Shining a Light on your Future Career Path

A Complete Career Guidance Service for Second and Third Level Students

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Advice on

  • Applying to College
  • Subject Choice for Leaving Cert
  • Scholarship
  • HEAR, DARE, SUSI applications
  • Applying to college abroad
  • UCAS, EUNiCAS
  • CAO
  • PLC Courses
  • Apprenticeships, Traineeships

Consultation Includes

  • Psychometric testing
  • One to One Consultation
  • Research
  • Report and Feedback

Career Guidance Consultation

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Geared towards students in senior cycle at secondary school who are preparing for their Leaving Certificate and who need guidance regarding the next step on their career journey.

The Career Guidance Service involves three stages:

Before we meet, students complete a series of psychometric aptitude and interest tests. These take on average two hours to complete. They are done online, in the student’s own time.

The interview stage involves getting to know the student and their needs and expectations. We discuss a student’s interests and strengths, their educational results to date, and their hopes and dreams for the future. Additionally, we examine the psychometric test scores and explore how a student can best fulfil their potential. We focus on possible courses and what career paths that they would enjoy.

Furthermore, we look at how the college application system works, entry requirements for particular college courses, and the many alternative entry routes to a career.

In-person interview
or
Online Video Call Available

A final report is completed when the interview is over. This provides an overview of the session including a detailed description of the student’s aptitudes and interests. Moreover, it outlines suitable careers and courses with links to relevant websites. This report is tailor-made for each individual student and is sent via email.

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Helping Parents and Students Understand the College Application Process and the Many Options Available

What Lighthouse Career Guidance Clients Say….

very approachable, easy to talk to and is very informative.

We would highly recommend Carmel !! My son went to Carmel to help him choose his subjects for his Leaving Cert 2026 as he was not doing TY. Carmel is very approachable, easy to talk to and is very informative. Not only did my son come away happy and confident with his choices, I now have a better understanding on what path he wants to take which will help me support him through fifth year and sixth year. Thanks Carmel

Anne
(Parent of 3rd Year Student)

Valuable insight

 
I am very happy with the service provided by Lighthouse Career Guidance. I felt that my son gained valuable insight into the options and opportunities open to him. Carmel was very thorough and went through all the options with him, and together they were able to identify a direction best suited to him and one that he was interested in. The process is very collaborative and I know he found that affirming.  As a parent I feel confident that he is able to make a more informed decision on the next step of his educational journey.
 
(Parent of 6th year student )

Could not recommend her enough!

 
I recently went to visit Carmel to receive guidance on my further career options after my level 8 degree and I honestly could not recommend her enough! I went into the meeting with such a narrow mind and Carmel really helped me to see all of the different options that were available to me after my degree. I would highly recommend if you’re a stressed college student and don’t have a clue what lies ahead in your future career!
Roisín
(final year college student )

Excellent, up to date and relevant information

Carmel met with my daughter who was in sixth year and was having great difficulty in completing her CAO choices.  Carmel was professional, thorough and totally won over a reluctant participant. She has a great understanding of and ability to work with people.  By the end of the session my daughter had clarity and was greatly relieved that she was now headed in the right direction.  Carmel provided excellent, up to date and relevant information.  I would highly recommend Lighthouse Career Guidance.
Mary
(Parent of 6th Year Student)

Helpful and easy to talk to

My daughter is a 6th year student who was really unsure of what her career path would be.  Having made an appointment with Carmel in Lighthouse Career Guidance she now has a much clearer idea of what she wishes to do.  Carmel brought her through all the options available to her from PLC courses right up to level 8 programmes in college and was very knowledgeable on all of them, she followed up with links to all of the programmes discussed so my daughter could look into them herself.  My daughter found Carmel really helpful and easy to talk to. We would both strongly recommend Lighthouse Career Guidance to any 5th or 6th year student.
Margaret
(Parent of 6th Year Student)

The session was of great benefit

I found my guidance session very helpful in deciding what course I want to pursue next year at college. Carmel was very accommodating to all my questions on numerous different courses and knowledgeable on each. I felt the session was of great benefit to me and decided the final order of my CAO. Ciaradh (Leaving Cert student )
Ciaradh
(Leaving Cert Student)

A beacon of light

Did not really know what exactly to expect but Carmel was a beacon of light(!) in helping our daughter see a path through the maze of career options as well as guiding her in choosing the Leaving Cert subjects right for her. Carmel was very generous with her time spending a good two hour session with her and then giving ourselves loads of time afterwards to talk through her findings and the options presented, following up with a very helpful written report. Our daughter says she is very glad she did it – she found it very informative and it opened her eyes to a lot of choices. Very happy to recommend Carmel wholeheartedly.
Sean
(Parent of TY Student)

Fantastic source of information

I found Carmel to be a fantastic source of information and encouragement. My daughter is a Leaving Cert student. Carmel went through every option available and followed up with further information and resources. I highly recommend Carmel, she is extremely knowledgeable.
Bridget
(Parent of Leaving Cert Student)

Sound and practical advice

Carmel gave sound and practical advice in a friendly and approachable manner.  The format in which the consultation ran was well structured with the questions designed to identify and align both strengths and interests.  It broadened the range of courses we were considering and overall we found the process very valuable
Heather
(Parent of 5th Year Student)

My son feels more confident with his future plans

From the moment the conversation commenced Carmel, the course director made my son feel at ease. She commenced the session by getting to know him by asking questions about his interests and hobbies. I felt that she really got a sense of who he was and what he was interested in. … I would highly recommend anyone who is unsure of their career plan to seek out Lighthouse Career Guidance.
Sinead
(Parent of Leaving Cert Student)

Leaving Cert Subject Choice

Our son recently met with Carmel for advice on his Leaving Certificate subject choices. She was very helpful and answered all his questions. He found the experience to be very informative and felt that had he not met with Carmel he may have limited his University course options down the line. We would highly recommend Lighthouse Career Guidance
(Parent of Transition Year Student)

Great Advice

I’m in my Leaving Cert year and I met with Carmel after Christmas. She went through all my exam results, interests and hobbies, and she was really easy to talk to. She gave me great advice and had great knowledge on what I would be suited to next year.
Ruby
(Leaving Cert Student)

Thorough Knowledge

Carmel is just fantastic regarding career options and advice for those who have recently graduated college and are seeking help with curating their CV towards job applications. She has a thorough knowledge of job openings for graduate/internship/ full time positions and is devoted to helping you succeed in your professional aspirations. I couldn’t recommend her enough!

Sarah
Recent Graduate

Game Changer

Carmel’s help has been a game-changer. She worked closely with Tom to figure out where his abilities and passions intersected, then took that bewildering array of choices and helped him to hone it right down to a shortlist of possibilities. She took all of the anxiety and choice-paralysis out of the equation. Brilliant! Now he’s got something to aim for!
Parent of Tom, 6th year student 

Beneficial and Informative

My daughter Amy visited Carmel and found the experience to be very beneficial and most informative. Carmel made excellent use of the knowledge gained during the interview and from the psychometric tests to guide her on a number of career path options. I also found the parent meeting at the end and the follow up file and email very helpful. Carmel was very pleasant, warm, knowledgeable and most generous with her time. I highly recommend her for anyone facing into the arduous task of deciding on post Leaving Cert career options
Parent of 5th Year Student

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour.” Mark Twain

Carmel Roche
Carmel Roche

About Me

Based in County Wexford, I am a graduate of University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin and Maynooth University. I have over 25 years experience as a teacher, examiner and advisor in second level education. I am a professional Guidance Counsellor accredited by the Institute of Guidance Counsellors and I hold qualifications in Occupational and Psychometric Assessment (BPS recognised).

Carmel Roche BA HDE  M.PHIL PGDSGC

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