Julie O'Connor
Julie is an experienced career guidance practitioner, working in this field since 1998; providing in-depth, practical and insightful advice, helping clients make the best decisions possible about their future career and/or education.
Contact UsJulie O’Connor has worked in education since 1994, with a degree in Geography (via Natural Science) from Trinity College Dublin 1993, as well as HDip in Education 1994. Julie continued her education, specialising in career guidance and counselling in 1998 after qualifying from U.C.C.. Since then Julie has worked as a Human Resource Specialist in Dell Computers, as an Adult Guidance Counsellor in PAUL Partnership and as a Career Guidance Counsellor in St. Clements College, Limerick. More recently providing Career Guidance Services to students of Limerick Tutorial College, along with developing her Private Practice.
Julie O’Connor initially set up Synergy Careers in 2015 and officially from 2020, providing a full-time Career Guidance Service having resigned from DES. The services provided range from
- career guidance consultations (either face-to-face or online),
- Hosting of career guidance weekly webinars for students, parents and guidance counsellors.
- Providing membership plans for individuals and schools to access webinar recordings and more.
- NEW in 2025, Julie published her first workbook with a unique step by step format to support preparation for careers exploration and 1-1 guidance meetings. It also provides active learning in career guidance with TY’s and senior cycle students.
- Providing online workshops for school communities, CPD to IGC branches and mentoring to Guidance Counsellors.
Julie O’Connor is a chartered member of the IGC Institute of Guidance Counsellors. She is listed on the professional register of private practitioners in Career Guidance in Ireland. Julie represented the Mid-west IGC Branch on the National Executive of the IGC from 2020 to 2024, with National PRO being one of her roles during this time. Other roles at branch level include Branch Chairperson, Branch Treasurer, UL Liaison Committee and Mid West Careers Exhibition organising team. In her time in National Executive Julie launched online support and networking forum for both Guidance Counsellors in Private Practice and those newly qualified. The IGC National Executive continued to support these groups inviting Synergy Careers to continue hosting them on behalf of the IGC.
Julie also has full registration on the British Psychological Society in Occupational and Ability Testing: qualified to administer occupational and ability tests. Julie is a registered teacher with the Teaching council of Ireland, and has up to date Garda Vetting certification.
In March 2026 Synergy Careers was listed on Irish Enterprise Awards as Most Trusted Career Guidance Consultants 2026, check out link for the list of awards https://www.eubusinessnews.com/hall-of-fame/irish-enterprise-awards-2026/. We have also been recently notified of 2026 HR & Employment Awards where we have been awarded Best Career Guidance Consultancy 2026 – Ireland.
In 2025 Julie was a finalist in the Network Ireland Limerick branch for Solo Business Woman of the Year and also. In March 2024 Synergy Careers was awarded an EU Irish Enterprise award for the Best Career Guidance Services 2024.
My Values
My vision is to enable clients to gain greater clarity, better self-awareness and feel confident and assured that they are making well informed critical decisions on their future. I also value the inclusion of parents/3rd party in the process of career guidance to help support a client on their future journey.
This value initiated the start of the Synergy Careers Webinar Series in 2020 and fueled its continuation through to today. The webinars provide an opportunity for all invested in the career decisions of our young adults to be as well-informed and up to date supports in careers exploration.
In 2021 we launched our Synergy Careers website to provide access to webinar recordings and resources along with booking facilities to services. A big revamp in 2025 improved user access to career information and webinars via their membership plans.
The launch in 2025 of our Synergy Careers Webinar Series Workbook aims to solidify a student’s careers exploration journey through reflective exercises and more, working in conjunction with the webinars encouraging active learning and engagement. This work book provides a structured 12 step programme in careers exploration enabling students to be prepared for their 1-1 careers guidance meeting. This in turn gives a structured process for Guidance Counsellors when meeting students.
As a Career Guidance counsellor, I have the qualifications, experience, skillset, knowledge and desire to make a difference. I want to make that difference by guiding, supporting and motivating my clients to discover the best-fit careers/course to match their interests, aptitudes, abilities, values, beliefs and personality.
With such varied ways of gaining qualifications there is an education path to suit all types of learners and a career to suit everyone.