Back in the era, when newspapers and television were the only windows for information and entertainment, teens often depended on their family members and peers for career guidance. They offered wisdom and guidance based on their own experience and with a subjective mindset.
However, with digitalisation, young minds have easy access to lots of information, be it the latest career trends or the current job forecast, some useful while some need real discernment. Gen Z teens are comparatively more experimental and acknowledge work satisfaction as the primary goal for a successful life. They are open to finding new occupations and venturing into non-conventional domains.
A 2020 survey of the career industry found that career counselling is a growing global trend, growing by 33% between 2015 and 2020.
What is career counselling?
Here are three takeaways, on why a career counselling and guidance session is different from mentoring.
When your primary goal is success in your work life, then there are many factors that one should dwell on while making a career choice. Personality is unique in each individual and it can impact your work life if your traits are not aligned with that of your job environment. Career counsellors are psychologists trained in analysing personality traits, which helps you gain new perspectives about yourself, and become more self-aware, which will help you in identifying your right career path.
According to Steve Job, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle”. Finding the right occupation that will give satisfaction, does not entail that you can choose your hobby as your career. A hobby is a fun activity which you love doing in your leisure, but can you pursue it as a career, working on a 9-5 schedule, each day of your life? Career counsellors ask you these questions which help you identify your passion and hobby.
There are scientific assessment tools like the career aptitude test, developed by career experts and counselling psychologists which help in mapping your personality, and aptitude to the requirements of job roles in various industries. In collaboration with your career counsellor, you can make your work profile, based on the career assessment report. You can then gain clarity for your career path, set goals, and streamline your stream selection and subject choice to attain expertise in your career journey.
Through career counselling and guidance, you often discover untapped potential, including imagination, productivity, and values, which can help you achieve greater personal and professional fulfilment.
What is mentoring?
A mentor is an experienced individual who shares their knowledge and wisdom with someone less experienced. The mentee can be of any age, but the mentor is typically older and more experienced in their field. A mentor-mentee relationship is built on trust, mutual respect, and communication. The mentor provides guidance, support, and advice to the mentee, helping them to grow both professionally and personally. In return, the mentee brings a fresh perspective and youthful energy to the relationship. Mentoring can take many different forms, from one-on-one conversations to group meetups. Ultimately, the goal is to help the mentee reach their full potential by learning from the mentor's experience.
Final note
Career counselling is a process that helps individuals identify and achieve their career goals. Career counsellors typically use a variety of career guidance tests to help clients understand their strengths, interests, and values. They also provide guidance on exploring different career options and developing a plan to achieve desired goals. In contrast, mentoring is a relationship in which an experienced individual provides guidance and support to someone who is less experienced. Mentors can share their knowledge and expertise, offer advice and support, and help mentees develop new skills. While both career counselling and mentoring can be helpful, they serve different purposes. Career counselling is focused on helping individuals achieve specific career goals, while mentoring relationships are more general in nature and can last for an extended period of time.
In simple words, if the interest and aptitude test of the child is not in the chose career field then they would never be able to excel to their full potential.
They would always be one step behind due to the stress from not having enough interest and intrinsic motivation to work harder.This can eat away at the child’s bright potential and push them into darkness.
Thus, it is extremely important to nip this poison in its bud by finding the correct career path for the child with the help of common aptitude test.For more details- https://mywebarticle.com/how-can-aptitude-tests-help-boost-your-career/
In a country where 76% of the students select their careers based upon “popular choices”, it becomes crucial to understand what will fit us perfectly.
Career counselling is an amazing process where a counsellor clear your career doubts, helps you in making an informed decision and develops a roadmap for you.
Counselling is an amalgamation of scientific assessments, student’s interest, personality and other important factors that directly or indirectly affects student’s life.
We as students are unaware of the recent trends, future demand of careers, and what can be done to move up the career ladder.
Let’s see what all it can provide us :1-Introduction To The World Of Careers: As a student, we are sometimes not even aware of the pool of career options available to us.
A trained counsellor with experience and knowledge can help us in knowing the same.
