Claire Murphy, Career Development Advisor at the National University of Ireland
ABout galway guidance
Hi, I'm Claire! A dedicated and experienced Career Guidance Counsellor, bringing over 12 years of expertise in supporting individuals in their educational and career journeys. With a background in post-primary teaching and a Master’s in Career Guidance and Counseling from Trinity College Dublin, I have guided students, undergraduates, postgraduates, and adult learners alike. My background includes five years as a Career Development Adviser at the third level, where I assisted diverse learners in achieving their career goals.I am also a certified psychometric tester and has collaborated on innovative European career guidance projects. I am an active member of the Institute of Career Guidance Counsellors (IGC), where I have held leadership roles, including chairperson of the Galway/Mayo branch and a position on the National Executive.
how it works
Galway Guidance provides a straightforward and supportive process designed to meet your unique career needs. Whether you're seeking career coaching, help with CAO choices, CV development, or interview preparation, Claire offers flexible, one-on-one sessions that can be held in person or remotely to suit your schedule. Once you've chosen a service, simply click the email icon to email Claire, and she’ll work with you to schedule a convenient time. With transparent pricing and payment options, every session is designed to be practical, valuable, and geared toward your success.
Galway Guidance Blog
Welcome to Galway Guidance’s Career Insights Blog, a dedicated resource for students, graduates, and professionals navigating the complexities of career choices and advancement. With articles featured in the Irish Times and Galway Advertiser, Claire offers expert advice on everything from educational pathways and career transitions to job market trends and practical tips for CV writing, interview skills, and personal statement preparation. Whether you’re a career starter, returner, or changer, Claire’s blog provides actionable insights to empower you in achieving your career goals with confidence.
Postgraduate Application Tips and How to Write an Effective Personal Statement
Tips on making a postgrad application to NUI Galway, by Dominica Moran (Deputy Admissions Officer, Postgraduate) and also tips on how to write an effective personal statement (which you may need to append to a Taught Postgraduate Course application), by Claire Murphy, Career Development Centre.
EDI project, Promoting Racial Diversity in the workplace:
The Office of the Vice President for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion was established in 2016 and is responsible for leading and promoting all aspects of equality, diversity and inclusion throughout the University.Our aim is to be one of the best universities in the world in which to work, study, and contribute to learning, scholarship, and research
Galway guidance
services
Career Coaching
€200 per 1 Hour SessionGeneral career coaching-
answering questions regarding
a course or career pathway
Multiple session maybe
required depending on goals.
This would be suitable for
Career returners, career
changers or those wishing to
advance their career
CAO Choice
€350 per session
Includes psychometric testing
2 sessions would be requiredFor students, making CAO choices is a big decision because it determines the courses and universities they’re applying to after secondary school. This choice involves selecting and ranking their preferred programs, often based on career aspirations, academic interests, and potential job opportunities. Proper guidance can help students choose courses that align with their skills, interests, and long-term goals, making it a critical part of the career counseling Claire offers.
Curriculum Vitae
€250 per CV from scratch
€150 to update a CV
Multiple session maybe
required depending on goals.This would be suitable for
Career returners, career
changers or those wishing to
advance their career.
Interview skills
€200 per session
2 sessions would be requiredInterview skills are essential for making a strong impression and standing out in a competitive job market. Good interview techniques can showcase your strengths, communicate your value, and demonstrate that you are fit for a role with confidence and clarity.
Personal statement for
Postgraduate courses
Or 3 questions for UCAS
application 2025 onwards€150 per session
Multiple session maybe
required depending on goals.
This would be suitable for
Career returners, career
changers or those wishing to
advance their career
Graduate Recruitment
programmes
€500 depending on
requirements of Programme
This includes CV, Competency
questions application form,
Interview skills.1-2 sessions but price
includes 2 sessions.
frequently asked questions
Q: Where are you located?
Where to find us:
Dalton House,
Dalton Drive,
Dr Mannix Rd,
Salthill,
Galway
H91 FN88
Q: Is there parking?
Yes, free parking is available.
Q: Do you do online sessions?
Yes, absolutely!
Q: I want to work on my public speaking and how present myself at work, is that something
you work on?
Yes I can help you public speaking, presenting and how you present yourself in general. The price would be the same as interview skills.
Q: Do you work with people outside of galway?
Yes, I can work with anyone.
Q: Is there anything I need to prepare for a CV session?
Please email a most recent version of your CV to get some initial feedback and also please bring a hardcopy to the session if it is in person.
Q: Is there anything I need to prepare for an interview skills session?
Please bring the job description and any details of the organisation that you are interviewing for and if you do not have not been called for interview you need to identify the type of job and organisation you want to prepare for.
Q: Do you do job search skills?
A job search skills session would fall in under a careers coaching session and would cost
the same amount.
Q: Do you cater for adults looking to upskill or change careers?
Yes, Claire has a lot of experience working with adults looking to upskill or change careers.
Q: Do you offer career guidance in Corporate settings for example Transition planning or redundancy support?
Yes, I offer special services to corporate clients? Please get in touch to discuss your
specific request.
Q: Do you offer psychometric testing?
Yes I have completed my Psychometric testing in cognitive ability testing and personality
testing and can administer both tests. I am also a member of the British Psychological society.
Q: Do you provide career guidance for people with disabilities?
Yes, I have a a lot of experience and knowledge working with people with various types of disabilities and various requirements. I also have extensive knowledge of the HEAR and DARE scheme.
Galway guidance
blog
Don’t give up on your dream career
Every year, many Leaving Cert students are upset because they did not secure a place on their preferred course, causing many to feel they have to give up on their dream career. There are alternative ways to obtain a place in courses such as medicine, physiotherapy, dentistry, veterinary, speech and language therapy (SLT ) as well as occupational therapy (OT ). It is very important to do the research...
Innovative Career Guidance
This Career Guidance project aimed to support Europeans in their career journey to reskill, upskill and engage in lifelong learning so that they could engage in successful career and work transitions through identifying their specific career values, needs, wants, aptitudes and strengths.
Learn more about PLC courses
Post Leaving Cert courses (PLCs ) are specialised courses designed to equip students with practical industry specific skills.
PLCs are usually one to two-year module based programmes provided by schools and further education colleges nationwide. Some PLCs offer a placement (work experience ) in the specific industry relating to the course...
Some top tips for starting university or college
Starting college or University can be daunting and scary for any student, but here are ways to prepare for the start of college and a few things to consider when starting a new course.
Can I change career after my degree?
While many Leaving Cert students have already submitted their CAO, there will still be time to fill out the change of mind form if they want to choose a different CAO course, but it is important to remember that you do not necessarily need to be tied to a career relating to your degree forever. Nowadays there is great flexibility, and opportunities for people to change their careers.
Careers in tech
Are you thinking of studying IT or computer science?
With more than 100,000 people employed in the Irish tech sector, and with many of the global tech leaders choosing to have their headquarters in this country, the tech industry here is booming. The Central Statistics Office has valued the IT industry in Ireland at over €241 billion. Dublin is home to Google, Meta, LinkedIn, and HubSpot, to name a few. Studying IT or computer science can offer a rewarding and exciting career.
Studying business as a general degree
Many universities offer general and more specialised business degrees.
University of Galway offers commerce, which is three years, and global commerce, which is similar in course content but offers an additional year for a study abroad or placement option. There are also international commerce courses, which allow you to study a general commerce degree with a language – French, Spanish, German or Gaeilge.
How to become a psychologist in Ireland
Psychology is the study of behaviour and mental processes. Psychology is a very popular course choice both at undergraduate and postgraduate level in Ireland. There is a Bachelor of Science in Psychology available at University of Galway, ATU Galway, and TUS Athlone. All of these courses are four year (Level 8 ) degree courses, offering work placements in a variety of settings in year 3, which will improve any student’s employability.
I got my Arts degree, what’s next?
For many students, graduation has come and gone. Some people seem to have it all figured out, having decided on their career paths early on.
However, sometimes for Arts students, it can be a bit trickier. The careers they wish to pursue aren’t always traditional, and it can be hard to know where to go after college.
How to prepare for an online interview
Smile and try to relax: putting your best foot forward in a virtual interview setting.
Interviewing for a job – like most aspects of life – has changed since the Covid-19 pandemic. With no return to normality in sight, jobseekers are going to have to adapt to the new way of doing things. Here are some tips for the interview process.
How to identify and develop soft skills
Soft skills you pick up along the way can help you to be an effective team member.
Firstly, what are soft skills? These are those skills which you don’t so much get taught at school, but pick up along the way and which help you to be an effective member of a team.
Careers & Skills Among AHSS Postgraduate Research Students
The Postgraduate Research Task Group of AHECS (The Association of Higher Education Careers Services) were curious to find out if strategic investment by the Irish Government in applied research and development over the past twenty years, has led to a different research experience for Arts & Humanities and Social Science (AHSS) postgraduate researchers (PGRs) in comparison to their Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) counterparts.
Writing an effective personal statement
Most of our postgraduate require a personal statement appended, outlining why you want to take that particular course.
Before you write your personal statement, you really need to do a lot of research. You need to research the entry requirements, the modules that you will be studying, the research you are expected to carry out during the course and if there is a placement involved in your course.
Interview with Claire Murphy
Career Development Advisor at the National University of Ireland
Patrick Phillips conducts a series of interviews with experts in the field of career guidance and counselling across universities in Ireland. These interviews explore the challenges adult learners experience when it comes to finding meaningful and rewarding careers.
European Erasmus project KA22
Claire Murphy is the Irish Partner for European Erasmus project KA22
Are you interested in supporting people to improve their career journeys through learning, skills, reskilling and upskilling, work and transitions?Career guidance describes the services which help people of any age to manage their careers and to make the educational, training and occupational choices that are right for them.
CAO Change of Mind: completing the form
Now that you have completed the Leaving Cert, some of you may have had more time to reflect and think further about your CAO choices and you may possibly change your preferences and therefore want to complete the CAO Change of Mind form.
Studying engineering at third level
An engineering qualification offers a chance to work in a large variety of industries such as biomedical devices, pharmaceuticals, construction, consultancy, energy, ICT (hi-tech ) manufacturing, utilities, public sector and infrastructure, and with great career progression and a good salary, many view engineering as a very rewarding profession.
The advantages of studying abroad
Many universities all over the country have dramatically increased their number of Erasmus and study abroad options for students as many universities have realised the benefits of studying abroad for students, most notably increased ‘employability’.
Careers in Law
Law can be studied in most universities in Ireland including University of Galway, Galway ATU, Athlone TUS. University of Galway offers a Bachelor of Civil Law (BCL), Law and Business, Law Criminology and Justice as well as a BA in Law which is offered through general Arts. Athlone TUS offers a bachelor’s in law and a Bachelor of Business and law.
The benefits of a general degree in arts or science
There are three general degrees available at university – business, which I covered in my last article, as well as science and arts, which I will cover in this article. General degrees are a great starting point for any student who does not know what they want to do after the Leaving Cert but really enjoyed studying a group of subjects or one subject at Leaving Cert.
Studying business as a general degree
In these courses, you will study a wide variety of business subjects including accounting, economics, marketing, human resources, business information systems, organizational behaviour as well as entrepreneurship modules. The aim of the first and second year is to provide students with a broad foundational knowledge of business before students go on to specialise in their final year.
Looking for a job, but don’t know where to start?
Looking for a job but don’t know where to start, check out these free supports:
Whether you have just graduated or have a few years of work experience and are looking for a job in Ireland or in Europe, the Department of Social Protection (DSP ) may be able to help.
