Dr Shahid Amin Trali
The goal of education is to form good humans devoted to work for the creation of societies of love, freedom, fellowship, justice and harmony. People that are educated tend to have well-paid jobs, possess improved health and educate their own children better. Educated individuals have the attitude and self-confidence to make better parents, workers and citizens. Researchers suggest that starting a child’s education early and well is crucial. Those who fall behind tend to stay behind for the rest of their academic lives. Not only does absence of good education upset us for the rest of our academic lives but our lives in other ways too.
In the present era students are more concerned about their professional career to stabilize their personal life and to fulfill their desires. Good career implies gainful employment, one that offers discipline, career advancements, lucrative salary etc for a happy living.
The world is transforming rapidly, where every sector creates a new field of opportunities for the professionals. By the late 20th century, a wide range of choices and more widespread education have allowed it to the students to plan a career. It is also common in 21st century to have dual or multiple careers, either sequentially or concurrently. Asking, “What career is right and more suitable for me”?-is one of the most important decisions. If you find the right career, you will have success, happiness and prosperity for many years to come.
We have so many confusions which take place in our daily life. Some decisions are handled easily like which dress to wear, where to shop, what to eat, etc. But we are worried and get confused when it comes to major decisions like choosing a better career option. This confusion occurs due to the fear of facing a change in life which in turn creates a stress. Fear based confusion happens when we are forced to take a decision which we know will produce a high impact on our life. We must worry least; everyone in this universe has to make small or big decisions on their life. Never feel all the decisions made can be good. Sometimes a wrong decision might also lead to new discoveries of our life. As Albert Einstein once said, “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Even top-level executives go through moments of doubt. Having some career confusion is good because it means you care about what you’re doing and where you’re going. So stop stressing, keep questioning and embrace your curiosity.
There are a plenty of a career options. It is good when individuals weigh a lot of options and give time to consider it. Students will have to put some time and energy into making decision, but their effort will be well worth it in the end. Before they can make the right career choice, they have to learn about themselves.
The values, interests and skills, in combination with certain personality traits, will make some careers fascinating and others particularly inappropriate. One must look at his/her choices rationally. A good decision is an informed decision. One needs to gather as much information as sensibly one can about the career he/she is considering and accordingly do the preparations. The most important question to consider is whether one will enjoy the career, else it can backfire when one will get it. Some people also realize what they need in their career is not only money and hence prefer switching from one job to another just for a change of environment. There are also people who want to start their own venture once they are financially stable or totally dissatisfied with the job. Before making any decision they must evaluate themselves. They must see whether they are ready to take the challenges and if they are going to create a new starting point for themselves and only then can move ahead.
Today we have a wide range of different educational, counseling, and human resource management interventions that can support individuals to properly manage their careers. Career guidance is offered while people are in education, when they are ready to the labour market, when they are changing career and during periods of unemployment etc.
Support may be offered by career professionals and also by the non-professionals such as family and friends. Great navigators never hesitate to share what they know. They are proud of what they’ve learned. Do you see anyone who has the life or the career you want? Ask them how they got there. What was the difficulty they faced? What was the easy task? Ask them what they learned along the way. What was a key lesson for them? What tripped them up? What do they love about their mission and work? What are the challenges they face? The more effort and energy you put into your search for the right career, the more you’ll get out of it.
As much as teachers, peers and consultants do-if not more-parents play an important role in drawing a study plan and shaping the career and future of their wards. Parents must acquire knowledge about educational options, understand their wards’ interests, skill sets and influence them to take the right path.
Waiting till the end of the ward’s schooling or college education to decide on the career field may not be a healthy option. This late action later on produces careers by chance and not by choice and hence leads to system failures. Soft skills, such as being able to work well with others, leadership, work ethics, manners and social interaction, are vital for success in the marketplace. It must be dealt seriously by the teachers to improve the students.
Choosing the right career can be challenging, but having a well-defined career direction will certainly help towards a brighter future. But with a bit of hard work, good planning, and some serious self-reflection, one can set on a path towards a promising life ahead.
(The author is Assistant Professor, ITM University Gwalior)
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