Career Guidance Part I
It is said that every human being is born with a specific purpose. Though this might be true, the good news is that each one has been given a choice to decide this purpose. One main purpose is the career choice that each person makes.
Most of us end up spending at least 35 – 40 years of our lives in pursuing our careers. It is our accomplishments in our career that help us prove our mettle; see to it that our family and close-ones get all the comfort and peace that they truly deserve; and also make some useful contributions to the society.
The above passage highlights the enormous influence and impact that a career has on human beings. It obviously follows that a lot of thought and planning must be applied while taking our career decisions. A carefully thought-out career decision will put us on the path of success and happiness, whereas a rash decision may jeopardize our futures completely. Wrong career choices may put us on the path of self-destruction, disappointment, frustration, and a host of psychological problems.
If we ask small children about their future plans the common answers we are likely to get are; “I want to be an engine driver”, “I want to be a doctor”, or else, “I want to be a teacher”. If this is all that would have been possible then we would have had only a few careers available in this world!
Small children have a limited view of the world and the careers that they mention are the ones that they usually observe in their immediate world. As they grow up their boundaries expand and they are exposed to several hitherto unknown facets of the world. They become aware of numerous career options, and this is exactly the reason why career choice becomes such a herculean task, once children grow up.
Till their 10th standard, children are usually safe and secure in their school atmosphere. As they reach the end of their school life many of them stumble upon the first major hurdle in their life, and that is, their future career plan. What do I do after my 10th standard? Do I select Science or Commerce? Is Arts a better option for me? After 12th standard what do I do? Do I pursue Engineering or CA? Is it better to take up BMS or plain B.Com?
This is one of the most crucial junctures in human life. This decision definitely goes a long way in deciding one’s future life course; whether one will find peace and satisfaction in his life, or whether one is headed for a major turmoil in life.
It is often observed that while selecting a career choice a few major questions arise in the student’s mind: “Should I take up the field that majority of my friends are going for?” My father is a doctor, so should I pursue medicine?” “My mother says, I will succeed in the field of Commerce, so do I opt for the Commerce stream”? I have secured 95% marks at my 10th standard exams, now is Science the best option for me? I do not think I will be able to take up the challenge of engineering entrances after 12th standard, so do I opt for a diploma after my 10th? I am really good at drawing, but will a career related to drawing me really feasible for me?
In all the above thoughts it is clear that the focus is on external circumstances; no thought has been given to what the student actually wants to do in his own life. This is definitely a faulty decision making model. There is a possibility that on a few occasions decisions based on the above mentioned thoughts may prove to be right in the future. However, the chances are very low and using this sort of a trial-and-error method is definitely not advisable, especially while taking such a major decision in one’s life. It becomes imperative that a student applies a ‘scientific and rational process’ while selecting a career
The question then arises, “What exactly is this scientific process?”
Scientific process of selecting a career involves taking the help of a career counselor; who with the help of a few scientific evaluations, and by applying certain parameters, helps a student make a proper career choice. Here the entire focus is on what the student actually wants to do and whether it is in fact the best choice for him. The parents do get a chance to be involved in this career counseling process, and so their queries and doubts can be addressed and resolved successfully.
A choice made by applying such a scientific process will almost always prove to be effective in the long run.
I have seen many cases in which wrong career choices have had a major impact on those people’s entire lives.
One of my close relatives was very keen on taking up teaching as a profession. In fact, he belonged to a family of teachers. However his mother, herself a teacher, had seen how financially difficult a teaching profession could be in those days. So she vehemently opposed this decision, and he was almost forced to take up science. He did complete his B.Sc ultimately, but without any interest whatsoever. He took a job in a chemical company, again against his own wish. He continued with this job for almost 35 years before his company shut business. This was actually a very traumatic experience, but in one secret corner of his mind he was pleased to realize that finally his struggle was over. He now decided to focus on that one thing he always wanted to do, and that is, teach. In no time he carved a niche for himself as a private tutor. Of course while working at his job he was giving his 100 percent, but somewhere inside he was always unhappy with his life. It was as if he had resigned to his fate.
If my relative had originally taken up teaching as a career he would have actually looked forward to each day eagerly. Sadly, this was not the case. For this person this was sort of a personal loss, but in a way, wasn’t this a loss to the society in general?
I have seen people who had to take up careers much different from what they had always wanted. These decisions changed their lives forever; usually for the worse.
One person I know wanted to be in the field of Fine Arts but with parental opposition, he lost interest in his academics and barely managed to clear his 10th standard. Later on he got a government job and he stuck to his job loyally. However, if he had been allowed to take up fine arts, his life would have been definitely a lot better and creatively satisfying.
Another person took up engineering, partly out of parental pressure, and partly out of his own ignorance. He failed miserably at his engineering and had to shift to B.Sc. Sadly, by the time he shifted to B.Sc he had lost two vital years of his academic life, and with it he had also lost the zeal for life. He could never reach the heights that were expected of him.
At times these decisions are taken due to parental pressure, at times due to ignorance, and at times due to some other external circumstances. It is not that people with wrong career choices end up making a complete mess of their lives. However, it is often evident from their demeanor that they are just going through the motions. Had they got an opportunity of choosing their own careers, they would have undoubtedly been highly successful in their endeavors. In addition to this, instead of being a struggle, life would have been one big celebration for them.
These and numerous other examples show how dangerous and damaging wrong career choices can be to a person. The damage does not stay restricted to a person’s career, but the damage often becomes all-encompassing.
Amit Joshi
Consulting Psychologist
You can mail me at info@mentalhealthguidance.in