Avoid Career Confusions!
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 what they learned along the way. What was a key lesson for them?
The goal of education is to form good humans devoted to work for the creation of societies of love, freedom, fellowship, justice and harmony. The real aim of education cannot be other than the main development of the individual as a good member of society. People who are educated tend to have well-paid jobs, be law abiding, possess improved health and educate their own children better.
We face much confusion in our daily life. Some decisions are handled easily like which dress to wear, where to shop, what to eat, etc. We are worried and get confused when it comes to major decisions. 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. Sometimes a wrong decision might also lead to new discoveries of our life.
Our students are found more concerned about their professional career to stabilize their personal life and to fulfill their desires. A sound 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. Now we have 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. But what career is right is one of the most important and crucial decisions. If we find a right career, we will have success and prosperity and a better life ahead.
There are plenty of a career options for our students. Students must look at the choices rationally. They need to gather as much information as sensibly one can about the career. 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, have to learn about their own self. The values, interests and skills, in combination with certain personality traits, will make some careers fascinating and others particularly inappropriate. Moreover there are people who realize what they need in their career is beyond money. Hence they prefer switching from one job to another. Some others start their own venture once they are financially stable or totally dissatisfied with the job. Before making any decision they too must evaluate themselves. They must see whether they are ready to take the challenges. If they are going to create a new starting point for themselves, only then they must move ahead.
Today a wide range of educational, counseling, and human resource management interventions exist that can support individuals to properly manage their careers. 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 a crucial role in drawing a study plan and shaping the career and future of their wards. Parents need to 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 one’s schooling or college education to decide on the career field may not be a right and healthy option. This delayed approach 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 a right career can be challenging, but having a well-defined career direction will certainly help and 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.
- Assistant Professor, ITM University Gwalior and can be reached at [email protected]
The Writer is Assistant Professor, ITM University Gwalior
