NCI Blog

Looking to kick-start your career in accounting? Discover Xuerui Liu’s journey from China to Ireland, as she decides to take her career in a new direction by studying NCI’s one-year full-time MSc in Accounting and exploring Ireland’s vibrant culture.

This blog is written by Carrie Archer, Programme Director for the microcredentials in Technology Enhanced Learning in the Centre for Education and Lifelong Learning. In today's classrooms, educators are increasingly turning to technology to support the creation of more productive, engaging, and inclusive learning environments. Learning environments shift, evolve and change all the time. They include our traditional classrooms, but now also include the use of learning management systems and a variety of platforms to facilitate asynchronous learning. They also include virtual classrooms where we engage with learning synchronously, but from locations all over the world and across time zones. Regardless of context, the learning environment or the discipline you work in, learner variability is a given.

Ian Ray grabbed the opportunity to do work placement as part of his business degree at NCI with two hands and discovered the path he wants to follow after college. He looks back on his one-year work placement as a HR Intern with Keelings, sharing two key achievements and what he has learned from this professional experience along with key insights into his studies at NCI. Making life choices such as where to study and what career to pursue can be challenging. Ian shares plenty of tips and advice below that can help those making CAO decisions for September 2025 discover the right path for them.

Being awarded Intern of the Year Runner-Up at L'Oréal was the highlight of the work placement experience for Clodagh Cahill-Turley who is currently completing the final year of her BA (Honours) in Business degree. As the only intern based in Ireland to be nominated for an award, this showcases her contribution to the company and recognises her achievements during her year-long placement.

NCI's award-winning Young Future Leaders Programme offers international students in high school, as well as Transition Year students in Ireland, a unique opportunity to develop leadership skills, fostering both personal and professional growth. Tailored to inspire the next generation of innovators and leaders, the programme is designed for students who want to experience college-level learning, develop essential skills for their future, and connect with peers from around the world.

One thing stood out to Zsuzsanna Nicoli when making her CAO choices. The BA (Honours) in Human Resource Management at NCI included the option to complete a year-long work placement in industry, meaning she would gain real-world experience and have an opportunity to apply theoretical learnings before she even graduates. She shares insights into her work placement with Ryanair and studying HRM as well as advice for those making their CAO choices below.

Many students think about what they would like to do with their degree when they are still in college. At National College of Ireland, many courses are designed to give students direct, practical experiences alongside classroom learning to highlight how you may go on to use the qualifications gained here.

About to jump into her final year of studies, BA (Honours) in Business student Sophie Sherlock reflects on her experience on the course so far along with her time completing work placement in Human Resources with the Central Bank of Ireland. She also looks back to making her CAO choices and shares advice for anyone who is currently in that position.

Starting college is an exciting time for any undergraduate student. Meeting new people, exploring a new campus and potentially living away from home for the first time are just some of the changes you may face as you embark on this next stage of your educational journey.

Computing has become an increasingly popular choice for third-level study in recent years. Demand for industry professionals in Ireland remains high with companies such as Google, Meta, Microsoft, Indeed and LinkedIn all having EU headquarters in Dublin and requiring top tech talent for positions in cybersecurity, software development, artificial intelligence, cloud computing and related areas.