NCI Blog

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.

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.

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.

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.

A believer of continuous learning and growth, Flaviu Vanca has accumulated a diverse set of skills throughout his career that transcend any specific industry. In pursuit of expanding his knowledge and abilities, Flaviu came across the Springboard+ initiative, which offers courses co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union with the aim of filling skills shortages in the workforce. At National College of Ireland, we deliver Springboard+ courses in computing covering Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Software Development and Web Development.

A strategy many students consider when deciding what to do in college is to join a Level 6 course in an area they are interested in before committing to the Level 8 degree. These courses tend to be shorter, have lower entry requirements and graduates can gain entry to year two of an Honours Bachelor Degree.

Whether you are already working in human resource management or learning and development and want to validate the expertise you have gained, or you are starting out and want to get your first role in HR or L&D, a CIPD accredited qualification from National College of Ireland will be valuable to you in your career.

Now this is amazing news to shout about: current Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) student, Naoise Howley, will represent Ireland at the World Lacrosse Women's Under 20 Championship in Hong Kong in August! In this interview, she shares her path to being selected for the team and her excitement at the opportunity ahead, along with insights into studying ECEC and advice for anyone considering their CAO choices.

Aiming to take his career to the next level and having set a goal of becoming a CEO, Alan Roche attended an MBA taster event at National College of Ireland. He discovered that this degree, which is a highly regarded and much-sought-after qualification, could give him the confidence and credibility to lead and drive the growth and success of his organisation.