John O’Sullivan is a Software Developer in ImpartX. This is the story of how he turned his career around following his completion of a Springboard+ course at DBS.
"When I left school at 19 after doing the leaving cert twice, I entered college to do a science/computer science course. I had a terrible attitude and felt my intelligence alone would carry me through the course. More often than not I skipped lectures and didn’t get out of bed in the morning. This led to me repeating two years and then after four years in college I was forced to defer as repeat fees were too high. I then worked in retail for a year with the goal of returning, which I never did.
September 2012 came and personally, professionally and physically I was in a terrible place. After a summer abroad to essentially escape my troubles, I came home with no job or college course to come back to. I decided to pursue a childhood dream of mine and become a chef. I spent the better part of 14 months working as a chef with a 55-65 hours week for a low salary. At the end of that I was miserable, dejected, depressed and a broken man. So I decided, against the judgement of most who advised not to leave until I had something else lined up, to just leave my job before it broke me even further.
Unfortunately this was 2014, where jobs were at a minimum and where qualifications were the only way to get anything resembling a good job. I had rejection after rejection for jobs because on paper I was just a college drop out with no degree or qualification of any kind. This went on for months and months, until I met with a career guidance counsellor who recommended the Springboard+ Programme. This programme allows people who have been unemployed for a stretch of time to go back to education.
I wrote numerous applications which once again led to rejections, with every college giving the “you only have a Leaving Cert” excuse. Although I was unsuccessful at securing a place on a Springboard course at this point, I was eventually offered a part time minor certificate, which I finished with an overall GPA of 3.33. In September 2015 I applied for the same colleges again and I got accepted to every course I applied to and was eligible for. I chose DBS.
This led to one of the most enjoyable times of my life. I was studying for a Higher Diploma in Computing (Software Development). I met new friends, learned so much and at the end of it got a placement in the same company I work in now in a job that I love and feel I’m very good at.
So here I am nearly 5 years after September 2012 with a Higher Diploma in Computing with first class honours, a job that I love, and have never been more satisfied with who I am."
Read the full story on LinkedIn here.
For information on Springboard+ courses at DBS visit our website.