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Career Counselling
has always been important in one’s life but only recently, got the recognition
it deserves. Earlier, if I talk about 10-15 years back, people went for career
counseling, for a change in careers, only after they got a job and were unhappy
with it. Now, people recognize that this isn’t ideal. The point to be noted is that
why people change careers.
It doesn’t take me
thinking long why anyone who has chosen a career actually never wanted to. Such a decision usually starts budding right from school. Many students make career
choices based on the choice of career made by their parents and friends. The
child at that time comes under influence making a wrong choice perhaps… ultimately
understanding at a later stage that why it happened.
Picking a career
usually, comes after picking a course. If a student doesn’t pick the right
course, it would inadvertently affect their career choice. According to a recent study, it has been found that 1 in 3
students are unhappy with the course that they have picked up. That estimates
to nearly half a million (5lakh) dissatisfied university students! Such figures
only point to one clear truth - The importance of career guidance in schools.
To find the right
career, there needs to be a clear and transparent match between the selected
course, capability of the child and his/her interests. For example, A student
might want to get into Hotel Management thinking he’s good at cooking food and
that serving with hospitality isn’t that difficult at all. In reality, there is
much more in hotel management than that and there is a high possibility of him
wanting to pursue another career at the end of the first year itself.
Career counseling in
schools at the right stage ensures the right kind of help to overcome such
thinking and stop students from making such mistakes. Many students take a
psychometric test in order to avoid making mistakes and their efforts are
commendable, although the results of the test might leave them more confused
than before. Why? The psychometric test basically outlines the strengths and
weaknesses of students and highlights their aptitudes and interests. The catch
is, their aptitudes and interests don’t necessary have to match. Meaning, they can
be good at Math but have an interest in Arts. So which career option do they
pick?
An established
career counselor will firstly, be able to explain the entire report, tell them
the perks and disadvantages of pursuing both their interests and aptitudes, and
give them the clarity and understanding to make the right decisions. This is
much needed, especially, when students are prone to taking advice from
inexperienced sources.
Students tend to
take advice from anyone they think has an experience. But it may not always be
right or let alone be the best one. The path followed by their seemingly
successful peers might not help them to reach the same destination, their ideal
adults at home must have gone through failures themselves due to one or other
reason and their parents might be unaware of the latest industry demands. To
make sure that students have clarity of thought, career counselors must be made
available for students at all times while they are in high school to receive
the right and latest advice.
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Although CBSE has
made it compulsory for schools to have counsellors, there still needs to be a
distinction made as to what kind of counselors are required. Many of the
counselors already present are life skill counselors and although life skills
are important, the number of college advisors (counselors) are low. Ultimately,
college advisors are what students need most to be successful. To highlight,
the urgent requirement for career counselors recent stats show a whopping 92%
of students who don’t get any career-related guidance from their schools.
Decisions made in
High School often make or break a student’s career. Experienced career
counselors are trained to understand students thinking and their potential.
Once a student’s potential is understood, the counselor is able to guide the
student to the best career suitable to him/her and help them make the decisions
that ensure career success.
Students want to be
successful and they don’t mind getting help. They may feel shy at first or
think it’s weak to take help, but it is our responsibility to help them build
strong careers. Having them counselled at this delicate stage of life is our
responsibility and we can do that only by getting them a “PROFESSIONAL CAREER
COUNSELLOR” who gives a clear picture of pros and cons and the kind of life
child might want at a later stage.
Compiled by:
Pratyush Ramdewar
MBA, Panjab University
HR & Marketing (Dual Specialisation)
14 years experience in Education Sector
Recognised at National and International Level