EirQuest

Introducing young people to the world of work and higher education

Careers inspiration

An extensive careers guidance programme for students planning to take the Irish Leaving Certificate. EirQuest matches students’ interests and abilities with appropriate career areas and helps them to make soundly based and well-researched decisions.

Experience the joy of discovery

EirQuest analyses individual student responses to 200 questions and produces an Interest Profile based on over 40 broad career ideas. Students are given access to an online research area with access to WORKBRIEF; a comprehensive up-to-date source of over 450 careers.

EirQuest

Age 14 – 17 years

An Introduction to Careers

EirQuest reveals a picture of a young person’s stronger occupational and academic interest, related abilities and personal qualities. In addition to covering careers the student is already familiar with, it can also list many completely new possibilities. Results are broken down into well-matched career areas (e.g. law) and related careers (e.g. barrister, solicitor).

EirQuest helps students by:

Revealing their own occupational and academic interests and personal qualities

Identifying from these, a range of interest-led careers

Providing a structured framework for research into the demands of potential careers fields

Establishing a basis for the choice of Leaving Certificate subjects which will meet the entry requirements for likely future careers or courses

Acting as a focal point for discussions with staff and parents

Helping with personal refection such as challenging any pre-disposed career choices they may have and exploring any ‘unthought of’ career areas

We have been using EirQuest & MyAptitude (formally Cambridge Profile) for a number of years now, and get back very positive feedback, particularly from parents who are able to discuss the report at home with their son/daughter and find it is a great help for choosing subject and career choices.

Tony O’GaraSligo Grammar School

Appreciation of MyFutureChoice Programmes by Brian Mooney

“I administer MyAptitude Tests alongside the EirQuest interest inventory to all incoming 5th year students during Transition Year, prior to them making their Leaving Certificate subject choices.

To ensure the best use of the limited hours now available to all Guidance Counsellors to provide a comprehensive guidance service, I find the following system works well.

On receiving the results from MyFutureChoice, I present the findings of the students’ workbooks in three two-hour sessions to about thirty students accompanied by at least one parent. During the afternoon presentation some teaching colleagues drop by to explain their particular subject to both students and
parents. I finish the presentation by relating the full range of subjects on offer in 5th year to the findings in each student’s MyFutureChoice workbook.

Having used these instruments for many years now, I find them highly effective in facilitating student subject choices. The percentage of students who subsequently request a change is insignificant.

I have had a similar positive experience with MyUniChoices in helping students clarify their third level college choices at the beginning of 6th year. The MyUniChoices workbook provides each student with a detailed description of their preferred course areas and the relevant courses available in Ireland, the UK and in recent years, programmes taught exclusively in English across European universities. Therefore, I have no hesitation in recommending MyFutureChoice’s programmes to you, my colleagues.”

Brian Mooney is a Fellow and a former President of the Institute of Guidance Councellors

Frequently Asked Questions

Why a careers programme?

It is important for young people to select suitable Leaving Certificate subjects, to develop a greater awareness of their own possible career areas and to organise the effects of rapidly changing trends in national and global employment. More than ever, students need a clear sense of purpose towards higher education and to be strongly motivated in their approach to academic and vocational work. EirQuest helps to focus these thoughts on possible careers which can help the student in choosing their own Leaving Certificate subjects

What do students receive?

– Access to My FutureChoice’s Student Portal, up to age 24, including resources and supporting materials
– Online questionnaire test
– Bespoke PDF report of results, which can be downloaded and shared as required by the student
– Access to WORKBRIEF
– Personal Reflection and Action Plans to help with next step
– An overview of the career area and brief descriptions of each career in this area
– Important academic subjects required for entry to relevant HE courses
– Overall Match bar graphs showing relative strengths of important supporting areas of interest, and comments explaining their relevance

How does EirQuest operate?

Students complete a questionnaire about their interests, abilities and personal qualities without pressure of time. Their answers are then analysed to produce a careers profile covering over 40 broad career areas.

The student’s feedback is presented in a report format and within their own Student Portal. Using their feedback students are encouraged to reflect on their own progress and complete an appropriate Action Plan, making use of WORKBRIEF (the online resource of The Careers Directory) and to acquire relevant work experience and advice.

MyAptitude is an optional set of aptitude tests. The results can be incorporated into the student’s overall feedback, it is featured on the Irish Government’s Approved Aptitude Test list. Students receive their feedback both in report format and online within their Student Portal where they can access their interactive work area.

How is the effectiveness of EirQuest assessed?

At MyFutureChoice, we place the technical quality of our career programmes and aptitude tests high on our list of priorities. The services of a well-established Occupational Psychologist, Dr Charles Johnson, are used to evaluate the technical characteristics and properties of all MyFutureChoice careers programmes and to ensure they meet acceptable standards of reliability and accuracy.

Supporting Materials and Resources

WORKBRIEF

WORKBRIEF is accessed by student’s completing EirQuest through their Student Portal. Careers are presented to the students using the acronym WORKBRIEF, headed as below

hat work is involved?

pportunities for training

equirements for entry

ind of person

road outlook

elated occupation

mpact on lifestyle

arnings potential

urther information

These headings co-ordinate with the career analysis forms used in the EirQuest PDF report. WORKBRIEF is also available as a hardcopy book entitled The Careers Directory which follows the same format and can be purchased separately.

Degree Course Descriptions

Degree Course Descriptions is available as an online licenced resource either as a standalone product or as part of the MyUniChoices programme.

The descriptions cover over 110 degree course areas, giving information and guidance not easily available elsewhere. They are written by heads of department and senior lecturers at major universities-people who know their course from the inside and understand the doubts and difficulties facing students.

Each description gives an overview of a typical course area and its content, career opportunities related degrees, recommended reading and websites.

It includes a Course Check Questionnaire for each course for students to assess their suitability using a series of 20 relevant questions.

Online Resources

Student Portal

Each student is given access to their own Student Portal where they receive feedback, carry out research and reflect on their findings. The Student Portal has numerous tools to assist with the student’s decision-making, eg students can complete action plans and personal reflections. Students have the opportunity to revisit the programme as often as they like, up until the age of 24.

MyHQ

MyHQ is an online administration system for staff. It provides an archive for all EirQuest, MyAptitude and MyUniChoices reports and enables staff to monitor the students’ progress. This useful facility ensures tutorial work and Interviewing can be done easily. There is also access to MyFutureChoice’s online library of resources which include PowerPoint presentations, parent brochures and other supportive documentation.

Programme Features

Discover the features of the MyFutureChoice programmes

Find out more

Webinars/Training

EirQuest

Getting the most from EirQuest

26th October 2023 @ 16:00

00h 45m

Join 'Getting the most from EirQuest'. Dive into enhanced features, expand career guidance horizons, and transform student futures. Register now!

EirQuest

EirQuest Basics

3rd October 2023 @ 14:00

00h 45m

Join 'EirQuest Basics' introduction. Empower students in selecting Leaving Certificate subjects. Discover, guide, and transform their academic journey.