The process of choosing the right career

Right path

Choosing the right career should be done carefully and must be a process rather than a decision, writes K L Nagaraju

A career includes not just the work one does but the entire life span­­ of an individual. A teacher, in addition to classroom teaching, is looked up to as a role model, conducting oneself in an upright manner in the society with temperate habits, being an eternal learner and so on. A doctor needs to be compassionate and kind, available at all times of the day along with his professional knowledge. So each career becomes the very life that one leads.

Career choice is an irreversible process. Hence one has to exercise great care in this process. Educational choice precedes career choice and hence one has to plan early. The stream of education selected limits the career opportunities. So after general education, especially at the pre university education stage, students have to make a tentative choice of careers because at a later stage change may not be possible.

Often parents force a career upon their wards. They thrust their unfulfilled dream on their children. There is another scenario where the individuals are undecided and take up any career which comes in their way. Also it is a common knowledge that students after completing a medical or an engineering degree take up civil services. It simply means that they were cut out for civil services but they did not discover themselves at the right time. In all such cases it is obvious that no thought has gone into their career preparation. Many may turn out to be square pegs in round holes!

Planning ahead

We should be wary of advice givers amd are all around us. However well-meaning they are, their advice may not be apt for us. They would be suggesting a career according to their perspective. It doesn’t mean that we should not consult at all.
Consultations are welcome but one has to explore that career and ascertain whether one is suitable for that or not. Teachers, parents, relatives and friends can be consulted before a choice is made. One should exercise informed choice.

One should plan for a career early and based on a thorough career exploration and abilities endowed with. Choosing a career should be a process rather than a decision made at one point of time. Some believe that it starts at the childhood stage itself. At schools, the students should be exposed to the world of work through several activities. A career exhibition, talks from professionals, providing literature on careers will help a student for career exploration. Students themselves can find more about careers which they like by self-exploration. 

Generally speaking, interest, aptitude and intelligence determine one’s career choice. Aptitude is the ability to acquire additional skills. Some careers need a high degree of intelligence whereas some careers demand only a moderate intelligence. So a combination of the three would have to be taken into account while choosing a career. A counselor would help in administering standardised tests and help an individual chart a course for their career preparation.

These psychological constructs are developed over the years based on the experiences and exposures an individual gets. They are not completely hereditary in nature. Hence the curriculum provides both scholastic and co scholastic areas for students to take part in schools. The opportunities the students get in a variety of activities in the school both inside and outside the classroom shapes up the personality. Hobbies too help in this regard.

Having interest in a particular field will definitely lead to success. But interest alone does not help in choosing a career. One may be interested in music but may not end up as a singer. But it is a very important factor in choosing a career. 

Ways to explore careers

A school library is an ideal place to provide educational and vocational opportunities to the students. College handbooks, prospectus, audio visual materials can be placed for the perusal of students. A display board can provide useful information on competitive examinations and colleges and institutes of higher learning which provide special courses available with them. Nowadays students are moving out of the country for education depending on their requirements. Private universities are coming up although a little expensive.

A career fair provides opportunity for students to know about different careers. They would know about the nature of work, financial returns, and course of study they have to pursue and so on. Also, the colleges that offer specialised courses and if fees need to be paid will made known to them. Career talks given by experts will throw light on the nature of work, financial returns, opportunities for career progression etc. 

Visit to work places can give a firsthand knowledge and conditions of work. One could also turn to literature to gain insight into their desired careers. For instance, you could read Upamanyu Chatterjee’s English, August to gain insight into a life of a civil services officer or Salim Ali’s The fall if a sparrow to get a picture of how an orithologist works.  

Today, there are many new careers emerging and many are fading. ­­­­---Hence awareness of the spectrum of careers is essential before a choice is made. Careers such as medical transcriptionist or content writer were unheard of in the past. At the same time we don’t find any telegraphist or a telephone operator. Some careers are ever green such as teaching, law or medicine. Of course they are undergoing rapid changes but the core concern of these careers remains the same. 

A counselor can help for ascertaining one’s strengths and weaknesses, aptitudes and career awareness. Counselors do not prescribe any career in particular but they would help individuals to help themselves. Schools should invite counselors to arrange career talks, career exhibitions and career counseling.

(The author is a retired assistant commissioner, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan)