Career guidance and counseling for students

Introduction

A career is an occupation or a profession that a person takes up for most part of adult life which provides him/her opportunities to grow professionally, financially and contribute meaningfully to the chosen occupation. It is different from a job. While a job satisfies a person’s financial needs, a career, along with financial rewards also offers pathways to progressively learn, grow and contribute meaningfully in a particular field.

Benefits of building a career

Creates your unique identity and value in society
Career can determine your confidence and well being in life
It satisfies your pursuit of knowledge, skill development and achievement
Earns you respect and dignity in family & society
Expands your social network and professional circle
Stable source of income and livelihood

What is career guidance?

Career guidance is informed advice and counsel provided by a trained professional to identify your natural inclinations and personality traits so that you can make smart choices with regard to the educational or professional field you may want to pursue.

What is career counseling for students?

Career counseling for students primarily focuses on helping a student gain exposure and understanding to various career possibilities, choose options that are suitable for him/her and make right subject choices during high school and college years so as to get into the best institutes for graduation. It also involves guidance on professional exams and renowned institutions which offer market valued degree programs, industries that offer employment opportunities and skills and qualification required for pursuing particular fields of profession.

Why is career guidance and counseling important for high school students?

High school years necessitate a student to make subject choices and plan for future degree programs. Students will be better able to carve a career path for themselves when choices are made based on a scientific understanding of one’s own interest, strengths and weaknesses and employment opportunities in the real world. Thus good career guidance gives students an edge and assurance to move ahead with confidence.

Benefits of career guidance and counseling

Identify one's natural inclinations – We are all blessed with different gifts. Some are good at numbers and logic, others are good at oratory and making strong arguments and still others are good at art and creativity. Also each profession exploits a particular personality trait. For example, an extrovert might naturally suit the field of marketing or management while introverts may be more suitable for research or writing. Professional degree and training can only hone a naturally existing inclination. Thus making educational and professional choices based on one's natural cognitive orientation and personality trait can increase chances of success in a particular field. Further a profession becomes personally satisfying when it is in alignment with one's natural inclination.
Identify industries that provide rewarding employment – Our inborn inclinations may serve many different fields. For example, a creative person may be suitable for fields such as fine arts, performing arts, photography, graphic designing, web designing or architecture. However, not all fields or industries pay equally well. Under given economic conditions, certain industries are thriving better than others. A seasoned career counselor can help a student not only identify his/her areas of strength but also plan on choosing an industry where a fetching career can be started.
Develop goals and mitigate obstacles – Career guidance can help you build definitive short term and long term goals you want to achieve. Directed efforts towards a goal create synergy that will propel you towards success. Also when you have a goal at hand you can calculate the risks and obstacles that may come in the way, thus providing you an opportunity to create a plan ‘B’ While having a goal is great, your plan must also have enough flexibility to switch between options. A career guide can help you understand all options that lie within your suitable career clusters and allied fields that you can aim at, thereby opening up multiple doors for you.
Making informed decisions as a family – In an Indian context, parents are generally involved in educational and career choices of students. Sometimes they might not agree with each other's opinion. Each one feels that they know the best. In many cases parents end up making the choice and students have to bear the consequences of such choice all their life. Career guidance helps you make use of scientific assessment and professional counseling to make informed decisions as a family, boosting everybody's confidence and trust.
Save the cost of wrong choices – Wrong career choice has a lifelong implication. It is very daunting to be stuck in a profession that you feel you are not suitable for. Or to feel that you would have had better chances of success if you had chosen a different field. Professional success is a very important part of our life that determines our overall sense of well being.

How do career counselors help students?

how do career counsellors help students? | Emerald International School

test and interpret the results of the test to provide you with the right guidance. Career guidance happens in two parts – Career assessment & career counseling

1. Career assessment

You will be given a detailed assessment that will map your abilities in various areas such as your personality traits, emotional intelligence, cognitive orientation, interest, beliefs and values. The assessment does not need any preparation and can be taken online or offline. You will also receive a detailed individualized report at the end of it.

2. Career Counseling

Post your assessment the career counselor will study your report and invite the you and parents for a face to face counseling session. The counselor will give you relevant and necessary knowledge on career clusters and important consideration to make when choosing career
The counselor will then interpret and discuss every detail of the report and its implications. The pros and cons of every option at hand will be discussed in detail leading to filtering of options and listing of most suitable options for you.
You will be provided time to think and personally research about the discussed options. Once you are ready, you will meet the counselor for a second time to discuss goal setting and action plan for reaching the goals.
Practical information related to matters such as subject choice, list of top institutions you must aspire for, entrance exam, strategies to tackle multiple exams etc will be provided to you by the counselor
Once you have made your decision the counselor will guide you to relevant resources, courses, institutions, authority etc to help you start implementing the plan.

How to find a good career counselor?

Ideally, career counseling must happen during the high school years and your school counselor is the best person to provide you unbiased guidance. However as many schools lack a counseling cell, you may also seek guidance from other private agencies.

Tips that may be helpful if you are considering career guidance

Do not get swayed by social pressure to take up careers that others think are glamorous or financially fetching.
Be honest in understanding what you enjoy doing the most. Pursue your genuine interest.
Take your career counseling seriously.
Keep multiple options open for yourself so you can switch if you have to
Set career goals and work hard to achieve them. You will surely meet with success!

Conclusion:

Career choice is an important decision in your life that will determine the trajectory of life. One size does not fit all. Good guidance at the right time will reap you huge dividends. While the decision is always yours, make an informed one.

Emerald International school has an independent career guidance cell that runs programs which are intertwined with the curriculum of high school students. Students from their early years are given an exposure to a wide variety of careers and professionals. They are given an opportunity to closely interact with professionals from various walks of life who share experience and learning from their life. Doctors, engineers, investment bankers, designers, artists, actors, architects, civil servants, entrepreneurs, defense personnel, industrial manufacturers, lawyers, social workers, writers and prominent people from other walks of life are regular visitors at our school.

All our 10th grade students mandatorily go through career assessment and counseling. Further in 11th and 12th Emerald International School offers all three streams of science, commerce and humanities with preparation for one national level entrance exam for professional courses. At present the school is training students in more than 8 different career fields that include Architecture, Law, Design, Management, Chartered accountancy, Engineering, Medicine and UPSE exams. The school has a residential set up with teachers and students living together on the same campus. Having all facilities on the same campus, students can fully focus on academics in the most crucial years of 11th and 12th grade.