Discussion on career resilience, mindfulness and Springboard+ in DCU Careers Podcast
Mindfulness, career resilience and retraining are among the topics for discussion in the second episode of the DCU Careers Service podcast.
The podcast series - entitled ‘Career Conversations’ - is a seven part series launched by DCU Careers Service last month, with second episode going live today.
Podcast host, DCU Careers Service Advisor Siobhan Murphy, is joined by Sheila Barr, DCU Careers Advisor specialising in the Springboard+ Programme; Aisling Fagan, DCU Student Union Vice-President for Welfare and Equality; and Paul King, Assistant Professor in DCU Institute of Education and member of the Mindfulness Teachers’ Association of Ireland.
The panel provides advice on how to keep perspective so you don’t feel overwhelmed by circumstances. They give their best tips on how to build up your careers resilience, as well as discussing useful techniques such as mindfulness.
Sheila Barr discusses Springboard+, and how people of all ages are accessing it.
Springboard is a government-funded programme aimed for people working, or those returning to the workplace, to retrain in an area where there is a skills shortage. These areas tend to include IT, User Experience and Operations Management. However in recent times, this list has broadened to include areas such as European Policy.
If employed, Springboard will pay 90pc of the fees of your course, and if you are unemployed, they will pay 100pc of your fees for the course. People who access Springboard are “aged 25 to people in their 60s”, according to Ms Barr.
Many of the episodes for the ‘Career Conversations’ series were recorded before the current COVID-19 pandemic crisis unfolded.
Later episodes in the series will provide more focus on the current situation.
The series is aimed at DCU students and graduates, but has useful information for anybody looking to build their careers regardless of what stage they are at.
“We are living in uncertain times, so why not take this opportunity to listen in and focus on your employability? Our listeners can use this time effectively to prepare for future recruitment and life after COVID19. Your skills and strengths will be needed in the workforce," says series host Siobhan Murphy.
DCU graduates are highly sought after by employers, with alumni working in environments ranging from large multinationals to SMEs, family businesses and start-ups across every sector.
“This podcast series is an extension of the broad and informative services we already offer to DCU students and graduates.
“We hope it provides listeners with a useful way to integrate career management into their daily lives, some insights into what employers are looking for, the career stories of our guests and most importantly, given our current situation, a space to explore that careers can be just as messy as life!”
The Careers Service is DCU’s central hub for employability. Through learning and development initiatives, the service empowers students to become successful in their chosen career paths; provide opportunities to connect students with the agile nature of the world of work; and be a leading player in talent development and employer engagement for our local, regional, national and global communities.
This episode was produced with the assistance of Maeve Fortune (Second Year Communication Studies Student).
The podcast series is now available on Spotify here
It can be accessed via the DCU Careers Service section here.
It will be available on Apple and Android platforms soon