Career Counseling is a system of scientifically based measures aimed at preparing young people to choose a profession, taking into account personality characteristics and the socio-economic situation in the labor market, to assist young people in professional self-determination and employment.
Career Counseling includes:
- Vocational education - It is a process of familiarization of students and graduates of educational institutions with modern types of labor activity, socio-economic and psychophysiological characteristics of various professions, the need for qualified personnel, the requirements for professions for a person, the opportunities for professional development and self-improvement in the course of work. Professional education forms motivated professional intentions among young people, which are based on their awareness of socio-economic needs and their psychophysiological capabilities.
- Professional counseling - It assists students in professional self-determination and provides students with recommendations on possible areas of professional activity that are most relevant to their psychological, psychophysiological characteristics, based on the results of psychological, and medical diagnostics.
- Psychological support - It is methods that help reduce psychological tension, the formation of a positive attitude and confidence in the future.
Career guidance for students is one of the most important factors in choosing the right profession for the future. The purpose of career guidance is to develop a conscious attitude toward work among schoolchildren, professional self-determination in accordance with their capabilities, abilities and taking into account the labor market.
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Every year, tens of thousands of young people graduate from high schools with honors. At the same time, a relatively small number of high school students become highly qualified specialists and achieve success in career growth. Thus, the right choice of the future profession very often means much more good grades and a significant amount of knowledge.
The adequacy of the choice and the level of development of the profession affect all aspects and the overall quality of life. Career counseling at the stage of choosing a profession and organizing vocational education will allow students in the future to become successful, and motivated for successful self-realization in their chosen field of activity.
What are the Mistakes to Avoid and How to Choose a Profession Correctly?
The decision of a career is one of the most significant choices, which regularly decides the entire future existence. Before you begin picking a fascinating career, you have to hear yourself out and decide the most significant criteria for your future career.
Ignorance of real skills, a large supply of bachelor's degrees, and misguidance are some of the factors that can make you choose the wrong career. A lot of pressures and wanting to please parents lead many young people to choose their career in a hurry and without much conviction.
Career selection is a very important step, as it will ultimately define your future. Choosing something that does not make you feel satisfied can have an impact on your happiness or on losing a lot of money and time when you leave school to start something different. With so many variables, it is logical that sometimes some mistakes are made. So we present 10 of the most common mistakes and possible solutions for them below:
1. Not doing enough research
It is not enough to inform yourself about the agenda, it is advisable to collect all the information you can, including the experience of professionals in the sector or the sectors that interest you.
2. Ignore market trends
What is one day a booming industry, in a few years, maybe a lagged sector with few job opportunities? In this sense, very few sectors are immutable, so try to investigate trends in the labor market and consider a career with different job opportunities.
3. Choose the easy option
Trying to avoid headaches may seem ideal when you're young, but it can frustrate your future self. For example, if you were good at math in high school, it doesn't mean that you have to study Mathematics.
4. Pay attention to those who tell you what you should study
It is one of the most common. Sometimes your parents, friends, and family are correct in their advice; however, you know yourself better than anyone. The decision must be yours. In most cases, your choice will hardly affect other people.
5. Follow in the footsteps of others
Like the previous one, this is also one of the most frequent errors. Expectations can be a heavy burden. Your grandmother was an engineer, your mother is an engineer, your brother is an engineer and you ... should you 'follow the tradition? Remind them that they made their own decision and that now is your time. After all, your parents prefer to see you happy in a profession that you enjoy than unhappy in one that they pressured you to choose.
6. Don't believe in yourself
Part of self-knowledge, an aspect that some are lazy, but that becomes one of the most important elements to choose in the most correct way. Although it is convenient to analyze your skills to choose a suitable career, you must have a spirit of improvement and not underestimate your abilities. Don't settle for the easiest way.
7. Stay in the comfort zone
It is really tempting to choose the most comfortable option, even if you do not like it. You should think twice before choosing the closest college to your home or the career that you know will be easier for you, it may not be the ideal option.
8. Decide thinking only about money
They say that if you do what you like, the money will come sooner or later. Although this is not always true, being satisfied with what you do is the first step to a successful career and, with it, the possibility of earning a lot of money. Don't choose a career based only on salary prospects.
9. Ignoring Natural Abilities
There are skills that you should at least take into account when choosing a career. For example, if you don't have a musical ear, it may be an indication that studying music is not an optimal option for you. If you are not creative, it may take more effort than normal to get a degree in Fine Arts. Still, virtually all skills can be trained. So if your dream is to be a musician or a painter, don't underestimate it and work hard to achieve it.
10. Improvise
Battles are won only when there is an action plan, and successful ones repeat it over and over in each case. You have no idea which career to choose? Keep researching, take vocational tests, talk to your high school counselor, take a gap year to decide, but don't choose randomly just to test if you like. Sometimes you just need time to make the right decision.
What does a Career Counselor do?
Career advice takes shape through a set of interventions aimed at making individuals independent, both in identifying their own professional project and in moving in the job market. In a few simple words, it is the activity carried out by a professional, the career consultant, aimed at supporting people in achieving their professional goals.
The career counselor helps to improve personal qualities, to resolve any professional conflicts through the development of the so-called emotional intelligence. The profile provides assistance with finding a job and prepares the candidate to approach the interviews with the right approach. Everything is clearly set up on the identification of the individual's objectives.
During a personal meeting, the career counselor clarifies the client’s request, develops a program for studying vocational guidance. The career counselor provides the client with the results of the examination in the form of consultation and in writing. The client gets the opportunity to ask questions of interest regarding the interpretation of the results and recommendations.
With the evolution of the labor market and the consequent increase in requirements and obligations from a technical-administrative point of view, obtaining a career consultant appears necessary not only for public bodies but also for many private companies.
We have summarized the main tasks that a career counselor do because of which it is an important part while selecting your future career:
- They interview clients in order to outline a work history and identify future goals.
- Counselors identify weak points, potential, attitudes, and interests, possibly through tests.
- They study the professional market in relation to the sector of interest.
- They are really good at making strategies aimed at obtaining a promotion, adapting to changes and facing professional growth with the right approach.
- They also support employers on human resource management.
- Improve the working environment through the optimization of profitability and the increase of the degree of satisfaction.
- Counselors also support and/or review the drafting of CVs and cover letters.
- Assists in preparing candidates for selection interviews.
- Develop leadership and communication skills.
- Provide the most effective tools to deal with stressful situations.
What is the importance and benefits of career counseling?
The process of career counseling assists the person in deciding his professional future to reflect on himself, his tastes and preferences. At the same time, it allows you to internalize the different careers and professions since certain aspects such as the characteristics and job roles are analyzed.
One of the benefits of the career counseling process is that it allows students to identify and develop their skills, interests, strengths, and opportunities. This is extremely helpful when choosing a professional course in which they can develop fully and with greater satisfaction. In addition, through career counseling, students can build a life goal that is both realistic and achievable. This initial objective is the one that will be present at all times, guiding personal, work and academic decisions.
An efficient career guidance process can help prevent dropping out of school or leaving school early. In other words, thanks to the career counseling process, students begin a career with greater determination. Another benefit of career counseling is its motivating ability. Quality vocational studies focused on specific careers directly influence students.
Many times their performance increases in an extraordinary way as they set goals for themselves and begin to be more demanding in terms of their academic future. As we can see, the fact of knowing yourself better and being more informed about the current professional field, allows students to choose a career more easily.
How much do career consultants charge in India?
One of the main challenges you will face when looking for a career counselor or any such kind of consulting services company is knowing how much you will be charged by them. This is the most common question that comes to the mind of every individual.
Subsequently, there is moderately little data accessible on the expenses and prices charged by consultants. However, prices can vary from month to month from INR 24,000 for an expert at an operational level to at least INR 1,80,000 every month for an advisor from some prime counseling service.
It is critical to remember that the above research by us presents a disentangled and characteristic perspective on prices. Variety in firms as well as in advertising fragments, and administration contributions across districts and nations, will undoubtedly have a difference in the prices they charge from their clients.
How to find a Good Career Counselor and what to discuss with a Career Counselor?
If you are unsure about your career or career goals, you might consider hiring the services of a professional career counselor to help clarify your situation. A career counselor will work with you to help you with your immediate needs, such as writing a resume or cover letter and finding a job. They can also provide guidance on longer-term plans for your career, including planning a transition to a new career. Before signing an agreement with a counselor or coach, take the time to verify your credentials. Also, be sure to have a conversation about your goals to clarify that you are both on the same page regarding your desired results.
If a consultant presents himself as a broad-based specialist with an experience of working all over the world, his help will most likely be superficial. At the same time, there are also consultants who are ready to impersonate narrow-minded professionals in order to keep the client. Also, pay attention to what questions the consultant asks you. Usually, you can judge by how deep the person is in the industry. And finally, data on experience are important. Find out how many years an agency or consultant has been on the market, with how many companies' profiles they dealt with.
Moreover, always request at least three references from any counselor before finalizing a service agreement. Approach to the references and ask them questions like 'What were the strengths and weaknesses of a counselor?', 'What progress did you make after meeting the counselor?', 'Would you use the services again?' and 'Do you have any reservations about recommending it?' It is recommended that you should always give preference to counselors who charge per visit rather than those who offer an expensive package of sessions and evaluations. However, you should not pay more money than recommended per hour unless you are a highly paid executive.
Why is Career Counseling Important in Schools?
If a modern school wants to remain an effective educational environment, it must set actual goals for its students, especially in high school. The educational process cannot be built around how students successfully pass the exam. The school should become an open system that will attract external resources in addition to internal.
One such resource is a platform of career counseling for students. They allow you to take the educational process outside the school and help students realize their potential in the educational space of the whole city. No matter how our career guidance program changes, one thing remains unchanged that is its goal is to help students test the hypothesis of a future profession.
No one can say with certainty what the labor market will be like even in five to ten years. Some habitual professions will completely fade off, others are transformed under the influence of technology, and new professions are constantly emerging. We can’t tell the student exactly what to become. But we can help them realize what are the challenges of the modern world, what competencies and personal qualities need to be developed in order to be in demand in a constantly changing labor market.
This is exactly what a career consultant is needed for. It helps the student:
- Learn more about an interesting profession, which may subsequently affect the choice of a university and career.
- To consolidate in practice the knowledge gained in school.
- To form important competencies, such as discipline, communication, adaptability, awareness, responsibility.
- Implement the projects in real conditions. If the place of practice is directly related to the student’s project work.
So, practice is not only direct access to the workplace. The choice of a professional field, the definition of a place of practice, preparation - all this is part of the career counseling process.
What Degree do you need to become a Career Counselor?
A career consultant supports and aids clients with problems that can emerge in any circle of their lives. Professional career counselors must have the ability to reassure a client and build trust to facilitate the exchange of personal information. Strong interviews and active listening skills are required to extract information from clients. An analytical mind is required to establish connections between an individual's personality type, abilities, interests, values, and appropriate career options. Professional counselors need strong research skills to find information about careers and educational preparations related to client needs.
In case you're considering turning into any kind of counselor, then generally you will need to acquire a master's degree in career counseling or development. But if you don't have any relevant knowledge for it to pursue. Then simply follow underneath steps to become a career counselor.
- Stage 1: Select any Stream with Psychology in Class twelfth
- Stage 2: Opt for B.A/B.Sc in Psychology or Applied Psychology for 3 years time
- Stage 3: After step 2, get into M.A/M.Sc in Counseling Psychology/Psychology/Applied Psychology
- Stage 4: Once completed masters, a PG Diploma in Guidance and Counseling for 1 year (it is completely optional)
Since profession continues creating over one's lifetime, rather career counseling is a multi-step, profound established procedure, helping individuals settle on professional and life decisions. The goal of career consultants isn't simply to empower one to choose the career and make the decisions they need to make for now. However, to give them the data and capacities to choose a future profession and life decisions also.
To begin with a career counselor profession, you'll have to go through a similar pathway as we referenced in the above paragraphs, and another thing which is very much mandatory is Internships, do as much as possible to get as much experience in the field as you can. Notwithstanding the fundamental degree prerequisites, you'll likewise need to have certain individual elements, for example, compassion, relational abilities, tolerance, versatility, great tuning in and relational abilities. You should be able to clearly convey information to individuals and groups about job search strategies, interview approaches, and resume and develop cover letters.
Conclusion
The choice of a profession is one of the most important and significant decisions for the future that a person makes in his life. It’s important not to make a mistake, but to really choose what you like. It is worth taking this choice with all seriousness. What do you have abilities and inclinations for? Who do you see yourself in the future? The teenager has many important decisions to make. The counseling shows which type of profession is closer to you. With the help of the counseling, you can find out if your personality traits contradict your preferred type of profession. With the help of a career consultation, one can try to identify the clues that are in the inner world of each person.
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