What is Career Guidance and Counselling?

#What is Career Guidance and Counselling?

Career Guidance involves giving unbiased opinions by experts for self-assessment purposes. It helps in the exploration of educational and occupational choices. Guidance counsellors not only provide advice and support but also the resources to achieve the goals.

The career guidance counsellors usually have a master’s degree in counselling from a recognized university. Initially counselling was meant only at higher education levels or for employed individuals, but now this is no longer the case. Guidance and counselling is sought at school level also.

This is due to the fact that help is sought to highlight a student's interest areas and build competencies along the way early on in a student’s life.

What is the difference between Guidance Counsellors and Career Counsellors?

Guidance counsellors work with elementary and school-age students. They provide the support and counselling required for families as a whole.

Career counsellors on the other hand work towards providing support to high school students, who are about to enrol into colleges, and for students already in colleges on the threshold of embarking on a career.

What are the qualities to look for in a good career counsellor?

A counsellor can be your parent, teacher or a working professional. Yet a qualified counsellor is one who is an expert in psychometric assessment and occupations research.

She should possess the necessary skills, abilities, information and knowledge about the subject field. It could be with regards to the psychological aspects of the student, career opportunities, job openings etc.

Moreover she should be able to effectively communicate with the students and parents. The counsellor should provide guidance in a neutral and unbiased manner.

What is the need for Career Guidance and counselling?

In today’s scenario, students are spoilt for choice in terms of the number of career options to choose from. This has given rise to severe confusion in the minds of the students giving rise to uninformed choice selection, resulting in unhappy career choices. Career guidance and counselling helps

• In the overall development of the student
• In the training of young minds to bring about optimum development
• In developing long term mental health which can be otherwise severely affected due to wrong career selection

What is online career counselling?
Psychotherapy or other counselling services are offered over the internet. You can connect to a licensed therapist via any device that has an internet connection such as smartphones, tablets, computers etc. The term online career counselling may be interchangeably used with e-therapy or teletherapy.

Online vs Offline Counselling therapy. Which is better?
There isn’t much difference in terms of the services received or outcomes expected. Both deliver the same quality. It is up to you, a matter of convenience actually.

Some feel the need for face-to-face interactions and yet others are comfortable using cutting-edge technology to do the job from remote locations.

In fact, as an after effect of the pandemic, many people are choosing the online option to be on the safer side and for its sheer convenience.

Why is online career counselling important?
In the past, it has been observed that children usually take up the path chosen for them by their parents or other family members.

Moreover it was the norm for children to follow in their parent’s footsteps. It is not the case anymore.

Children today have the freedom to choose any field they so desire and are equally supported by their parents.

Usually it is the lack of knowledge and awareness that prevents a child from making the right career choice.

With a multitude of options available today, students are at a loss and get easily confused. Career counsellors provide the much needed guidance.

With their knowledge, experience and by using various tools and resources such as psychometric tests; give valuable insights into a child’s personality and aptitude and give direction to their life.

What is the online career counselling process?
Career counselling can be broadly categorised into 5 stages.

1. Getting to know you - The first stage is very crucial to lay a good foundation for a satisfactory counselling experience.

   Communication can happen effectively if there is trust between both parties.

   For this to happen, you must get to know the counsellor and vice versa. And it is also very important that you feel comfortable talking to the counsellor.

   If not, you can always ask for another counsellor, nothing wrong in that.

   In order for the counsellor to understand you better, you will be required to fill out a series of questionnaires and forms.

   This way the counsellor will be in a better position to understand you, your interests, your background etc.

2. Analysis - During this stage the counsellor would have assessed you a little bit and will administer some personality tests to understand your social behaviour, career related interests etc.
   A one-on-one interaction with your counsellor will help him/her analyse the findings which will form the basis for the next stage.

3. Decision-making - This is a crucial stage; by now your counsellor will have made you aware of the different options available to you. Your counsellor will help you understand the pros and cons of each path and help narrow down your choices.

4. Action-plan - By now you would have become considerably clear on which career path to choose. Now is the time to prepare an action plan.

   Gather resources required for you to begin your journey. You will also be provided with a backup plan by the counsellor.

   Understand the backup plan and be prepared mentally for that as well.

5. Implementation - Once the goals are set, you will receive deadlines to work towards them.

   Be sincere in your approach and stick to the plan. You will soon be on your way to realising your potential and embark on a career suited to you.

Why should I opt for online career guidance?

Career guidance can be sought at different levels of schooling or at different times in one’s career.

Usually, parents, teachers, peer groups help an individual in analysing and exploring various career choices. But it is important to understand that counselling provides an expert’s knowledge and guidance as they are trained professionals.

With the help of resources and tests the counsellors are able to closely match the personality, aptitude and talents of the individual to various suitable careers. This provides near accurate findings and enables the individual to make the right career choice.

There are many benefits associated with online career counselling.

First and foremost, which is stating the obvious, is that you don’t need to travel for counselling sessions. Especially if you are busy with a 9-5 job/school hours that do not permit and/or have physical limitations in terms of travel and other issues, it makes sense to opt for online counselling sessions.

Second and most preferred reason is that an online session provides part-anonymity or quasi-anonymity and the person is more comfortable in answering questions and opening up about themselves.

Last but not least, it offers flexibility in terms of time and can be sought from anywhere with just an internet connection at any time of the day, thereby helping in reducing overhead costs as well.