Opinion | Get the Right Guidance to Leap Through Your Career (PART-1)

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. (To be continued)

– The writer can be reached at vkmalout@gmail.com