Making an Informed Choice to Choose a Career

In the olden days, people would rely on snippets of information that we would hear from people or opt for a conventional choice or depend on the decision that their parents would take. The awareness regarding different career choices and streams was much lower at that time.

Career counseling sessions helps the students to know the pros and cons of the different streams and the career path it offers, thus the students can make an informed choice, and get a career assessment that helps avoid the risk of change in career path later in life. The importance of pinpointing the work cut out for each person can only be gauged when one sees the agony of extreme job misfits. Money is important, but not more than contentment. So a career counseling and guidance is needed to help organize ones thoughts and ideas on decisions. It can boost the morale and confidence and give new directions to the students which will be beneficial for the whole society.

Talking to educationbiz.com, Ms. Sudarshana. P. Shukla, Guidance Counselor, AP Coordinator Head of Learning Resource Centre, The Cathedral & John Connon School, shared the benefits of Counseling in making decisions to choose the right stream or career choice with the available opportunities.

As a counselor, how do you brief your students at the time of counseling. Any specific elements that you focus during the process?

We start as early as 8^th grade. We have a session for the students wherein students s elect the subjects of the upcoming standards. We also have sessions where students can choose their courses for further studies along with intensive sessions which involves both the parents and the students. We have an allocated period once a week where we interact with students, guiding them to achieve their desired goals and introduce them to whatever options they have possibly in India or overseas.

Counseling comes with several responses before or during the entire process. Kindly throw light on the notion that people actually hold regarding counseling.

There is a curiosity among the students in getting hold of the available options. Considering the financial background and the spending capacity of the parents, the students are guided accordingly in determining the right choice from the available options, rather than show them a dram and snatch it away.

With the available opportunities for scholarships, and depending on the merit of the student, we work with the students and the parents together to be able to give them a good cross section of colleges within or outside the country. We keep in mind whether the return in investment is worth it or not.

Going by the present scenario of Education today, how important is counseling for children to do wonders in their field?

I think it is very important that at least children are aware of their opportunities. It is essential for them to develop skills on a broad base to be able to be successful in multiple career choices to be available for them later on.

Counseling should be part of every school. It is critical to give the students a platform to be able to explore the handful of opportunities that is out there for them.