Confused about career, Improve your decision-making with 4 simple steps of career counselling

Confused about Career?

This is our fourth article in the education & career series. In our previous articles, we have done a lot of discussion about different issues such as “why the students are not much interested in engineering education these days as they were before”, and “the impact of Industry 4.0 over-engineering education & education in general as well”. Now, after having much information about various career options, Are you still confused about your career? If yes, then improve your decision-making skills with these simple and powerful 4 steps of career counselling on your own…

Importance of Decision Making

Now the question arises that, in this era of changing jobs and education scenarios due to the empowerment of technology with the fourth industrial revolution, how should the students choose their course for study after finishing their school as they are having many diverse options Infront of them these days in comparison to the past. These diverse options make them confused about their career.

As we all know, the right decision at the right moment can change the horizon of the entire life. Moreover, when the question is about the selection of courses then, there could be no better moment than, if the decision has been taken / being taken in the pre-finishing year of the school i.e during 9th / 11th. However, this is my opinion.

I am saying this because if you are certain about your to be academic domain after the 10th / 12th in the pre-finishing year i.e. 9th / 11th itself. It would be helpful in maintaining the required grades/percentage in the finishing class i.e. 10th/12th as you will only concentrate on your studies in this crucial year. It will also help you in getting admission to your dream college as well.

Decision Making – How?

The general answer to the question may be, these days the internet is filled with plenty of such resources from where you can retrieve the desired information with reference to the available options and decide accordingly. Another answer could be, you can also ask your family members/relatives as they will guide you through their decision-making process and you will then proceed accordingly. This is true in most cases and with the above options, you can definitely have the answer to the question i.e what to choose? But you will not find the answer to the question i.e how to choose?

In my opinion, getting the answer to the question i.e how to choose? is more important than what to choose? as the answer to the latter could involve the personal bias of the answer provider. For example, if you will ask me “What to choose?” I will answer, choose mechanical engineering as this was my subject and I was comfortable with the same. But it doesn’t mean this is good for you as well. It may be or may not.

Even, after getting such answers from your relatives/friends, you will probably still remain confused about your career. This is why I am focusing here on the answer to the question i.e. how to choose?

Decision-making process – 4 simple steps of career counselling

To know the answer, you are required to go through the following decision-making process consisting of the 4 steps of career counselling and understand them wisely so that you can get the definite answer to the question i.e “What to choose?” on your own and then the answer would not be even biased as the answer is given by yourself.

Step 1 – Define

In this step you are required to define your interests and in order to know your interests you are required to answer the following questions;

What do you love to do?

What are your interests?

What are the activities, you spent your most of time with?

What are you passionate about?

What appeals to you the most?

Knowing the answer to these questions will cut your problems up to 25 % in deciding the right career option. Based on the answers to the above questions, you will have answers like I love math, physics, biology, cricket, football, singing, theatre, dancing, computer science, graphics designing, animation, watching movies, managing parties etc.

Moreover, a student may have one interest and more than one as well. However, in most cases, the students possess more than one interest just like everyone as they do not belong to a different category. After all, everyone is human and more or less a student throughout life. Coming to the topic, after knowing the answers to the above questions, list down all those activities/hobbies, you are passionate about and move to the next step.

Still Confused about career? Move to another step of decision-making…..

Step 2 – Measure

After noting down all the activities, the next step is to measure your love/passion for them. This step requires the answer to the following questions;

How much time you are devoting to these activities?

How much you are passionate about these activities?

Knowing the answer to the above questions will cut your problems another 25 % in deciding the right career option. Now the time is to prioritise the answers of step 1 with the help of the answers of step 2 and note down the 2 – 3 activities maximum, which appeals to you the most? You are also required to answer that “Is there any activity among these 2 – 3 activities, with whom you can spend the whole day and even after that you will not feel bored? Moreover, you have enjoyed this time and you are not even aware of the amount of time you have spent”.

Caution

Spending a whole day over mobile games/computers doesn’t necessarily mean your interest is aligning with the study of computer science. Because, the study of computer science requires one to have an interest in skills such as programming, writing algorithms, database management etc. and moreover in common language, it requires the development of games and other necessary apps, software etc. Therefore, don’t get confused.

Still more Confused about career? Move to another step of decision-making…..

Step 3 – Analyse

After going through the above 2 steps, you all are in a position to analyse the remaining options. Now you are required to explore these options in detail and find the answer to the questions such as

What are the courses available in the fields based on your interest?

What kind of skills are required to excel in your selected fields?

What are the different institutions offering the study of the particular course?

What is the selection criterion of these institutes?

What are the career prospects in your selected fields?

What kind of job profiles are available in your selected fields?

What kind of growth opportunities are available in your selected fields?

Also, compare your selected fields based on the answers to the above questions and find out which one option is compatible with your skills and lifestyle you want along with the constraints you have, if any. These constraints could be finance-based, location-based and many others as well. Knowing the answer to the above questions will now cut your problems another 40 % in deciding the right career option. With this comparison and consecutive learning, move to the next step.

Still a little bit Confused about the career? Move to the final step of the decision-making and remove all your confusion…..

Step 4 – Decide

This is the final and deciding step. Till now, you have cut down your problems up to 90 % in decision making. For the remaining 10 %, You are required to listen to your inner self and decide the major option, you want to pursue as a career. Also understand, you have chosen this option as the only one because you are really willing to work in this field. In this case, congratulations, you have come out from a state of dilemma to a state of clarity.

Moreover, selecting one doesn’t mean that you have to leave the remaining ones. As you all are aware that this is the age of learning through digital platforms. In case you want to get dive into other skills, go to various online learning platforms and learn at your own pace.

Concluding Remarks

I hope, now you have understood why I have focused on “how to choose?” much instead of “what to choose?” as the answer to later goes through the answer to the former.

Want to know more about how to utilise these 4 steps of Career Counselling effectively and make exponential progress in your respective careers, Click here to Book your FREE Consultation Call with our Head Mentor

Happy Learning. Best Wishes.

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Disclaimer: The views presented in this article are the author’s own views. The views are presented here just for the purpose of information. These views are not meant to harm anyone’s belief/thoughts.