HOW CAN YOU PREVENT MAKING THE WRONG CAREER CHOICE?

Part 2:

Few of the reasons for wrong career choices are:

Illustrious vs Practical — By focusing on jobs that are considered illustrious such as Doctors, Engineers, Lawyers, etc., parents overlook the child’s inborn skills and aptitude. They fail to see the practical demands of these jobs. According to research, approximately only 7% of MBAs are employed out of around 3,00,000 students as they lack the requisite skills of the degree. Similarly for doctors and engineers. Only a minuscule percentage of graduates possess the skills required for their profession. This simply means that only if a child has the aptitude, interest or skill of the chosen profession he will have a successful professional and personal life

Lack of awareness of career choices — Over 93 percent of Indian students and millennials between 17 and 21 years of age know about only seven career options in India. A survey by Mindler, an online career guidance, and counseling organization reveals that educational institutions and employers in India have as many as 250 career options on offer at any time. On a larger scale, a US survey puts forth more than 70,000 career options available. This ignorance about other careers primarily is the direct result of a lack of career counseling.

External pressure — Choosing a career due to external pressures such as family or friends’ suggestions or insistence. Facing neighbours who may look down upon certain careers simply because they haven’t heard about it, or coercing your child into a specific course because as a parent you feel it’s better for your child or is a safer option would lead to disinterest and disengagement in their academic and professional life. This in turn impacts their personal life

Misaligned Interests and Aptitude — World Cup matches, Olympics, and popular programs see a surge in the number of children and teens wanting to be a cricketer, football player, gymnast, pop singer, or be a part of anything that is trending. Interests, unlike aptitudes, change over a period of time with exposure to more information and experiences. There are chances of losing interest altogether in something that one would have been overly passionate about at one point in time. To base a course or career choice on a brief phase of enthusiasm would be damaging to the individual’s confidence in the long run as they may not have the aptitude or skills to match their choice. Self-awareness is crucial to making the right choices

Few outcomes of wrong career choices:

Unemployment — As mentioned earlier the number of graduates being successfully placed is miniscule compared to the total number of graduates due to lack of requisite skills.

Financial crisis- During the financial year 2018–2019, nine percent of education loans given by nationalized banks in India became Non-Performing Assets (NPAs), according to the Indian government. The default was higher on education loans taken for Nursing, Engineering, and Medicine as compared to other careers. This in turn ruins their credit score, which is now a decisive factor for getting housing and other loans in the future.

Psychological disorders — Unemployment or working in a field not connected to your degree out of desperation, leads to severe anxiety, panic attacks, and insomnia to name a few. Wrong career choices also lead to an increase in the suicide rate.

Is there a solution to this?

YES. Career counseling is a process, a journey. Starting early in middle school or high school helps to understand the child’s interests, aptitudes, learning styles, dreams, and goals. A roadmap helps to clearly understand the steps needed to achieve the goals. A collaborative team of parents, students, and a counsellor who is equipped with a good amount of information helps to make the right choices. Choices are not made in isolation but based on scientifically created test reports and in-depth discussions with the child and parents.

Career counseling is much more than only helping to decide the course and careers. A student’s learning style, an understanding of the Multiple intelligences, and Personality all help to understand the child better thereby aligning the academic goals with future goals. A student with a well-rounded personality focuses not only on academics but also on their soft skills, personality development, extracurricular activities, etc. The 21st Century skills as per the NEP 2020 are Leadership, Innovation, Teamwork, Creativity, Collaboration, Problem-solving, as some of the in-demand skills. The earlier the students are made aware of these and start working on them will go a long way in boosting their confidence levels. Voluntary work has now become an important part of a candidate’s resume not only for admission to premier institutions but also to stand apart from other job applications

Number of students securing 90–95 % in 10th and 12th grade has seen phenomenal growth in the last decade. Marks are now only eliminators. Applications that have more than academics stand out from others. A career counselor suggests activities in alignment with the student’s goals thereby increasing the chances of admission to premier institutions in India and abroad. In short, a student’s profile is important during applications for admissions and scholarships.

It can sometimes be overwhelming to figure out what course to begin with as most of them look interesting. At such times an understanding of our interests and aptitudes as well as other aspects of personality suitable to a particular course and career can help us make a well-informed decision.

Some of the important steps for a successful professional life include Self-awareness, researching options, career planning, experiential learning, and networking

True guidance is like a small torch in a dark forest. It doesn’t show everything at once but gives enough light for the next step to be safe. — Swami Vivekanand

HAPPY PEOPLE MAKE HAPPY SOCIETIES, WHICH MAKE HAPPY NATIONS AND FINALLY A HAPPY WORLD!!

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