He got a job in fire safety in an engineering firm, working with architects on life safety and property protection.

"My career was taking flight. I had a secure job with a successful firm and had bought my own house. On the face of it, there was no reason to change.”

In 2006 Paudie O'Neill got engaged. Now aged twenty-nine, he was looking ahead.

“It dawned on me that I had one last chance to take a risk. My responsibilities were mounting up and soon I wouldn’t have the option to make a move.”

He decided the time was right for him to make the big switch - to teaching. In due course he took the plunge and began the 18-month online teacher training course at Hibernia College.

It wasn’t an easy option but he was “very determined”. On top of a full-time job, Paudie spent an average of 25 hours a week in online tutorials, face-to-face sessions and seminars.

Paudie is currently in the midst of teaching practice.

“It’s not the teaching itself that’s so pressured, it’s the preparation. We have to submit a detailed lesson plan to Hibernia before every class, so sometimes I’m up half the night trying to get it right.”

Once he gets into school, however, Paudie is in his element.

“I’m teaching children of all ages and I’m learning as much from them as they are from me. The little ones are a challenge – you have to work very hard to teach them the smallest thing. The older ones are different. They’re easier to work with on some levels, but they’re practically teenagers, and that presents its own challenges.

Paudie is a fan of Hibernia College.

“Hibernia, for the first time, is bringing different kinds of people into teaching. A 21-year-old from a college of education has a lot to offer.

“But a 31-year-old with an engineering degree and six years of hard work in the private sector has something to bring to the table too.” (Source: Irish Times)

Read complete article in The Irish Times