Careers and further education event in RDS on Thursday
Over 3,000 students and over 60 employers and course providers, from Ireland and abroad, will gather in the Main Hall of the RDS on Thursday, February 7 for gradireland Live!, the latest experiential careers and further study event for students, graduates and job-seekers.
gradireland Live! is based on the importance of 'investing in yourself', says gradireland Director Mark Mitchell.
“So we've created an event where students can talk to a great range of top employers and course providers, but also hear from a host of inspirational speakers about what made them discover their passion and career success.”
Dublin footballer Philly McMahon, who has won 6 All Ireland titles and also runs a network of gyms and a nutrition company, will team up with fitness and fashion blogger Niamh Cullen and entrepreneur Ailbhe Keane, one of Forbes magazine Europe's 30 under 30, to talk about the importance of pursuing your passion at gradireland Live!
McMahon's sporting prowess was followed by literary success with his award winning book 'The Choice' which details the adversity he faced and the tragedies of addiction which blighted his family. It is on the subject of choices, and making the right one, that the concept of gradireland Live! is based.
“It's great to have such a diverse range of influential people on stage to share their experiences of making choices and identifying what it is they love to do and having a real passion for it,” adds Mark, “so we're delighted to have a panel like this at gradireland Live! and we believe it will add some powerful inspiration and motivation to the event.”
In the afternoon, TV presenter and social media entrepreneur James Kavanagh will join former Dublin Hurler and All Star Liam Rushe to lead a discussion with entrepreneurs Debbie Somorin and John Slattery on 'What does success look like?' This seminar, sponsored by PwC, will tell not only the journeys of the presenters, but also what drives them to meet and beat challenges and what tips they would have for students and graduates when it comes to identifying what success means to them.
gradireland Live! takes place against a backdrop of booming graduate employment, but students and graduates are also aware of the challenges looming on the horizon. 35% of students are still worried about their future career, and making a successful start to working life, and issues such as Brexit have led to some uncertainty when it comes to choosing a career path that's right for them. “Undoubtedly, graduate opportunities are on the rise, but we can see that there are still a lot of questions out there amongst students and graduates when it comes to their future career paths. We've created this event to encourage people to stop and take stock of where they are and to invest some time in themselves by making sure they are choosing a path that is right for them,” Mark Mitchell added.
In addition to the above seminars, graduates can listen to industry leaders from Jameson, KPMG, Grant Thornton and Arthur Cox talk about navigating career paths in large organisations while Lidl are teaming up with mental health charity Jigsaw to reinforce the importance of managing your mental health as you transition from study to work.
Like all gradireland events, gradireland Live! is completely free to attend, you just need to pre-register at live.gradireland.com.