The days are slipping by. The countdown has begun. Possibly the most important event in your young life is currently being fine-tuned. Yes, it's the Higher Options conference.

A key date for anyone considering their educational and career choices must be Wednesday, September 19th, when this conference kicks off at the RDS. This three-day event is a must-see not only for second-level students who are beginning to think about the next stage, the next level, in their careers, but also for those who have completed the Leaving Cert and are now examining their prospects, and for older people thinking about a return to education.

Do you have any particular career in mind? Do you know anything about it? Are you curious about a handful of jobs, and maybe toying with the idea of investigating them?

Do you want to quiz a couple of garda∅ about their jobs? Do you want to meet some people from a science department in an institute of education or one of our universities? Are you thinking about studying in Britain? Would you like to find out some more about the courses that these institutions have on offer?

Don't worry if you have no idea about what you want to do with the rest of your life. Take heart: some people never get a grip on their lives - but they've obviously never been to a Higher Options conference, where all questions are answered and all manner of advice, direction and information is given.

Are you a creative person or a scientific whiz kid? Are you outgoing or introspective? Are you a problem solver? What are you good at? Do you enjoy cooking, drawing, talking, reading, writing, calculating, figuring, travelling, arguing, pronouncing, dictating, nursing, farming, fighting?

There is a career for you. Advocates, barristers, TV presenters, librarians, solicitors, gardeners, artists, graphic designers, hairdressers, flower arrangers, fashion designers, glass cutters, builders, bricklayers. It's all fulfilling, exciting, challenging work. It's all different, it's only up to you to decide what you'd like to be.

What would satisfy you. What would challenge you?

Leaders in the fields of engineering, art and design, hotels and tourism, sales and marketing, construction, information technology and science will give career talks each day at the RDS.

There will be also be insights into what it's like to work in the financial sector.

The conference is a chance to ask questions, to gather information and collect brochures, business cards and make contacts. It's time to do some serious networking, if you like.

The conference is, primarily where fifth- and sixth-years go to trawl through their career options. You will meet thousands of other young people there, all searching for the career that most interests them.

Academics, employers, educationalists, recruitment officers - they all want to meet you, the student. They want to dazzle you with what they have to offer - a fulfilling course, a spectacular career. Inspect their stands. You are the buyer in this marketplace. You are the one they want to lure, to coax, to attract to their place of study, work or both.

Talks on areas such as working in the built environment, working in the sport and leisure industry and working in social services will be delivered at the conference. There will also be talks on how to choose your career, how to get into college in Britain or Northern Ireland, and about where a career with an arts degree can lead you.

Universities from Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales will have stands as well as all the universities throughout Ireland. All the institutes of technology will be present. Many of the private and PLC colleges will be there. Banks and semi-State bodies will be represented.

The City of Dublin VEC will provide information on a total of 16 colleges into the city. The Co Dublin VEC will also be present to field questions and pass out information on courses, plus the Defence Forces, Forfβs, CERT, the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commission.

Starting at 10 a.m. each day, students will troop in, almost 9,000 each day.

It's a marketplace. It's fun. It's meant to be helpful. Don't be intimidated. It's there for you. It's your time to wander around and visit the stands that attract you.

When it comes to picking courses, it's important that you opt for something in which you have an interest and an aptitude. You need to weigh up your strengths and weaknesses. In every case you should try to study subjects that you know you will enjoy. This is the time to shop around. You don't have to make a final decision - just pick up some ideas, give a thought to some careers, have a look at your options.

Don't be nervous. Go up to the stand and ask a few questions. Just say hello to them. You'll be as welcome as the flowers in May. The representatives of the organisations at those stands are hoping they'll get to answer hundreds of questions.

They will be delighted to chat.