CAREER COUNSELLING- IS IT A NECESSITY OR AN OPTION?

Part 1:

The Oxford Dictionary’s meaning of the word Counselling is ‘the provision of professional assistance and guidance in resolving personal or psychological problems’. This concept of professional assistance and guidance can also be used for the choice of careers, educational decisions, admission formalities, and many more. Career counseling in short is the professional assistance and guidance provided for the choice of courses, careers, preferred institutions in India and abroad etc., It encompasses issues related to an individual’s professional life in the future. According to research, one-third of our lives, or close to 90000 hours are spent at work. Hence choosing a career that aligns with our interests, passion, and skill set would be ideal. But does this always happen?

With a huge amount of information and availability of choices in courses and careers, one is drawn in many directions and may lose sight of his innate interests and aptitude. Basing job decisions on good pay, accompanying lifestyle, and popular and trending courses can be lopsided. Can this be avoided?

To choose a course or career that resonates with our values, interests, passion, and aptitude as well as to avoid falling into the trap of popular and trending careers, it is crucial and helpful to seek professional guidance. Primarily, professional guidance decisions are made after carefully evaluating various aspects of an individual’s personality through scientific assessments and tests in conjunction with a discussion with the counsellor. Suggestions regarding courses or careers are discussed taking into account a wide number of factors like interests, hobbies, and events leading to choosing a particular career, etc., Post the pandemic quite a number of students report having lost interest not only in studies but also in pursuing extracurriculars that they were involved in earlier. This is due to a lack of social interaction, changes in lifestyle, reduced outdoor activities, etc., during the pandemic and later. Hence it is important to be patient and help students explore their interests again. Motivation plays a significant role in achieving good results. Regular interaction with the counsellor involving motivational talks, patient listening, and being non-judgmental and unbiased can help students to understand themselves better, develop focus, and create goals for the future. The importance of goal setting and creating a roadmap to achieve the same is highlighted by the counsellor. The students feel motivated to follow a path that is etched out in front of them.

Career counseling per se has been around for a long time. It started becoming more relevant when slowly and steadily the number of courses and career options started increasing. For example, Computer science caught on during the 1980s and 90s. Computers and their applications have surpassed human imagination and continue to grow to date. Choices regarding computer science-based career options are plenty and growing. Add to this the addition of many more courses and specializations in fields of science, math, arts, design, etc., it was tough to make a choice. Now students and parents have the options of not only traditional careers such as Medicine, Engineering, and Law to name a few but also Culinary Arts, Sports analysis, Data science, Data analysis, Tea taster, Wine sommelier, Digital marketing, and many more.

A few years ago, options with regards to careers were limited viz, Medicine, Engineering, Law, Banking, government jobs, etc., On a lighter note, it can be likened to a plate with limited, simple yet tasty options. Enter the Buffet with exotic options, one better than the other in taste, texture, and satisfaction and people were stumped for choice. You CAN’T eat everything! But letting go of a food item does not impact your life! Not researching careers that may be of interest and in demand may lead to common or safe choices leading to a compromised professional and personal life. Options in careers have seen a tenfold increase in the last decade. Apart from the traditional careers, courses such as Baking, Culinary Arts, Wine Sommelier, Gastronomical tourism to name a few in the Hospitality sector are trending as there is an increase in Gastronomy and Wine tourism. Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning, and Data Analysis are emerging careers in the digital world, as well also Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, and Biomedicine courses in the medical related fields. Awareness of the upcoming careers and matching it with one’s aptitude, interest, and personality would open the windows of new opportunities. The world has become a smaller place thanks to technology. To connect and create at a global level calls for upgrades and expertise in the fields of Technology, Personality Development, Soft Skills, etc.,

Offbeat careers like Pet Grooming, Tea tasting, and Photography to name a few as well as Blogging with good content such as Cooking, Health and Fitness, Travel, Food curators, etc., help one to pursue their passion and also earn well. However, these careers also require a great amount of discipline, hard work, time, and energy as in traditional careers. As they are not common extra efforts have to be taken to network and build the customer base.

Now the big question arises! Is this for everyone? Can everyone who chooses to, become a data analyst, a culinary expert, a lawyer, dancer, performer, or an investment banker since a career is in Vogue? This is far from the truth!

Each one of us is Unique. We have unique fingerprints and a unique personality that is a blend of our heredity as well as our environment and experiences. Most important and relevant for a career choice is self-awareness of one’s Aptitude, Interests, and Personality. Overlooking these important aspects of an individual can lead to choices that are not well-informed or not in alignment with one’s future goals.

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