Graduate Career Launch
Career guidance, psychometric assessment and coaching for the transition into professional working life
Finishing university or college can leave you with more options, but not necessarily more clarity.
You may be unsure where your degree could take you. You may be considering several very different careers. You may already know where you want to go but be struggling to turn that direction into action. Or you may have started working and realised that you need to think more carefully about what comes next.
Graduate Career Launch provides individual career guidance, psychometric assessment and coaching to help you understand your options, make informed decisions and begin building your career with greater direction.
Different people need different levels of support. Services range from focused coaching around a specific career goal to a comprehensive six-month career development and coaching programme.
Who We Work With
Graduate Career Launch is designed for final-year students, recent graduates and people in the early stages of their careers.
There is no need to have a clear career goal before beginning the process.
Graduate Career Launch can support graduates who:
are approaching graduation and are unsure what they want to do next
have graduated but do not yet have a clear career direction
are unsure where their degree could take them
are considering several different careers or sectors
want to better understand their interests, abilities, personality and working preferences
know broadly where they want to go but are unsure how to get there
are considering further study, professional training or another qualification
want greater structure and accountability while working towards a career goal
have started working but are questioning whether they are heading in the right direction
want to take a more deliberate approach to the early stages of their career
More Than Finding a First Job
Graduate career development is about more than securing the first available job after college.
The early stages of a career provide an opportunity to understand the type of work that suits the individual, where their strengths can be used, what matters to them professionally and which opportunities are worth pursuing.
Graduates do not need to decide what they are going to do for the rest of their working lives.
The aim is to make a better-informed next decision, take practical action and continue learning as the career develops.
How We Work
Coaching is the underlying methodology
The approach at Catalyst Careers is not based on telling someone what career they should pursue or using a psychometric assessment to provide a definitive answer.
Instead, career guidance, coaching, psychometric assessment and practical career information are brought together according to the needs of the individual.
For graduates who are very uncertain about their career direction, psychometric assessment can provide a valuable starting point. Exploring career interests, abilities, personality and working preferences can help build a clearer picture before different career possibilities are considered.
For graduates who already have a reasonably clear direction, the greater need may be coaching: clarifying goals, working through obstacles, taking action and reviewing progress.
The process generally moves through:
Understand → Explore → Decide → Act → Review → Adjust
The aim is not simply to leave a session with more ideas. It is to help graduates move from thinking about their careers to actively developing them.
Graduate Career Launch Services
Different graduates require different levels and types of support. The right starting point depends largely on how clear the individual already is about their career direction and how much ongoing support they would benefit from.
Where there is significant uncertainty about career direction, psychometric assessment can provide a valuable foundation for the career development process. Where a graduate already has a reasonably clear direction, career decision or professional goal, coaching may be more appropriate.
Graduate Career Launch therefore offers a range of options, from comprehensive six-month career development to focused coaching programmes.
Graduate Career Launch & Coaching Programme
Six months of comprehensive career development and coaching
The Graduate Career Launch & Coaching Programme provides the most comprehensive level of support within Graduate Career Launch.
Designed for graduates who want to properly explore their career direction and receive ongoing support as they begin putting their plans into action, the programme combines psychometric assessment, career guidance and individual coaching over approximately six months.
The process begins by developing a detailed understanding of the individual's interests, abilities, personality, working preferences, experience and career priorities. This provides the foundation for exploring potential career directions and identifying possibilities worth investigating further.
The programme then continues through regular one-to-one coaching. Rather than expecting career direction to be resolved during a single consultation, there is time to research possibilities, test assumptions, make decisions, take action and review what is learned along the way.
As the graduate's needs change, the focus of the programme can change with them.
What’s Included
Comprehensive psychometric assessment of career interests, abilities and personality
Detailed personalised career assessment report
Career Development Portfolio
Initial 90-minute one-to-one career development consultation
12 additional 50-minute one-to-one coaching sessions
Approximately six months of individual career development support
Exploration and comparison of potential career directions
Research into relevant occupations, sectors and opportunities
Consideration of graduate opportunities and routes into relevant careers
Exploration of further study, professional qualifications or training where appropriate
Individual goal-setting and action planning
Bespoke career-development activities between sessions
Personalised resources and career research
Regular review of progress, decisions and emerging priorities
Who Is It For?
This programme may be particularly appropriate for graduates who have significant uncertainty about their career direction, are considering several substantially different possibilities, or want sustained support while moving from career exploration into practical action.
It may also suit graduates who want greater structure and accountability during an important period of career development rather than trying to work everything out independently.
€2,495
Graduate Career Development Plus
Psychometric assessment, career guidance and extended follow-up coaching
Graduate Career Development Plus is designed for graduates who want greater clarity about their career direction together with additional coaching support as they begin turning that direction into action.
The programme combines comprehensive psychometric assessment, professional career guidance and five follow-up coaching sessions. It provides more time to explore and compare career options, research potential pathways, make informed decisions and review progress as plans develop.
What’s Included
Comprehensive psychometric assessment of career interests, abilities and personality
Detailed personalised career assessment report
Career Development Portfolio
Initial 90-minute one-to-one career development consultation
Five additional 50-minute one-to-one career coaching sessions
Exploration and comparison of potential career directions
Research into relevant occupations, sectors and graduate opportunities
Consideration of further study, professional qualifications or training where appropriate
Personalised goal-setting and action planning
Selected career-development resources
Regular review of progress and next steps
Who Is It For?
This programme may be particularly appropriate for graduates who are uncertain about their career direction and want psychometric assessment to inform the process, but would also benefit from additional time and support to explore their options and begin putting their career plans into action.
€995
Graduate Career Development
Psychometric assessment, career guidance and follow-up coaching
Graduate Career Development is an assessment-led service for graduates who want greater clarity about their career direction but do not require six months of ongoing support.
The process combines comprehensive psychometric assessment with professional career guidance and follow-up coaching.
It is particularly suited to graduates who are asking questions such as:
What type of work might suit me? Where could my degree take me? What other careers could I consider? Which of the options I am considering fits me best?
Psychometric assessment provides a structured way of exploring career interests, abilities, personality and working preferences. These results are considered alongside the graduate's education, experience, circumstances, priorities and existing career ideas.
The purpose is not to use assessment results to prescribe a particular career. Instead, they provide additional information that can help identify patterns, generate possibilities and support more informed career decisions.
What’s Included
Comprehensive psychometric assessment of career interests, abilities and personality
Detailed personalised career assessment report
Career Development Portfolio
Initial 90-minute one-to-one career development consultation
Three 50-minute follow-up coaching sessions
Exploration of relevant career areas, occupations and sectors
Research and comparison of potential career directions
Consideration of graduate opportunities and routes into relevant careers
Exploration of further study or professional training where appropriate
Personalised career-development resources
Individual action planning and next steps
The three follow-up coaching sessions provide an opportunity to take the initial career exploration further. Potential directions can be investigated, new information reviewed and practical next steps developed.
Who Is It For?
This service may be particularly appropriate for graduates who are uncertain about their career direction and want psychometric assessment to form part of the process.
It provides a more comprehensive assessment and guidance process than coaching alone, without requiring the sustained six-month support of the Graduate Career Launch & Coaching Programme.
€795
Graduate Career Launch Coaching
Individual coaching for career decisions, transitions and professional goals
Where a graduate already has a reasonably clear understanding of what they want to work on, comprehensive psychometric assessment may not be necessary.
Graduate Career Launch Coaching provides structured one-to-one support for graduates who have a career decision, direction, transition or professional goal they want to work towards.
Coaching may focus on clarifying goals, comparing a smaller number of options, developing a career plan, researching opportunities, overcoming barriers, maintaining accountability or reviewing progress as actions are taken.
The coaching process is tailored to the individual rather than following a predetermined programme.
Three levels of support are available.
8-Session Coaching Programme
Extended coaching for career development and action
The 8-Session Coaching Programme provides the most extensive coaching-only option within Graduate Career Launch.
It is designed for graduates who already have some understanding of their career direction but want a sustained period of individual support as they develop their plans and begin taking action.
Eight sessions provide time to work beyond the initial career question. Goals can be clarified, actions agreed, progress reviewed and the approach adjusted as new information, challenges or opportunities emerge.
The programme can support work around career direction, progression, professional development, career transitions or other significant early-career goals.
What’s Included
Eight 50-minute one-to-one coaching sessions
Clarification of career or professional goals
Exploration of relevant options and decisions
Individual action planning
Structured work between sessions where appropriate
Regular review of progress
Support with obstacles or decisions that emerge
Ongoing accountability throughout the coaching process
Who Is It For?
This option may be particularly appropriate for graduates who already have a broad direction or career goal but want ongoing support to make progress towards it.
Unlike Graduate Career Development at the same €795 price point, this programme prioritises additional coaching time rather than psychometric assessment and career profiling.
€795
6-Session Coaching Programme
Structured coaching to develop direction and make progress
The 6-Session Coaching Programme provides a structured period of individual coaching for graduates who have identified an area of their career or professional development that they want to work on.
Six sessions provide enough time to move beyond an initial conversation, establish clear goals, take action between sessions and review progress over time.
Depending on the individual, coaching may involve working through a career decision, developing a plan for entering a particular profession or sector, considering progression opportunities, addressing barriers to action or creating greater structure around an existing career goal.
What’s Included
Six 50-minute one-to-one coaching sessions
Clarification of the issue or goal being addressed
Exploration of relevant options
Individual goal-setting and action planning
Practical work between sessions where appropriate
Review of progress and learning
Adjustment of goals and actions as the process develops
Who Is It For?
This programme may suit graduates who have some clarity about their direction but would benefit from a structured series of coaching sessions to turn that direction into action.
It provides greater continuity than the four-session programme while remaining a shorter intervention than the eight-session option.
€650
4-Session Coaching Programme
Focused coaching around a specific career question or goal
The 4-Session Coaching Programme provides focused one-to-one support for graduates who have a relatively specific career question, decision or professional goal.
It is designed for situations where the main issue has already been identified and the individual would benefit from structured coaching to explore it, make a decision or develop practical next steps.
This could include deciding between a small number of career options, planning a particular transition, exploring entry into a specific profession or sector, considering further study, or developing a plan around an existing professional goal.
What’s Included
Four 50-minute one-to-one coaching sessions
Clarification of the career question or professional goal
Focused exploration of relevant options
Individual action planning
Practical work between sessions where appropriate
Review of progress and next steps
Who Is It For?
This programme is best suited to graduates who already have reasonable clarity about their overall career direction and want focused support with a particular issue or goal.
Where there is substantial uncertainty about career direction, Graduate Career Development, which incorporates comprehensive psychometric assessment, may provide a more appropriate starting point.
€450
Which Service Is Most Appropriate?
The choice does not simply come down to the number of sessions. The more important consideration is what type of support is needed.
For graduates who are significantly uncertain about their career direction, Graduate Career Development — €795 provides an assessment-led process combining psychometric assessment, career guidance and follow-up coaching.
For graduates who already have a reasonably clear direction or professional goal, the 4-, 6- or 8-Session Coaching Programmes provide different levels of ongoing coaching support.
For graduates who want comprehensive psychometric assessment together with sustained career development and coaching over approximately six months, the Graduate Career Launch & Coaching Programme — €2,495 provides the highest level of support.
Where there is uncertainty about which service is most appropriate, Catalyst Careers can help identify the option that best matches the individual's current situation and the type of support required.
What Our Clients Say. . .
Not Sure Which Package Is Right for You?
If you are unsure whether 4, 6 or 8 sessions would be the best fit, get in touch and I can help you identify the most appropriate option.