Introduction
In the 21st century, the need for Career Counselling and Career Counsellors is significantly increasing. Many individuals are consulting Career Counsellors for support while making influential decisions in their lives.
This blog shall explain the importance of Career Counselling and its benefits to society.
So, What is Career Counselling?
www.merementor.com defines it as a psychological interference that provides clarity and guidance to an individual in career-related confusion. It aims to assist them to pick a suitable job and occupational field. The right career orients and fits the aspirants:
i) Personality
ii) Values
iii) Aptitude
And other factors that will be explored later in this blog.
Different types of Career Counselling include Career Exploration, Career Skills Development, Job Coaching, Work Transition Guidance, and Job search/hunt. The services are subjective and cater to the specific needs of each client.
Elements of Career Counselling
Listed below are the rudimentary elements of a Career Counselling session:
i) Client
A client is a person who wants to get an education or job-related guidance and benefits from the process. These are the people who usually opt for Career Counselling-
a) Students (School and College)
b) Fresh Graduates
c) Working Professionals
ii) Career Counsellors
A Career Counsellor is the most significant element in a Career Counselling process. They are responsible for conducting the Counselling sessions and administering multiple Psychometric Assessments.
Career Counsellors address the client’s questions and provide required information about institutes, educational programs, job opportunities, expected salary, and other related factors.
They usually have a psychology degree. Some of the Career Coaches complete diploma certification courses in Career Counselling.
Listed below are the qualities and skills of Career Counsellors according to the Best Career Counselling in Trichy:
a) Knowledgeable
Career Counsellors must hold comprehensive information about a variety of career paths and industries. They also must be aware of their scope and other field opportunities available for the student.
These Counsellors have a connective professional social network and contacts with experts who can give an individual insight into their specialization.
b) Approachable and Friendly
Career Counselling can be an authentic experience. Many individuals are likely to open up and share their thoughts and opinions with a Career Counsellor who is friendly, kind, and honest.
It is also important to note that Counsellors must be non-judgemental, unbiased, and maintain a professional neutral standpoint at all points of the Counselling session.
c) Strong Communication Skills
Active listening and clear speaking skills are crucial for a Career Counsellor to validate their clients and ensure correct information is exchanged between them.
d) Empathy
Empathy is the quality of a person to understand and relate themselves to the emotions and feelings of another human being. This quality is extremely vital in the profession of Counselling.
e) Confidentiality
Career Counsellors must be trustworthy and maintain the confidentiality of the patient. They are confidants of their clients and are ethically bound. In particular cases, they can be legally obliged to take the support of the law.
f) Problem-solving and Decision-making skills
Career Counsellors should be excellent problem solvers and decision-makers. They need to analyze the circumstances and possible solutions for the clients. But, the primary role of a Career Counsellor is to empower individuals to make their own choices and only provide support during the process.
The process of Career Counselling
Career Counselling in India recognizes three main steps in the process of Career Counselling:
i) Administering Psychometric Assessments
These are scales used by Career Counsellors to assess and measure the cognitive capacity of their clients. For example:
a) Intelligence
b) Aptitude
c) Learning Styles
d) Passion and Interests
Psychometric Assessments are valuable tools used to analyze a person and discover potential career paths.
ii) Counselling Session
The session includes rapport-building, report discussion, doubt clarification, and closure/conclusion.
iii) Generation of Action Plan
After the session, the Career Counsellor prepares an Action Plan that charts a possible career path that the client can follow.
Why do people choose Career Counselling?
Listed below are the most common reasons why individuals opt for Career Counselling according to the Best Career Counselling in Trichy
i) Lack of awareness regarding available occupational fields
ii) Requirement of information regarding a field, academic program, or a job position
iii) Students who have a conflict of interest with their guardians or parents
iv) Freshers who are seeking jobs and require guidance with resume creation, interview training, and other job application processes
v) Working Professionals who want to adjust to their workplace and set performance goals
vi) Working Professionals to measure their job satisfaction levels and learn techniques to handle work stress
The benefits of Career Counselling to the individual
At a singular level, an individual is enabled to unlock their potential and pursue their passion. Through Career Counselling, it is ensured that people have greater employee satisfaction. When the needs of the employee are fulfilled, they are proven to show higher levels of productivity, motivation, and creativity and become efficient workers.
Career Counselling helps the person to face the hurdles and experience a smooth career journey. This interference can be applied and opted by individuals in multiple age groups. It remains useful lifelong for a person.
Confusion among students is eradicated, and clarity is found. The right person is matched with a suitable and preferred job.
The benefits of Career Counselling to the society
Society is a large unit where the citizens are the functional smaller units. Career Counselling directly works with the citizens and aims to deliver services personally. The effect of this service is reflected on a larger scale.
In India, only five career paths are given importance, and information about the other numerous options is scarce. Career Counselling decreases the Herd Mentality (the tendency of humans to select a career option that is picked by the majority of the group)
This tendency of humans decreases job satisfaction and increases unemployment in the country.
By assisting people to pursue their passion and equipping them with the necessary skills we can see multiple sectors and industries progressing simultaneously.