, so students aiming for these courses need to be in the near-genius bracket.
Government and public policy at UCC
This new four-year degree is offered by the department of public administration, which has been part of UCC's commerce faculty for more than 40 years. Core subjects for first-year students are accounting, law, social policy, management and public administration. Students also take a number of elective and specialist subjects.
It is expected that graduates will find work in a variety of areas, such as journalism, research consultancy and public service.
Diary dates:
UCC will hold an Open Day on Saturday. LSB College, Dublin, will hold an Open Afternoon on January 20th.
Looking much further ahead, the City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee is holding a Post-Leaving Certificate Open Day on March 9th at the RDS.
Help-line: Students, parents and teachers with queries about colleges, courses and application procedures are invited to call the College Choice help-line between 3 p.m. and 4 p.m. today. Tel: (01) 679 2099