Get Career Fit with Mary Cronin

By Zara Hill

Mary Cronin of Career Fit

Whether you wish to start your career, return to work following a career break or even change your career path, new local business CareerFIT offers a range of consultations and workshops specifically designed to guide you toward a more fulfilling and rewarding career. Based at the Ballinasloe Enterprise Centre as well as locations in Athlone and Roscommon, CareerFIT hopes to generate employment in the local area through the promotion of lifelong learning and career advice consultations.

Having taken a career break to travel across the United States and the UK for many years, Cork native and CareerFIT founder, Mary Cronin decided to return to Ireland and settle here in the midlands in 2008. Realising her own situation – wishing to return to work following her career break - and acknowledging the changing world we live in, where jobs for life are now a thing of the past, Mary quickly saw a need for adult career services in the area and with the support of her family CareerFIT was born in 2015. Graduating from the University of Derby with a first class honours degree in Psychology, as well as a Post Graduate Diploma in Adult Guidance and Counselling from the National University of Ireland Maynooth, 

Mary felt that while there are some career supports out there for adults, few supports are designed to meet individual needs. ‘’My main motivation for setting up my own careers counselling practice was that it would enable me to work with each individual to find a solution that is best for them’’ explained Mary. Seeing great potential in Ballinasloe, Mary recently decided to establish CareerFIT in the Enterprise Centre. ‘’I felt that many people here and in the surrounding areas would benefit from the services we provide’’ remarked Mary. Like many towns across Ireland, Ballinasloe has been affected by the most recent economic recession in terms of unemployment and according to career expert Mary, ‘’the psychological impact still lingers and inhibits people from moving forward in their careers’’. She added ‘’people are still being cautious when making career choices. There is a sense that we should be grateful for any job and job security. Security is valued and change is feared’’. 

Mary acknowledges the challenges faced by those who wish to return to work following a career break. ‘’People often feel they have lost their skills or that they can no longer identify with the ‘’working person’’ image. There is also a loss of confidence and selfesteem’’, added Mrs. Cronin who believes CareerFIT can offer adults much-needed support in these difficult situations. Mary encourages adults in the locality to avail of the great services provided by CareerFIT, suggesting that the benefits are significant and can improve many aspects of life. ‘’Most people will work for about 50 years of their lives, so it is important to be happy in what you do. If not, it will impact negatively on other areas of life such as relationships and personal interests’’. 

The core services offered by CareerFIT include: Career Consultation, CV and Interview Preparation and After Support. Mary hopes to build up a client base in Ballinasloe over the coming year and looks forward to her workshops that are coming up in September. To avail of the services provided by Career FIT, contact Mary on 086 3701791 or email, [email protected]. For more information, visit her newly launched website, www.career-fit.ie. 

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