Technological development has led to rapid advancement in all sectors. The increasing awareness of multitudes of career avenues available today is breaking through the ageing mindsets of heading towards only mainstream jobs (Praise the lords!) However, with the ever-increasing opportunities, it is also necessary to have in-depth knowledge about the path one wishes to follow. Google can bring everything that the internet has to offer to the confines of our palms. Yet picking the right career is a lot more than simply knowing one’s options. Taking in all this information and evaluating everything can be a challenging task. It is on such occasions of doubt and confusion that people turn to career professionals, which is what makes career counselling as a profession even more relevant in today’s day and age.
Unemployment In India
In a report recently published by the World Economic Forum, India has a working population of 588,373,756 people. The Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) recorded our unemployment rate to be at a high 9.1% in December 2020. Granted that the country has only begun recovering from the after effects of the pandemic, yet it also implies that we must prepare ourselves for the near future. Nearly 38.7 million people moved into 2021 without stable employment. With a high unemployment rate and low job satisfaction, career counselling is not just availed by students seeking higher education and setting their future goals. Professional career guidance is also for people willing to start all over again. It could be someone leaving the job they were stuck with due to their circumstances, or lack of insight years ago. Either way, it is essential for such people, and students, to not get overwhelmed by the plethora of career opportunities before them, and that is when a career guide can come to their rescue.
New Job Opportunities
In order to keep up with the rapidly changing market, career counselling as a profession is gaining importance in schools and universities now more than ever. A survey conducted by LinkdIn states how 40% of the professionals interviewed expect a hike in the number of job opportunities in 2021. While that is good news for the students starting their career ventures this year, it is also disturbing to note the student to career counselor ratio in India. Our country is perceived as a counselling-deficit sector where over 93% schools do not have a professional counsellor on board. The 2018 Annual International Career and College Counseling Conference recorded an estimate of 1.4 million career counselors required to meet the acceptable ratio maintained globally, and this was just the number over two years ago. The positive outlook to the same is the high opportunity that career counselling as a profession has to offer to people thinking about exploring this field.
Recommended Read – Myth about Career Counselling Profession
A Counsellor Helps Connect The Dots
Considering the digital era that we are living in, all the information we need is a click away. Then why, when everything is so easily accessible, would one need a career counsellor?
The objective of a counsellor is not only to point out the various career options available for one to pick – their intrinsic job is to help identify the core competencies and interests that complement a career path for their clients. Gone are the days of choosing a mainstream career path for the sake of earning. People realise that each individual has different potential and abilities. They just need help in recognising the same, and connecting the dots between that and their dream job. This profession is gaining popularity in India for the same reason. More institutions are now inclined to hiring career counsellors, or reaching out to independent agencies that offer the same guidance services.
Who Can Become A Career Counsellor?
One does not necessarily have to be a graduate in a particular discipline of studies to venture into this field. While it may be easier for someone with experience in the departments of psychology and education, it is possible for anyone to become a career counselor, just as long as they are passionate about helping people in discovering and enabling their best abilities.
A few qualities that a career coach must possess are:
Patience – The ability to listen and understand their client
Research – One needs to consciously make the effort to be updated with the pre-existing and upcoming career opportunities.
Reflective – One cannot simply read up about the options available or base everything on what their client says. They must go a step further and ask the right questions. They must guide the person inwards and help them understand what they really wish to spend their time and effort doing, and the results they hope to achieve. It’s not about just stating facts – one has to understand and analyze various factors about the person they are helping, along with the current market scenario.
Read our detailed article to better understand the role of a career coach.
Eager to start your journey as a career counsellor? If you as an individual, or an organisation, wish to understand the nuances of career counselling profession better, Mindler has just the course for you. Our International Certified Career Coach Course offers deep insight and training to people venturing into this field of work. If you’re still apprehensive about diving in completely, and wish to understand first what this field entails, you can choose to take up Level 1 – a two day virtual conference that takes you through the structure and syllabus of the certification course we offer, along with a brief introduction to the current global scenario with respect to career counselling. Enroll now for the upcoming ICCC career counselling certification!
Conclusion
Gradually, people are accepting the idea that a career is not just an avenue to sustain oneself financially. People are opening up to the concept that if researched and approached in the right manner, a job can lead to self growth and self fulfilment, and even be fulfilling to a point where one can actually enjoy what they spend most of their time doing! At the same time, they need guidance from smart, experienced professionals to achieve this dream. Are you someone who can help people achieve their dream job? If yes, then this is the career path for you.
