An Over View of Career Guidance and Counselling

CAREER GUIDANCE TODAY helps people to understand their ambitions, interests, qualifications, abilities, the jobs market and education systems, and to relate this to what they know about themselves.

Comprehensive career guidance and mentoring tries to teach people to plan and make decisions about work and learning. It facilitates individuals to acquire the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary to identify options, explore alternatives and succeed in society.

It is a comprehensive, developmental process to assist individuals in making and implementing informed educational and occupational choices. It recognizes an individual's Competencies in self-knowledge, educational and occupational exploration, and career planning.

In its contemporary forms, career guidance draws upon a number of disciplines: psychology; education; sociology; and employments economics. In face of the unprecedented pace of changes worldwide with the advent of information technology and explosive growth of knowledge, career guidance approach aims to develop candidate’s knowledge, adaptability, creativity, independent thinking and life-long learning capabilities so that they can be better prepared to make informed and responsible choices and thus be able to make the best of the opportunities ahead.

Career Counselling & Guidance: The Methodology

The methodology includes systematic and scientific study and understanding of the candidate through psychometric tests, interviews and discussions on the life goal and guidance to prepare individuals for the changing dynamics of the 21st century by facilitating them to understand that career is not the same as job but

It is why they select it and it is not what they select.

It is vocation that gives identity, a direction.

It is a career which ensures enjoyment of work whole life.

It is an enjoyment of work which leads automatically to good earnings and satisfaction.

Creating interest and inner motivation in the student is half done job. If the child develops a curious mind, explores the subject out of genuine interest, he does not have to be guided more There is a thin dividing line between motivating a student and pressurizing him. Good intentions are not enough to bring up a competent child in 21st century, but needed to be supplemented with proper technique and direction.

The most important questions generally come from students, “Why should they study at all or a specific subject?”. That is why if a student develops, exploratory nature, every subject and every topic will be and adventure. Made to make them understand that there is no subject or topic that will not be useful in the life regardless of what career they eventually choose. The world is changing very fast and to keep ahead, one shall be able to adapt to any change that comes the way. This is possible when one is able to give strong foundations in all subjects. No wonder, liberal Arts, Liberal science and Liberal Engineering are becoming demanding subjects these days. Specially in case student is looking to go to western and USA, one cannot restrict to the only subjects which interest the student.

Best way to handle this is to tell the student to list all the subjects studying, and write down the uses in day to day lie and also how each subject can help the student in later for life in general and in the career of student

Facilitating student for realistic goal setting is most important to be successful in career. Most of the student who when ask their ambition in life, gives such a reply

“I want to be CEO of company of an MNC”

“I want to make lot of money”

These are aspirations without knowing the way forward to reach there. There is nothing wrong in having such dreams but can everyone be there. The difference lies those goals has to be specific both in terms of definition as well as in terms of methodology of reaching there.

One shall know weaknesses and strength and which of them are permanent and which are changeable. Tendulkar knows his strength in Kinesthetic Intelligence and worked on to excel in that. What if we he has chosen medicine. If some one wants to a pilot, he shall have stamina, perseverance, good eyesight, concentration power.

Even if someone has unusual goal, it ensured that it is backed up with sufficient awareness and evaluated the why he feels that he is likely to be successful and happy in it.

It is proven that those who have specific goals scores better in the examinations. Learning skills and information shall give student competitive edge over others in profession.

Conclusion

First activity shall be to make students and parents to understand that “There is no “Right” or “Wrong” careers”. What is more important is “Why” they choose the career,

It should suit them, their interest and their skills

It should not be based on what everyone else is doing

It should not be selected because it offers the best “scope” or jobs at present

It is to be understood that though academic qualifications are very important in the life, they slowly yielding to the more important factors of skills and abilities. The other intelligences are

equal useful and can be means of lucrative careers. If one does not have high IQ and struggling with academics, one can focus on building EQ i.e. Emotional Intelligence which means self-awareness, Self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skills. Cognitive intelligence has taken a second place.

To be an efficient counselor is a long process which requires continuous learning by interacting with candidates with different concerns. Counsellor needs to read a lot to keep on gaining holistic knowledge on various careers and subjects and changes in the economic scenarios.

Take away from the guidance shall lead to

“Joy for those who study”,

“Joy for those who teach and mentor”, and

“Joy for those who guide”

A responsibility of the teacher /counselor/ parents do not stop at imparting knowledge of the subject and getting admission in the good school but they can enjoy journey with the student and can learn and grow in the process.