Career Confusion Is at an All-Time High — I’ve Been There Too

In May 2025, the OECD published a global study showing that teenagers are experiencing extraordinary levels of career uncertainty. It's a powerful, data-backed insight — and one I deeply relate to on a personal level.

You can read the full report here:
👉 The State of Global Teenage Career Preparation (OECD)

The Career Path That Looked Good on Paper

This time last year, I was in a career that didn't feel right. From the outside, it looked "successful" — stable job, strong company, steady progression. But inside, I was fighting a quiet, daily battle. I knew it wasn't the right fit. It drained me.

I never had a clear career path growing up. As a child, I wanted to:

• Be a writer

• Make jewellery

• Help people in some meaningful way (though not through medicine!)

Somewhere along the way, those dreams faded. But in recent years, they've returned.

A Series of "Sensible" Choices

When it came time to choose my Junior Cert subjects, I tried to cover all bases — French, Business, Science, and Music — plus the core subjects. I loved English. Writing felt natural. But reading my work aloud in class? Panic attack territory. I started to lose confidence in my own voice.

That's when I first thought I might be a lawyer… because I was watching Ally McBeal at the time.

Fast-forward to Leaving Cert. Music was out, and Accounting, Biology, and Chemistry were in. Why? Because ER was the big TV show then — and I thought maybe I'd be a doctor. (Even I laugh now. I'd have made a terrible doctor.)

My CAO form was based more on which college I liked than what I was actually passionate about. I was privileged to have the option to repeat the Leaving Cert in a grinds school, which helped get me over the line.

Eventually, I studied Sociology and Economics and landed a role in an investment bank during the height of the Celtic Tiger. On paper, I had "made it."

But Something Was Missing

I've had a good career. I've grown, succeeded, and made close friends. But if I'm honest, I regret not staying true to myself. I took the safe route. I made decisions based on what looked secure or impressive — not what lit me up.

That's why I created two coaching programmes for teenagers going through this same experience:

Introducing: Choose with Confidence Coaching

🎓 Subject Choice Coaching
🎓 CAO Coaching

These sessions help students gain:

• A clearer understanding of their strengths, learning styles, and motivations

• A shortlist of subjects aligned with their personality and future direction

• Clarity on how subject choices connect to college courses and careers

• A simple, step-by-step approach to weighing subject combinations

• Relief from confusion and pressure

• Confidence in their final decisions

• Motivation to re-engage in TY and senior cycle

• A sense of ownership and control over their future

• Tools to make aligned choices again — for CAO, career, and life

For Students and Parents Alike

If you're a student feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, or just stuck — I see you.
If you're a parent trying to support a teen through it all — I see you, too.

It's not easy to make big life decisions when you're still figuring out who you are. That's why this kind of coaching matters — not just for subjects or careers, but for lifelong confidence and clarity.

Book a Free Consultation

If this post resonates with you or someone you care about, I'd love to support you.

👉 Book a free consultation call
Let's help your teen choose with confidence — and rediscover their voice in the process.