Choosing a career path is one of the most critical decisions in a person’s life. Yet, it is often not given the attention and priority that it merits. Young people are typically confused regarding their career choices and may end up making decisions that they later regret or are not satisfied with. According to a 2010 survey by Deloitte, around 80 per cent people in the USA are not passionate about the work they do. The situation is predictably worse in developing countries, where there are fewer varieties of jobs available, less awareness regarding career prospects, and fewer entrepreneurship opportunities.
In our society, there is much emphasis on academics: parents are eager for their children to do well in their studies, many students sit through private tuitions after school hours, and academic performance is typically considered the main criterion for determining a child’s level of intelligence. Despite this academics-oriented lifestyle among students, there is very little focus on their career counselling – something we now need to address, in order to help young people thrive professionally.
Why Career Counselling is Necessary from an Early Age
Children are typically not in a position to determine a career path for themselves. Their exposure to various professions is largely through electronic media and curriculum books that give them a rather vague, and sometimes inaccurate, understanding of these jobs. Without gaining practical exposure to professional life, it is indeed very difficult to decide what careers they wish to pursue. Besides, the current digital age is characterized by unpredictability with a rapidly changing workforce landscape. A job in demand today may not fare so well in the coming decades. This is why the role of parents, teachers, and professional career counsellors is so critical in helping the children make sound career choices.
The process of career counselling should start in primary school and continue through high school and college. Very often, the only “career counselling” students receive in our society is when applying for their university admissions. By then, it is usually too late, as students’ choices are already restricted by the subjects they studied in high school or college. Besides, they may be hesitant to go for a career path different from that of their peers or one not recommended by their teachers. Without receiving career guidance based on their particular strengths and interests, students typically opt for professions based on their market repute or simply “go with the flow” – do what everyone else is doing. As a result, many students end up with the wrong career choice – one that does not interest or suit them, where they are unlikely to thrive, or where the market is already saturated. On the other hand, if students have a firm career preference by the time they enter high school, there is greater clarity in their thought process, and they are more likely to be confident about the choices they eventually make.
Career Counselling at Home
Career counselling ought to begin early and at home; parents should engage their pre-adolescent children in open conversations about their interests and preferences. Our contemporary education system which, according to the renowned British educationist Ken Robinson, came into being “to meet the needs of industrialism”, cannot alone be trusted to choose a career for your child based on his or her individual preferences and circumstances. Hence, as a parent, you have an important role to initiate the career counselling of your child. This may be achieved through the following five steps:
- Inform your child about the nature of work that various professionals do. A child would probably already know what a dentist, a pilot, or a chef do, for instance. But does he or she also know what tasks a civil engineer or an anthropologist perform? Hence, parents must ensure their children have a clear idea about the roles of different professionals in society.
- Next, teach your child about the jobs of the future – those that are gaining prominence in the modern era. What is the role of a data scientist or an information security analyst, and why is it important? To introduce such professions to your child, it is important for you to have at least a basic understanding of these jobs yourself.
- Then, other factors pertaining to a profession have to be considered, such as the work environment, the pay scales, the work hours, the intrinsic motivation attached to the job, and the types of interactions it entails. Make sure your child, as he or she gets older, is aware of the importance of these factors, overlooking which may land them in the wrong profession or industry.
- Evaluate the professions that your child is attracted towards and match these with his or her strengths, aptitudes, and personality type. Would your child be comfortable working on a computer all day long, or would he or she thrive more on the field? Is your child a good thinker or focused more on the practical side of things?
- Lastly, discuss with your child why he or she prefers a particular field or profession. Once you know what attracts them the most, you could also suggest alternative jobs that may interest them even more, or which may practically be more suited to them. Recount to them the pros and cons of the professions that interest them the most.
Encourage your child to be open during these conversations and never impose a profession on your child based on your own “dream” or desire. Also, do not be overly concerned with how others may conceive a profession that your child prefers. The choice is ultimately your child’s, and they will have to live with it. So guide them and advise them, but also support them in whatever Halal profession they eventually choose, and help them thrive in it.
Career Counselling in Schools
In addition to imparting literacy, schools must equip their students with the skills they need to succeed in professional life. Primary and middle school teachers must be tasked with identifying each student’s strengths or talents. For example, in a typical class, there may be a few students, who are fascinated with science, one or two maths geniuses, several students with outstanding literary skills, some who excel in sports, and a few who love the drawing board. These strengths should then be enhanced throughout the children’s schooling years to make them excel in their respective areas.
Schools should also look beyond always giving the same tasks to all students; there must be a dedicated time, such as half an hour each day or one hour twice a week, when each student gets to do any productive activity he or she loves the most, such as doing a science experiment, interacting with technology, playing a sport, or even writing a poem. Without focusing on students’ unique capabilities and fostering creativity in them, schools are doing little to identify the right career path for them. As Ken Robinson says: “We are educating people out of their creative capacities.” Schools must take care to avoid this.
During the regular term meetings with parents, teachers must discuss the possible career paths for students, especially those in middle or high school. Rather than commenting on their grades alone, teachers should communicate to the parents the strengths of each student and what particular fields or professions these could prove to be most useful in. It is shocking that in many schools even today – including those charging exorbitant fees – there is no dedicated career counsellor. This is something parents can reasonably take up with the school administrations. Schools and colleges ought to provide a dedicated and qualified resource with whom students, as well as their parents, are able to schedule an appointment to discuss the students’ career prospects.
Additionally, schools must provide students with practical exposure to various professions by organizing field trips to different organizations and industries. This would enable the students to witness firsthand what tasks each professional is performing and interact with them to gain further insights into their roles. Special sessions can also be arranged at schools, where professionals from different fields talk to students and familiarize them with the nature of their jobs and why they matter. The younger students can also be acquainted with various professions through role-play activities.
Role of Universities in Preparing Graduates
By the time students enter university, their career path is usually determined. However, universities can play an important role in landing them in the right jobs and providing them with the skills and qualities they need to succeed professionally. As per several surveys, including the one by Career Advisory and Assessment Services conducted in 2016, most employers and managers are not happy with the quality of university graduates. Universities must focus more on the personal development of their students, with particular emphasis on research and presentation – a skill lacking among many graduates.
Besides, the curriculums taught at universities should be more in line with the requirements of the modern workplace, as opposed to mere theoretical learning. In case of business schools, for instance, students can learn the theory and study business cases on their own; what the institutions should do is add value to their students through practical assignments, on-field projects, and exposure to the actual daily life of the corporate world. Training must also be provided to enable students to thrive in the freelancing industry where relevant, allowing them to work at flexible hours from their homes, while gaining access to projects and assignments from all over the world.
It is important to remember that merely possessing a degree, even from a reputable university, does not guarantee a job these days, if the graduates lack in relevant abilities. We are experiencing what experts have described as an “academic inflation” – excessive qualification requirements placed by recruiters – due to a large number of graduates chasing too few jobs in most industries. Some leading employers around the world, such as Google, are abandoning the requirement of a university degree in favour of possessing the right skills and knowledge through short certification courses. This underpins the significance of self-learning and continuous skills development in today’s world.
Both students and parents should stay updated on modern learning strategies, skills endorsements, and job market dynamics, which can help students choose a suitable career and prepare for it. In this regard, it may be helpful to read publications from organizations, such as Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21), listen to useful talks, such as those arranged by TED, and rely on other credible knowledge sources. Seeking the services of a professional career counsellor or advisor may also be a viable option for older students. The demand for jobs or skills alone, however, must never dictate one’s career choice; as explained earlier, sufficient importance must be given to other relevant factors, including each individual’s strengths, personality type, interests, and passion.
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