Career counselling is a process that provides an individual an opportunity to know themselves better and also explore different areas of work. This further allows one to make decisions concerning their career and education which helps in career development. Career development is a lifelong process and isn’t necessarily restricted to just understanding what major subject you have to choose in college.
One can take career counselling at different points in their life. These can include the following:
1. When you are in your 10th or 12th class or have completed it.
Completion of class 10th is seen as a major transition that a student takes in India in his/her educational life. Career counselling here can help the adolescent understand which stream and subjects he/she can choose among the available options of commerce, science, and humanities.
It can also be taken after the completion of the 12th class to understand if you want to continue with the field you are studying in or if you want to switch. It will also help you to explore what entrance exams you can appear in for higher education and colleges you can apply for.
2. When you are clueless about your goals in life.
You may feel clueless because there are so many job roles to select from and you are not sure which will be the best fit for you. The process of career counselling includes a lot of different assessments such as personality assessments, aptitude assessments, interest assessments, etc. Through these assessments, you can understand what your interests are and what excites you the most to set a career goal for yourself.
3. When you wish to know how to turn your interests into a career.
You may know what you want to do but don’t know how to exactly start your journey on that career path. In this case, a career counsellor can help you understand your passion better and how can you enhance it to make it a winning career. Career counselling will help you explore job opportunities that may exist which requires the skills and interest that you possess.
4. When you have a job but you think you made a mistake or you are not satisfied.
Career counselling isn’t only for students. You may be already a working professional but you don’t like what you are doing and failing in it. Or you might be good at your work but still unsatisfied. This could be because the career you chose for yourself was a wrong choice or you chose it only for monetary purposes. In such a situation you can invest in career counselling to understand the highs and the lows of your current profession and also find the one that suits you the best.
5. When you want to want to explore education and career options outside the country.
You may wish to enroll yourself in a foreign university or take up a job in any international country but you are unsure about how to start with the process. In career counselling, an overseas counsellor will be the best person to reach out to in this situation who will help you to collect information about various universities and their entrance exams. They will also guide you to prepare for those exams and what additional courses you may have to do. They will also help you find the country which can provide you the best opportunities for the job you are seeking.
6. When you feel you have a talent for a variety of things but cannot focus.
Being interested in multiple things is a sign of creativity and there is nothing wrong with that. Many kids and adults can’t seem to find only one interest that they like but they keep shifting from one thing to another. In this case, a career counsellor will help you consolidate this information about all your interests and help you chose a career path for yourself.
Importance of Professional Counseling: A friend or family member may listen to you, but they aren’t professionally, technically qualified or experienced to offer you professional advice. If you wish you can contact us at MindTribe to receive help from our team of expert psychologists.
About MindTribe.in.
MindTribe Founder Dr. Prerna Kohli, India’s eminent psychologist, established the company to leverage the strength of the online to make counseling affordable and accessible to everyone. MindTribe provides counseling, workshops, support groups, forums, and eLearning.
About the Author.
Simran Chahal is a psychologist at MindTribe.in.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of MindTribe.in, the Founders, or management team.
Acknowledgement: All images used are open source and from Unsplash.