According to a survey by One4All, nearly 75% of Irish students say their definition of success is being happy.
The gift card company surveyed Irish students on their relationship to success. 75% of students believe that happiness is success followed by health (51%) and a loving family (46%).
Just 19% of those polled chose wealth as a factor for success. Only one in 100 students choose their course based on the financial opportunities a career offers, while the average student rates their career prospects at 6.4 out of 10. Only 12% of students choose their course based on the best career possibilities.
52% of students, when choosing a subject area to study, chose the one they were most interested in and 22% chose the subject that they love.
The survey also found that more than a third of students intend to continue their studies after their degree while, on average, 33% plan to begin their career directly after college and 19% of those polled choose to travel.
Students revealed what they felt was their biggest advantages when beginning their careers:
- 33% felt practical experience was their biggest advantage
- 27% believed it was your work ethic
- 12% felt that it was their third-level education
Sinead Brady, a career psychologist and spokesperson for the One4All Design and Gift Card competition said:
The research shows that working any 9-5 job to pay the bills or receiving a big pay cheque is no longer enough for people in Ireland and specifically students. The vast majority of students now carve their career paths based on their interests and passions, but it is increasingly difficult to stand out to employers amongst the competition..
