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Following what others are doing without your own plan is not the best way to accomplish career goals. This is why having your own career map or path to follow is very essential. You can gain clarity on setting goals and much more with the help of career guidance and counselling. So let's understand more about this.
What Is Career Guidance And Counselling?
Career Guidance is about having support from a coach/mentor you can speak with to overcome the challenges you are facing in terms of your career goals.
Career Guidance is needed if you see yourself in any of the following situations:
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You are at a stage in life where you want to change your career.
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You have completed your education but feel unprepared for the work field.
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You feel unsure about the type of career you want to pursue.
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You want to develop goals and dreams for yourself but don't know where to start.
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You are unsure about which degree or course you should go after for a better salary.
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You need advice on how to explore the job market and do job searches.
Overall, if you feel stuck about starting or changing a career, then getting career guidance can make a huge difference! This concept also applies to anyone who needs help in deciding what to study further.
What Are The Benefits Of Career Guidance?
Benefit 01 - You Get Clarity On Your Skill Set
In a career guidance session, your mentor will try to understand the skill sets you already have. You fill out a psychometric career test where your answers give hints about the things you enjoy doing. Knowing your own personality and things you normally like doing is the first step to building your career.
Imagine this scenario ,
Your career test result displays qualities such as you are organised and good at problem solving. Now there are thousands of jobs that are looking for exactly this set of skills in a job candidate.
When you know that these are your strong points, you can present yourself better in an interview. The test answers such questions and makes you more confident about how you present your personality to others.
End result - Your personality is evaluated which gives you a clear understanding of your strengths and weaknesses.
By the end of the course, you will be able to identify qualities that make up your personality. You will know if you are more extroverted or introverted. This will help you know the types of jobs you would prefer.
Benefit 02 - You Are Able To Identify Your Career Options
It's true that you can plan your career better when you have some guidance. A career expert will help give you some direction when it comes to finding a job that matches your personal interests.
You will not be provided with one ultimate career option, but you will be given a wide variety of exciting jobs to choose from.
Imagine this scenario ,
If you love creating lesson plans or taking tuition, then it is possible that you can make a career in teaching. But under the industry term 'Teaching' there are several career options you can choose from. Those who are fit to be teachers can also be good at job roles like:
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Corporate Trainer
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Admissions counsellor
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Museum Tour Guide
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Curriculum Designer
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School Psychologist
If you have the qualities to be a teacher, it does not mean you can only work inside a classroom. You can explore more career options beyond that. This is something a career counsellor would be able to help with.
End result - You will get suggestions for 4 or 5 different career options depending on skills you already have. If you love finance and accounting, then your career expert will explore all the different types of job roles you can try for.
Benefit 03 - You Get Constructive Feedback
Your career counsellor is not only present to listen to you. They will also provide you with valuable feedback. During the one-on-one session with your counsellor, make sure you ask as many questions. Clarify your doubts and take as many suggestions as possible.
Imagine this scenario ,
Your counsellor notices that you are not confident when speaking in English. So they suggest that you register for a 'Personality Development' or a 'Talk In English' course. Your counsellor will recommend classes or courses to you. Their main focus will always be to make you a better speaker and version of yourself. This is one of the many upsides of taking career guidance - the feedback helps your personal growth and development.
End Result - By taking the feedback from the career guidance test or session, you learn about any mistakes to avoid.
You can then make changes and improve on skills that you currently have not worked on yet. Sometimes feedback is tough to hear but on a positive note, it's just suggestions for improvement.
Benefit 04 - You Are Not Misled
Nowadays the internet is filled with so much information. Colleges and universities put up advertisements for coaching classes and more. But some of them make false promises. It is hard to pick which ones are true to what they say. It's easy to rush into taking up things and get convinced by advertisements. So it may be necessary to discuss the right steps to take with your counsellor.
Your counsellor will have enough expertise to identify if the information is a misleading advertisement.
Before sharing any information with you, a career counsellor will assess whether it is logical and rational enough. This in turn will help you make a more informed decision.
Imagine this scenario,
You see an advertisement promising that they can prepare you for a competitive exam in days when in reality it takes months to prepare. Before enrolling, you can ask your career guidance counsellor to know if it's an advisable choice or not.
As a counsellor is an expert, he/she can help you go in the right direction.
End Result - You get an expert opinion on a career or education decision you're taking. Instead of depending only on friends or advertisements that can be misleading for career advice, you can additionally have your counsellor to count on for his/her expertise.
What Is The Outcome Of Career Guidance And Counselling?
Career guidance covers plenty of things but it is mainly a time for self-reflection. Through the practice of taking a career test, you will be able to list out your talents and strengths.
It's recommended to visit a career counsellor in person to have a face-to-face conversation. But in case you don't know of a career guidance counsellor or don't have the time, you can also opt for online counselling.
These sessions build confidence in your abilities. You begin to pay special attention to your needs instead of just following what others love doing. You take a step back and really give thought to what YOU want to do with your career and education.
When you look at your career guidance test report, you will also pause to consider what you are good at. Lastly, you realise that you are not alone with the challenges you face but you will have a mentor to guide you.
Final Thoughts
Talking to a career expert helps you discover new different kinds of job opportunities that you may have missed out on. Don't let your dream sink but make it grow by getting career guidance. Gain from your career counsellor's knowledge, take a free career test to examine your skills and experience the difference it can make.
FAQs
What Is The Importance Of Career Guidance?
Career guidance is worth it when you do not know how to build and grow your career. When you have no clue about where to start, this is when career guidance is a blessing. You get the right amount of help and learn more about the skills you have. This leads you to success and being more confident about the dreams you have.
What Is Meant By Career Guidance?
Choosing a career path is a difficult decision. And it gets even more stressful when you have to make career choices all by yourself. This is when you might look out for some advice and support. Career guidance is all about that. It directs you towards making career choices that you are happy with.
What Is The Aim Of Career Guidance?
The aim of career guidance is to prepare you to make career choices by yourself with confidence. A career test or guidance counsellor will point you in the right direction by identifying the skills you have. After that, you will also be provided with the career options that you will enjoy the most. During the entire process, you learn more about yourself and this makes you take a good decision about your career.