Career Issues
Career guidance and counseling help people to make better career decisions. It helps to deal with problems like inability to decide a career, unemployment, lack of knowledge about the labor market, job dissatisfaction, financial concerns, job uncertainty, and fear of failure. Also note, that if you are suffering from depression, anxiety, or other serious psychological problems, career counseling may not benefit you much. Hence if you have any mental health issues, treat them first.
In the process of career guidance and counseling, career counselors traditionally focus on clients’ strengths and resources. Every person possesses certain strengths that can be activated and utilized to enhance the positive development of an individual.
Stages in Career Counseling
Five stages in career guidance and counseling
- Where you are and what you want to achieve
During the initial communication stage, the counselor enquires about what you are at present and professionally what you want to achieve. Specific and measurable goals are defined as well as concrete steps are advised to successfully realize the established counseling goals. - Understand yourself better.
During this stage of analysis, enhance your self-awareness. Here the main aim is to help you to have a better understanding of yourself and your situation (like interests, qualifications, goals, personality, values, life situation, influences of the environment, family obligations). This is usually done by psychological assessments like aptitude tests, structured interviews, or certain counseling techniques.
Additionally, increase your knowledge about career options that interest you. You can even ask your counselor to help you with this. For example, the counselor could provide you with important information about a career in the Social sector, top colleges in the country and their admission criteria, entrance tests, etc. or how to start your basic preparation for Indian Administrative Services(IAS) - Filter out options that don’t suit your life situations
Based on your interest develop as many career options as possible. But note that not all the options that interest you may suit your financial position, life goals, family obligations, or qualifications. Hence filter out those that do not suit your competency, life situations, etc. At the end of this stage, you may be left with a more manageable number of three to five career options. - Evaluate the shortlisted options in detail
Evaluate these three to five career options in more detail. Note down the advantages and disadvantages, chances of success and failures, and financial cost involved. After this detailed evaluation rank the alternatives. - Make a roadmap and start working.
During the final execution stage, make a practical plan that you can measure with adequate milestones. Make an achievable target for weeks and months and you will see the light of success sooner than you expect. During the final execution stage, a plan or strategy to realize the choice taken is developed. Don’t completely ignore your family, friends and partners who support you, to blindly pursue your career aspirations. Remember, no matter how big your professional success is, you should have people around you to celebrate. Though in today’s materialistic world money is the sole driver to make a career choice, We highly recommend that you follow your passion and pursue a career that has a work-life balance and allows you to grow as a person.
How to find a good career counselor?
Traditionally, school teachers, guardians, relatives, and friends have been a source of career guidance. However, it needs expert intervention. You can find numerous career counseling and guidance resources online. You can also consider Lisners which is India’s best online counselling app. It has best-in-class career counselors from across the country with highly affordable cost. Additionally you should look for the below-mentioned traits before choosing a career counselor.
- Familiar with Indian Education System.
- Knows new and upcoming professions.
- Is easily available to reconnect.
- Should not force you to chose a career.
- Updated with new schemes/initiatives.
- Deep knowledge of career theories.
- Aware of your culture, value system.
- Sound intellect of Child Psychology