Choosing a profession for the remainder of our lives can be intimidating. Due to insufficient knowledge and understanding of one’s talents and capabilities, making the right choice is more difficult for students. Making a wrong choice could lead to anxiety and frustration with their work or course. What’s required in this type of situation is an expert’s view. This is the point where career counselling enters the picture.
Career counselling involves talking to an expert to understand better which courses to choose and the option to pursue. The expert, in this case, is an expert who takes into consideration the person’s strengths and goals to offer advice. Career counselling can be accessed at any point in life. But, students nearing the end of their schooling, in the 10th and 12th grades, are likely to benefit greatly. A large portion of the challenges and doubts people face regarding their careers are eliminated by career counselling.
What exactly is career counselling?
Career Counselling is related to issues in the workplace. Because counselling is more than consultancy, it can address many issues that professionals or students might encounter. A professional career counsellor not only helps find the most suitable job but also assists with problems with personality, such as insufficient confidence, poor time management, poor concentration, etc. They aid professionals and students in discovering their weaknesses, directing their thoughts, and selecting the most appropriate field based on their talents and interests, which results in higher productivity.
Essential Elements for a Result-oriented Career Counselling
1. A qualified professional career counsellor
A qualified career counsellor is a person who starts the role. Therefore they should be experienced and hold an advanced degree in Psychology or Applied Psychology or a related qualification in the field of counselling psychology. They must also be a competent career coach with a sufficient understanding of various areas. Career counsellors are at the heart of counselling.
Therefore, they must be attentive listeners, sharp observers, and alert to behaviour patterns.
2. Secure environment for privacy and trust
A counselling session with an idol requires creating a safe space where parents and students can discuss their concerns without fear. Counsellor-client relationships are very personal. The counselee is intimate, which is why it is essential to protect students’ information. Trusting the counsellor is a standard process of counselling. Counsellors must be able to manage that trust.
3. Psychometric assessments
Psychometric Testing or assessment is a way to assess your career. It evaluates an individual’s suitability for a job based on their characteristics and skills. Relevant psychometrics tests constitute the scientific basis of career counselling for students.
The benefits of Career Counselling
In the current era of a skills-based economy, the areas of study are expanding to meet the needs of micro-levels of the industries. It is common for students to need clarification about their choices for a career. A successful career path typically includes potential for advancement and the desire and capabilities of students who wish to pursue the career. Counselling could help you decide on a career path that is profitable and exciting while also being enjoyable. These points highlight the significance of career counselling.
1. It helps you identify your interests, values as well as your personality and abilities
Career counsellors aren’t simply experts who are knowledgeable about various fields to advise you on how to select a specific one with greater career possibilities. Instead, they will begin with your personality, discuss your interests, and look into your abilities and passions. If your values do not permit killing animals for their skins or food, they’ll not consider the leather or non-vegetarian food industry a possible career path. They assist you in figuring out how to channel your thoughts and help you make an informed decision about your career.
2. Know the job market
Career counsellors are specialists in working in the market for jobs and know the intricacies of the job market. They are aware of the kind of candidates different industries need. Hospitality, for example, demands certain types of workers than construction. Web designers need to be more suited for web development, and the list continues. They provide insight into what customers expect from you, how ambiguous it is and what is required to stay ahead of the curve.
3. Make an educated career choice.
Career counselling assists you in defining your interests, values, and talents in your personal life and helps you better understand the market for jobs. Thus, it seeks to find an equilibrium between two components of a fulfilling career, i.e., your passion and the field appropriate to your talents. It will help to make an educated and informed career choice.
4. Information on how to research the careers that interest you.
After you have made an informed choice based on your talents and interests, the career counsellor will help you discover ways to keep on top of your game and further increase your passion. It enables you to find career paths related to the areas you are interested in. Career counsellors provide appropriate guidance based on your preferences in various regions. For example, you could be interested in outdoor activities, entertainment, and entrepreneurship in general. Counselling will help you investigate these areas to choose a career in content that aligns with your interests and your professional goals.
5. Determine the knowledge and training you need to succeed in your career
A good career counsellor does not leave you stuck at the mid-point. Counsellors assist you in the next step, which is choosing the necessary education pathway and the pieces of education required to succeed in your career.
6. Career counselling is a fantastic opportunity to get a sense of your options.
Career counselling will help you identify all possible choices that match your interests and abilities, prior education, and growth in your career. It evaluates your possible job from its own and market perspectives and identifies all the reasonable possibilities. Students often need clarification about their goals and capabilities and an accurate vision of the future. Counselling can help you identify the areas that interest you and the related professions. It will help you focus on the many possible and accessible possibilities you may not have considered.
Who needs career counselling?
The following individuals are recommended for career counselling:
- Every student should get guidance in their career at one time or another. While the best time to do it is a matter of opinion for individuals, the student should look into it before entering the 9th or 11th grade class. At this period (education in terms of age), students go through various physical and emotional shifts.
- The 9th standard allows students to choose between three significant streams (Arts, Commerce, and Science). The 11th standard is the one that defines the next area of research. Most students select one specific stream, which will be the only one at a later point that they can identify as inappropriate. It can become stressful for students. Therefore, they need to move in the right direction from the beginning.
- According to research (titled ‘ The Value of Education Learning for the Rest of Your Life’) by HSBC Retail Banking and Wealth Management, 51 per cent of Indian parents are concerned about their children’s financial well-being when trying to get their children educated. Therefore, it is safe to claim that these parents require counselling for their children.
- Career counselling can be beneficial for students in college who need help figuring out what they should do regarding their career path and who are unsure about the difference between higher studies and jobs.
- It’s also beneficial for professionals looking to make an opportunity to change careers. They should seek career advice if they wish to move from their current field into something they are passionate about.
Conclusion
Most people spend the majority of their lives at work. A person, throughout his entire life, works 90,000 hours working. However, the research suggests that only some professionals are satisfied with their work. It’s because they have not looked at their career goals before finding a home. People who have gone through an individual career counselling session early in their lives are more forward-thinking and happy in their professions.
Professionals and students should seek career guidance whenever they face significant life events. Students should seek advice from an advisor when selecting their career paths (class 9th and 11th), and professionals should consult them when they want to change careers or make a significant life transition. It is always best to make an educated choice instead of wasting your precious time and energy on something you’re not suited to.