Vijay Garg
Career Guidance is a counselling program that helps students choose the right career path based on their educational and professional choices. A qualitative and quantitative assessment of the student's knowledge, skills, information, and experience identifies which career options are available.
There is a lack of awareness and information about the various career options available for students after passing out of school in India. There is no culture of visiting a career counsellor in India.
Recent surveys say that 93 per cent of the students were aware of less than ten career options, mainly the basic ones like engineering, medicine, law, finance, IT, etc. In contrast, there are more than 600 career options available today. Therefore., the awareness levels of all the available career options for a student need to be increased.
Having discussed that, why do we need Career guidance programs?
We have been taking suggestions from Elders, Peers and Parents for a long time. Everyone has a different opinion on what they should pursue and while that is not entirely wrong, the decision might not be as suitable always. To avoid that one must attend a career guidance program or set up an appointment one on one with the counsellor.
How does it work?
Career guidance typically begins with an assessment of an individual's skills, interests, and strengths. This information is then used to identify potential career paths that may be a good fit. A career counsellor or advisor may provide information about various occupations, such as job requirements, growth potential, and earning potential. They may also help individuals explore education and training options, such as college or vocational programs, and offer advice on how to gain relevant work experience.
Benefits of Career Guidance
Career guidance can be beneficial in many ways, including:
Identifying suitable careers: Career guidance can help individuals identify careers that match their skills, interests, and personality traits. This process can help people make informed decisions about their career paths.
Making informed career choices: Career guidance can provide individuals with accurate and up-to-date information about different career options, job market trends, and educational requirements. This information can help individuals make informed decisions about their career choices. Developing career goals: Career guidance can help individuals develop clear and achievable career goals. This process can help people stay focused and motivated as they work towards their career objectives.
Enhancing employability: Career guidance can help individuals develop the skills, knowledge, and experience needed to succeed in their chosen careers. This process can involve training, education, and work experience opportunities.
Overcoming career obstacles: Career guidance can help individuals overcome career-related barriers such as unemployment, job dissatisfaction, or lack of career advancement opportunities. This process can involve identifying alternative career paths or developing strategies to overcome obstacles.
Improving job satisfaction: Career guidance can help individuals find fulfilling and meaningful careers that match their personal values and interests. This process can lead to increased job satisfaction and overall life satisfaction. Now that we have looked at the benefits and elements of the Career Guidance Programs, let’s take a look at who can benefit from them.
Students: The students appearing for the 10th and 12th boards need to know how many fields they can choose from.
Job seekers: Individuals who have completed their education need to know more about the areas they can work in from the stream that they have selected.
People who need to change careers: People who are looking for a career change can refer to many different opportunities with the help of career guidance programs.
People who have lost their jobs: Career guidance programs can help people who have lost their jobs to map what to do next and assess their financial situation.
10 Reasons why Career Guidance is Important for Students
Educators in India are extensively working towards achieving improvements in the educational sector. Career counsellors are among those who groom younger minds in a suitable direction. When schools, institutes, or even parents lack to offer proper guidance to the students, career counsellors come into action. It is the utmost account of the counsellor to show and be aware of all the career paths available to the ones in need.
Updated on all the career paths
Counselling
Based on the research, expertise level, and knowledge, career counsellors assist students in understanding job opportunities and market scenarios. They are the right people to explore and ask for a desired new but appropriate career path.
Career counsellors let people make informed decisions with practical guidance and thorough research. They make students updated with all the leading platforms and current requirements in the market. For example, many students are unaware of ethical hacking, astrophysics, sports psychology, etc. They can seek help from them when they are in a dilemma about selecting their career fields. These counsellors can introduce students to all the effective alternatives present in the market.
Adhere broad perspective to explore career skills:
In the developing world of technology, the training sector encompasses tools that can give measurable and defined outcomes. Additionally, counsellors execute innovative technological tools like character tests, aptitude tests, personality tests, and others that have proven helpful in setting keen choices.
Career counsellors use psychometric tests to assess students' interests, personalities, aptitudes, and capacities. This helps them understand the latent abilities from an expert perspective and empowers them to filter the most relevant job according to their assessment reports.
Gives a clear career road-map:
career
Career counsellors drive students towards the right path by characterising a clear road map. A good career map helps students be on track and accomplish beneficial outcomes.
career growth
Parents often assume that they know the best for their children and subsequently make career choices depending on that. The children sometimes feel suffocated and carry on with their entire life battling at specific employment they had never wanted. These circumstances lead to clashes between parents and the child and make career planning significantly more troublesome. Career counsellors respect and comprehend the children's and parents' perspectives and, accordingly, recommend an ideal middle path. They try to be fair and deliver a balanced opinion by making both parties understand the details of career options.
Helps in growing connections with domain experts:
A career counsellor is someone whose profile causes them to associate with numerous industry specialists. In this way, they are not a solitary element but a gateway to getting to know a broader network. Along these lines, regardless of whether the students have effectively decided on their job destinations, talking with career counsellors can open up new channels and opportunities. Career counsellors are the stepping stones to an influential career. With their help, students can think about the services to find the most significant career path. They persuade the students to consider informative and available routes.
Much significant part of everyone's life today:
Career guidance is a more significant and prominent part of our lives today, and any decision taken regarding career planning must be done with utmost care and attention. With enormous certifications, courses, job opportunities, and colleges available, choosing the right career path might become chaotic for students.
Allows to embrace a respectful lifestyle:
A good career choice can land you a great career opportunity and allow students to adhere to a respectful and satisfactory lifestyle. Moreover, the desired career path engages students making them more confident, informed, and dedicated. Hence, the significance of career counselling and guidance cannot be ruled out.
Makes an informed decision regarding the career progressions:
India is a developing country, and its strengths lie in the minds of young students. They must understand the significance of career guidance to make an informed decision regarding their progressions in their career.
Career guidance lets students explore various career options:
professionals exploring various career options, analysing career prospects, and understanding more about the opportunities and earning potential. The method also includes an all-inclusive career assessment test that evaluates the student's strengths, interests, personality traits, aptitude, capabilities, and weaknesses.
Gives the proper knowledge and approach to the prospects and trends of different career clusters:
Career counselling is still not the preferred choice for parents and students alike. Sheer lack of understanding and awareness of the benefits and importance of career counselling is one of the main reasons career counselling is not the initial choice for both parents and students. The right career path starts with the proper knowledge and approach to different career clusters' prospects and trends.
—The Hawk Features