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What Is Career Guidance?

In an age where career queries are not uncommon, it’s important to answer queries related to career guidance or career, in general.

Who can benefit from Career Guidance?

Student Of Class 9th - 10th

Setting the basics right solves a lot of confusions that might arise later. Whether it is choosing the correct stream to the correct board, and mapping career goals, a right start at the right time makes all the difference.

Student Of Class 11th - 12th

One chooses one’s stream out of the four possible options (non-medical, medical, humanities, commerce), however the career options possible for a student to opt for are more than hundreds. To make sure that the entire process from choosing the right career options to achieving those goals goes smoothly, it is important that one seek career guidance from an informed (and experienced) mentor (read: career guide)

College Going Students/ Working Professionals

For people who have already made a career decision need to work towards it, to attain the maximum results. A guide informs them of the best career opportunities and ways to do the best in the field they have chosen for themselves. Generally, people end up taking the wrong paths in order to achieve their goals. Either they realize that the career option they have chosen isn’t meant for them, or it dawns upon them that the option they have chosen isn’t strong enough to keep them motivated or excited throughout their professional lives. As a result, they tend to rely on an expert’s advice, and that is where a guide steps in.

Do I Need Career Guidance?

One must definitely go for career guidance if one’s thoughts align with any of the ones mentioned below:

Choosing The Right Career

For people who find it difficult to realize the right career meant for them; a career guide helps them sort this confusion. There are infinite career options available to choose from, and without an expert’s proper guidance, one might stick to a few that his/her friends or relatives ask him to pursue. An informed career guide makes one aware about the scope of every career option in detail, which widens the horizon for the student. For people who think they are clear on their career paths and have attained enough clarity to work towards a chosen career option, career guides ensure that they achieve their goals without any distractions.

Realization Of Making A Wrong Career Decision

Making the right career decision at the right time makes a lot of difference. For instance, one might realize that engineering is not the best-fit career option for them, after having worked as an engineer for ten years, or one might realize the same quite early in life. Either way, the person has the option of realizing where his/her true passion lies and working towards the same, or continuing working on the current one. Since changing streams and discovering something completely afresh requires a lot of planning and discussions on the scope of the new career option, it is always advisable to take guidance on choosing the right career, right from the beginning.

Focused Career Route

A risk-averse student generally keeps a few career options available for him/herself. While it is not a bad route to follow, many students fall prey to career confusion. Their focus gets shifted, and as a result, they find themselves not performing up to their potential. A career guide not only helps a student decide the career route, h/she also guides the student about the path, maps his/her career, helps him/her clear the confusion and distractions coming along the way.

What Are The Elements of Career Guidance?

In order to understand Career Guidance a little better, let us look at its most important elements:

A Qualified Career Counsellor

The first and foremost element of any career guidance process is the presence of a qualified guide (read: counsellor).

An Agreement Of Trust And Confidence

The Process of Modern-Age Career Guidance

1. Online Assessment To Remove Human Error Or Biasedness:

An advanced and trusted online assessment doesn’t let one choose just between the few tried-and-tested career options. Psychometric assessments developed by researchers and psychologists ensure that career queries and problems are dealt with sincerity and backed by experience, knowledge and research. They are modern, and reveal the best-fit career matches on multiple parameters, such as interest, personality, emotional quotient, aptitude and orientation style. With such research and algorithms backed by the expertise of leading psychologists, the chances of falling into the wrong career decision trap minimalize.

Find all that you need to know about career assessments here .

2. Career Counselling And Extended Support From Experts:

A career discovery report may not be enough to help decide what one’s true career calling is. One needs proper advice for career selection, and by proper advice - we mean an expert’s advice. Parents, teachers and friends might be knowledgeable and want the best, but it takes a little more to know what the heart wants, what the brain says and what the career demands. An expert career counsellor and guide would be right beside the student, guiding him/her for the right career and helping him/her work towards it.

Find all that you need to know about career counselling here .

Career guidance is a two-step process and a great guide would always recommend students to follow both the steps in order to decide on the right career option meant for them. One spends almost 70% of one’s lifetime working. The proper career guidance, ensures that the career chosen is the right one and thus results in emotional, social and financial happiness.

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How Does Career Guidance Support Career Development?

Dawn Rosenberg McKay is a certified Career Development Facilitator. She has written hundreds of articles on career planning for The Balance.

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Career guidance consists of services that help people successfully manage their career development . Career development, an aspect of human development, is the process through which an individual's work identity emerges. Although it will occur on its own as you mature, you may benefit from getting assistance as you navigate through this process, which can be quite confusing at times.

Many people seek out assistance from career development professionals only when they are trying to choose a career for the first time, or perhaps when they are going through a transition. The intent of career guidance, however, is to provide support to individuals throughout their entire lives. Let's take a look at when, during your career, you should get help.

Far too many people are dissatisfied with what they do for a living. Why is that? They make mistakes when choosing a career and end up in an occupation that isn't a good fit. That's not surprising since going through the career planning process , including the four steps one should take when choosing a career, is difficult. It may seem like it would just be easier to pick an occupation out of a hat.

While making a random choice may be simpler, it is certainly not wise. Given the amount of time you spend at work, you should do everything possible to make a well-informed decision. Getting help from a professional who provides career guidance can be the difference between ending up in a satisfying career or one that makes you miserable.

A  career development professional , such as a career counselor, may use  self-assessment instruments to help you learn about your interests, values, skills, and personality type. After coming up with a list of occupations that seem suitable for you based on the results, he or she can show you how to explore them and then weed out the ones that are not as good a fit as others. Then, the counselor can help you create a career action plan that will allow you to pursue the occupation you chose.

What is the point of choosing a vocation if you don't know how to find a job? Career guidance also consists of providing job search assistance when you are looking for your first job or any subsequent ones. How we look for work has changed significantly over the last decades, and it continues to change. Career guidance professionals keep up-to-date on the best methods to use when job searching.

A career counselor will show you what resources to use to locate job announcements. He or she will help you write an effective resume and will teach you how to network. When it comes time to go on job interviews, you can also get advice on how to best answer questions and negotiate a job offer.

Get Mid-Career Advice

In addition to getting help with matters that involve beginning your career, such as  choosing a vocation  or securing your first job, you can also get direction about things that occur later. For example, career guidance services also include helping individuals advance their careers and deal with workplace issues.

A career development professional can answer your questions about career advancement. He or she can tell you what to do to be promoted or get a raise, or even help you decide whether to quit your job. You can get advice about getting along with co-workers and your boss, preparing for and responding to performance reviews, and managing job stress and burnout.

Job loss is devastating, both financially and emotionally. When you lose your job, a piece of your identity is also taken away. The most tangible result, however, is the loss of income. Assisting those who are dealing with this devastating life change is a component of career guidance. Since you probably don't want to spend extra money when you are already feeling distressed about your finances, you should look into free or low-cost career guidance services, as will be discussed later on.

A career counselor or other advisor can assist newly unemployed clients to cope with practical issues like applying for unemployment benefits  and continuing health insurance. Eventually, he or she can help the client begin the job search process. They can also get encouragement and advice from professionals and, through support groups, from others who are in the same situation.

Since most people do not stay in the same occupation for their entire working lives—some individuals even switch careers multiple times—there will probably come a time when you will want to make a change. A career guidance professional can give you advice when you are taking on this kind of transition.

Meet with a career development specialist who can help you assess your  transferable skills . With their assistance, you can discover what skills you can bring to your new occupation and which ones you will need to acquire before you can begin a new career.

When you are engaged in the day-to-day activities of making a living, searching for a new job, or making another change, sometimes you need an unbiased cheerleader by your side. Your partner, friends, and family have a stake in your future and may have difficulty being impartial. For example, if you need encouragement to make a big career change, but your partner is worried about how it will affect your finances, a professional advisor who doesn't have any skin in the game can be just what you need.

A career guidance professional can motivate you when things aren't going the way you would like. He or she will encourage you not to give up whether you are stuck in an  unsuccessful job search campaign  or having trouble making a decision about leaving a career behind and pursuing a new one, even if it will be difficult to retrain. They can give you a realistic look at what to expect, tell you whether you are making a wise decision, and cheer you on when you feel like giving up.

Professionals who provide career guidance include career counselors and career development, facilitators. School guidance counselors provide these services to middle and high school students, who can get an early start on making career-related decisions. A college student can seek career counseling from the career services office at his or her institution.

Career centers in public libraries are a good source of free career planning assistance. Librarians can teach you to use all the resources and tools. Many also have counseling services available. Also, many community agencies provide free or low-cost vocational assistance, including occupational training programs and workshops on job search skills. The U.S. Department of Labor sponsors  One-Stop Career Centers located throughout the country. These offices provide tools and services to help job seekers and students.

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What is Career Guidance and its importance?

Abhishek - thursday 9th september 2021 | articles.

7 Comments | 873 Likes

Do you often encounter uncertainties around your career path? 

If yes, you are not the only one on the list. 

People generally face a lot of dilemmas throughout their lives.

They might be concerned about what stream to opt for, which career path should they follow, or whether they should change their job. 

The education system is constantly evolving with time. It has also affected the job market substantially. With so many industries and roles to choose from, perplexity is certain to arrive. What should you do in such a scenario? Do not restrict yourself to your familys or friends advice. 

Various factors decide the career path for any person. Interests, potential, and scope are few vital checkpoints here. A mere piece of advice can move your life in a 360 degree angle. Do not worry, career guidance might come as a lifesaver here. Read the article till the end to know all details. 

What Is Career Guidance?

The basic purpose of career guidance is to acquaint individuals with their occupational choices. It is a process that involves the work demand and potential of the individual. Thus, you need not stress anymore about the short term and long-term goals. 

No matter what your differences are, you have to embrace them and be proud of the way you are.” - Jazz Jennings

This particular quote implies that every individual is unique in their way. Suppose you have already decided to pursue mathematics, and become a professor. But, is the course suitable for your skills? Do you have enough mathematical and analytical capabilities? All of these answers depend on what fits the best for you.

This is exactly where career guidance comes into the picture. The process not only helps you to climb the appropriate steps but also brings desired results. However, it is a lifelong process to reap the benefits of the guidance. Individuals go through various circumstances which require them to make quick decisions.

A person might be worried about their stream, or what occupation to go for. It takes time to figure out these answers making career guidance a comprehensive task. Once you know about it, life decisions can be taken in a better manner. The idea behind career guidance is to equip individuals with the skills and resources to reach the heights of any profession. 

Who can opt for career guidance?

There is a wide range of people that must get accustomed to career guidance. All of them have specific goals to reach a similar conclusion. It translates to living a peaceful and lucrative life ahead. After all, what is life without passion and interest?

Excitement for the everyday task is what sails your boat in the long run. The first step always begins with ditching the ignorance. Thus, here are the categories who must seek self-awareness through career guidance. 

If you have just finished middle school, new subjects and competition might be troubling you. It is advisable to introduce to you a plethora of opportunities around you. Go and explore them with expert advice. 

Or, if you have passed class 10th recently, the next step lies in deciding a suitable stream. The subjects you decide now carry the burden of your whole life. Do not compromise with it and pick the best option. 

Now if your 12th is getting over, what have you planned for the college and job industry? This phase can be termed as the most crucial time as students have just entered the rat race. Filling entrance exams, switching to a stream, or moving abroad are some of the tasks. 

Have you just completed your bachelors degree? If yes, you must be perplexed between pursuing higher education or seeking job opportunities. Almost every individual gears up themselves to fit as the best among everyone else. Thus, opt for career guidance to take the final step towards your dream profession. 

Let us agree that not everyone aspires to become a doctor or an engineer. Some want to break the conventional chain and search for alternative paths. Career guidance raises your confidence level towards every step you take in your occupation.

Roles of a career counselor

Let us quickly explore the tasks and functions performed by a career counselor. 

Advice for career

Technology and computers are some of the most emerging careers in todays scenario. It is the duty of these career counselors to aware students of these changes. Having complete knowledge will prevent students from making decisions in a vacuum of information. Many aspirants do not know about their life plans while some of them fail to trace relevant steps. Thus, career guidance will resolve all these dilemmas. For instance, if you are looking for the corporate sector, team building and problem-solving are valuable skills. 

Evaluate interests and abilities

Would you rather engage in a venture that promotes your liking? Or, a task that drains you completely? A majority of people will certainly go for the first option. Interest is an individuals preference to engage in one or more activities relative to another. Career guidance techniques devise different techniques for its evaluation. The earlier we recognize them, the better results will be. Goal setting by a career counselor incorporates ones preferences in mind. 

Liaison 

Anxiety, and finance shortages are certain to arrive with career decisions. Career guidance is a more comprehensive and advanced solution than you think. The objective of sessions is to assist students on their track and achieve a goal. Unlike informal advice, these specialized counselors offer an unbiased solution to the clients. Say goodbye to all judgments and downgrading statements. 

Advantages of career guidance

Here comes the part for which your heart had been racing all along from the beginning. Let us dive into the benefits of engaging in career guidance. 

Advice from skilled people

It must be noted that counselors are professionally trained to guide concerned people. They are furnished with various expertise including, communication skills, problem-solving ability, and self-awareness. Therefore, career guidance is a one-stop solution to all career queries. 

Diverse opportunities

Do you know that there are around 7.6 billion people in the world currently? It means that these individuals are employed in a significant number of professions. Some worth noting fields are administration, information technology, teaching, banking, and others. Sorting one out of these prospects can be a tedious task for an individual. Career guidance comes out as a lifesaver in terms of distinct career opportunities. 

Ways to grow your career

Lets say that you have decided to become a surgeon. Do you know the best college on your fixed budget? Which certifications are a must to try on? Do specific skills determine success in the medical field? It can be a perplexing task to find a perfect solution to such vital aspects. Career guidance shows a complete roadmap to mark the flag of success. 

Learning experience

A stellar career counselor makes you learn about a range of tips that will put you on a pedestal. Be it excelling in an interview or handling corporate pressure- career guidance has covered everything. You can even attempt mock tests or interactions to upskill. It is a step-by-step process to transform into a perfect job candidate. Be sure to take advantage of career guidance to build your profile. 

Saves time and money

Let us admit that advanced degrees cost a hefty amount which can even rip your pockets. Some individuals enroll for a course which neither forms their interest nor grants any scope. Switching majors is not a feasible option for most middle-income families. And, dropping college is not a smart option as not everyone becomes Bill Gates or Ed Sheeran. Sticking to a fixed pathway through career guidance should be on your priority list. 

Where to get career counseling?

Edumilestones is the highest-rated career counseling platform in India which will prove to be a boon. You can connect with over 1500 highly trained counselors from 54 locations in India. To unlock the benefits of career guidance, follow these simple steps:

Step 1: Go to the browser through any device and visit www.edumilestones.com .

Step 2: After doing so, you will find the option of Find Career Counselors near You.

Step 3: Select the type of career guidance you are seeking- be it for students, professionals, or abroad study.

Step 4: Enter your location to find counselors near you.

An entire list of counselors will pop up with their complete details. You can either book an appointment with them or request a callback.

Enjoy your session!

Conclusion 

It is never too late to plan for your career unless you do not take a step forward. A minor decision like stream selection can certainly affect your life outcomes. Ignorance is never bliss in any scenario, rather brings more struggle. We are often clueless about our careers, or interests. It might not look like a big deal but will make you regret it after time passes. You still have the power to turn your barren pathway into a prosperous one. 

In the end, do not rush with your career choices. Adopt the relevant strategies and keep exploring. You never know what career or subject can fit the best for you. Exposure is the first step to become professionally aware. What are you waiting for, then? Feel free to seek career counseling around you. 

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The importance of effective careers guidance in schools

With the current high youth unemployment rate, and the fact that many students were left disadvantaged by the pandemic, it has never been more important for schools to provide effective careers guidance. We spoke to Phil Cosby, Principal and CEO of Alec Reed Academy, on why schools need to prioritise their careers education.

20th Jun, 2022

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Why is career advice more important than ever.

The Covid-19 pandemic caused massive disruption to young people and their education. School closures meant students were isolated from their teachers and peers, and without the face-to-face interaction, many fell behind on their education. Although we have now come through the other side of the pandemic, many students feel disengaged and pessimistic about their futures.

According to a report by the Co-op , 26% of 13- 25-year-olds said the pandemic has ruined their career dreams, and 60% think their generation will be permanently disadvantaged. From the results of the study, in which 5,000 children and young people were surveyed, it’s clear that pupils need support with their future career prospects now more than ever.

How effective is the current careers curriculum?

Information, advice, and guidance (IAG) in schools aims to raise young people’s aspirations, giving them skills and knowledge for a successful transition into adult life. However, according to research by the Department for Education , 90% of the IAG 18–19-year-olds receive comes from family or friends, and children aged 13-14 found the IAG received from their family to be more useful than the IAG they received from teachers.

This shows just how essential it is for schools to prioritise their careers guidance. Having a structured careers programme deeply embedded into your school’s curriculum, that shows students the wide variety of opportunities available to them, and starts as early as possible, is key. But for many schools, finding quality careers education resources is a challenge, and many even leave it too late to introduce it.

We spoke to Phil Cosby, Principal and CEO of Alec Reed Academy, to get his thoughts on careers advice in schools, from the importance of starting early, how to embed a careers programme into your school, and how Reed’s free student careers guide can empower teachers to deliver effective careers education.

Watch the full interview with Phil or read the transcribed interview below:

Q: Why is career advice important in schools?

A : It’s a key thing for success because the students need to be employable by the end of their time in education. That’s going to be so important to their success as an adult and their personal worth and value in life. And of course, we’re very focused on mental health in schools. So, we want those students to be successful, and to be successful, they need to really fully understand the opportunities that are available to them and understand more clearly about what they need to be to be employable. And those skills are a key part of our curriculum, our wider curriculum, not just taught in the obvious subjects: maths/English, but beyond those main subjects into the wider curriculum to ensure that they’re as prepared as possible for later life.

Q: How do you think Reed’s career guide will help students?

A : It’ll form part of our curriculum and be delivered by our staff on a rolling basis through the different year groups. And it will be a resource that our staff rely on in order to motivate and engage the children and give them a very clear indication of what career paths are out there, so that when they travel through taking their GCSEs, it can be very much a part of the discussion tool on their results day, about what opportunities are in front of them. And it can also ensure that when they do go to interview, they’ll have been developed and given the tools to be more successful.

Q: How do you think this guide will help schools?

A : I think schools will be pleased that it’s available because as I say, there’s just a shortage of resources out there. You’re so reliant on one or two potential areas that you can tap into, where this should provide a platform to enable all schools that use the resource to really embed their careers education fully into their daily curriculum and ensure that all the students leave school and are happy and content and gain employability whether that be at 18 or beyond.

Q: How can schools make the most of the guide?

A : It’s got to be embedded fully into the curriculum that runs through the school from year seven. We’re fortunate that we’ve got an even younger section, so we’re even thinking about using it in our primary. But it’s got to be part of our expectations of staff, through our PSHE programme, through our form periods, to really tie the children in to fully understanding what life is like post-school and ensuring that they are able to access that type of employment that they have desired and have driven for from those early ages, right through to the completion of the courses that they’ve started.

Q: When should students start to think about their career options?

A : I think the earlier the better. Historically, it’s always waited too late, to year 10, 11, or even into post-16 or sixth form. So, it’s really important that it moves into key stage three so that in year seven and eight and year nine, they’re already thinking about potential pathways for education and where they might want to be in terms of a long-term career.

Reed’s free careers guide for school leavers gives you all the tools you need to deliver effective careers guidance. ‘What’s next? A guide to starting your career’ has all the information students need to make an informed decision about their future, from the different routes to employment, jobs they can do after leaving school, and the salaries they can expect to earn.

Download the guide and get a free promotional pack for your school.

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Career Guidance and Counseling – Importance, Types and Benefits

Whether you are aware of it or not, you have been building your career your entire life. There are numerous factors, like your interests, abilities, values, personality, upbringing, and circumstances, that could influence how your career evolves. In order to make decisions about your job, education, and overall well-being, career guidance and counselling is a process that will help you get to know and understand yourself as well as the working environment.

Vocation development encompasses more than just picking a major and deciding on a career after graduation. In other words, you will change during your life, circumstances will change, and you will continually have to make decisions about your work and your personal life. In addition to supporting you in making the decisions you must make right away, career guidance for students seeks to give you the knowledge and skills you need to make future career and life decisions .

Who does career guidance and counselling serve?

Because professional development is a lifelong process, career guidance and counselling is acceptable for all students, including freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and even alumni. However, you’ll be in a better position to choose wisely about your future the earlier you do so. It is advised for all first-year students to meet with a career guidance counsellor.

One of a person’s most crucial duties is choosing a new career because it will directly affect both his personal and professional life. Young minds are particularly impressionable in their early years because they lack the wisdom and experience to make wise decisions. It becomes challenging for them to determine the job development possibilities that would help them advance in life given their interests, abilities, aptitude, needs, and ambitions.A career guidance counsellor can assist with choosing a career and looking at career opportunities in various fields.

The career guidance counsellors assist individuals in finding a career by posing crucial questions, such as

• Where does his passion lie?
• What skills does the client possess?
• What sets of skills does he have?
• What pastimes does he find rewarding and enjoyable?
• What credentials does he have?
• What professions best match his interests and qualifications?
• Is he searching for a secure job or one that involves travel?
• What amount of money is he seeking?

Following are some reasons why career guidance is important:

1. increase your understanding.

Professionals with a thorough understanding of this field work as career guidance counsellors. They provide students and job seekers with knowledge, information, and counselling to help them determine the amount of education they will need to realise their professional aspirations.

2. Reaching intended objectives

People gain from career coaching by reaching their chosen goals. Counsellors are frequently consulted by students in educational settings like high school and college early on so that they can receive guidance in the future. Even professionals seek a section to fast ascend the success ladder.

3. Economic benefits

Career guidance counselling is crucial since it makes it easier to handle the time spent unemployed. It provides chances to broaden and expand your professional horizons, earn more money through wiser career decisions, and develop your productivity.

4. Enlarge ties to the community

The benefit of career guidance counselling is that it improves the client’s social connections and networking abilities.

Career Counselling Types

There are different kinds of career guidance counselling, and it’s vital to be aware of them in advance so you can select the one that best fits your needs. Which are

1. Career Coaching Online

The majority of people do their own job searching and do not have access to career guidance and counselling assistance. The reason for this situation is that the job seekers found a new job and obtained legal employment without seeking out counselling, so they are convinced that they can do it again on their own if necessary.

They are in financial difficulty, so hiring a career consultant seems like a waste of money.

In addition to experiencing emotional turmoil, they also have poor mental health. The idea of seeking a career guidance counsellor’s assistance to enter the labour market for a new position has not entered their mind

These individuals options for employment are somewhat constrained, but with grit and perseverance, they frequently succeed in making things better. It’s critical for job searchers choosing the DIY Career Coaching approach to comprehend that working with a career counsellor will improve their chances of quickly landing the desired position.

2. Firms that market careers

Career marketing companies are a subset of career counselling businesses that engage staff to discover job candidates who are desperate to get employment at any cost. These organisations services include

• Provide one-on-one coaching to your clients.
• assist clients in writing resumes
• assisting clients by giving them access to databases with high fees
• By providing personalised marketing materials, assist customers.

These companies market reputations aren’t great, and their levels of success differ. They are frequently accused of preying on innocent would-be employees. If someone is considering choosing this form of career counselling, they should select the provider with the highest rating.

3. Small-scale Outplacement Support

Some workers are qualified for outplacement services when they leave their current employer because they held prominent positions there. It is only valid for a short time and could include

• coaching session with the business counsellor in person
• Limited career counselling with a professional
• workshops led by reputable job advisors
• group instruction
• having access to experienced career counsellors for producing resumes
• access to the business’s internet database

Some job seekers join government-sponsored support organisations, networking groups, or both during the transition phase to maximize their benefits. Their limited outplacement assistance is the reason why job seekers have considered these sorts of career counselling to be most helpful in career development.

4. Coaches for independent career transition

Independent Career Transition Coaches are a subset of career counsellors who offer their clients assistance with career development and counselling. Their rates vary, therefore it’s critical to examine their qualifications, be aware of overall costs, visit their website, and ask around prior about their success rate. Verify the career counsellor’s ability to assist by asking if they have a programme designed specifically to meet your unique needs.

Exactly who are career guidance counsellors?

Your assistance is being provided by a member of the Career guidance counsellor who has a master’s degree and is knowledgeable with career development theory, counselling strategies, administering and interpreting assessments, and sources for career information. Master’s degrees in counselling or career counselling are required of career counsellors.

Job Search Advising and Career guidance Counselling are related since your job search and career attainment processes are important for your career growth . Additionally, completely qualified to help you with all facets of your job search is your career counsellor.

What services are offered by career counsellors?

One of a career guidance counsellor’s many services is

• Assistance support and direction in conducting a professional job search
• Give assistance in creating the cover letter and resume
• Skill evaluation
• Decide on interests
• Analyze the values of a career
• Integrating and finding a balance between one’s personal and work life
• Management ability
• Making a marketing plan for a successful job hunt
• Give advice and information on how to locate undiscovered jobs in a particular industry.
• Training for successful wage negotiations
• Discussions to improve the compensation package
• Thorough instruction using simulated interviews

Career counselling benefits

The disciplines of study are changing in this time of a skill-based economy to meet the specific needs of companies. Students frequently struggle with making decisions concerning their careers. A good career path typically combines two elements: the potential for a career and the aptitude and interest of students to pursue that profession. You might be able to choose a career that is both rewarding and exciting with the aid of counselling. The necessity of career guidance counselling is further explained by the following points:

1. Clarifies your personality, values, interests, and skills

A career guidance counsellor is more than just a consultant with sufficient knowledge of many professions who advises you to select one with a wider range of job opportunities. Instead, they begin by getting to know you as a person, discuss your hobbies, and looking into your abilities and passions. Your future employers won’t consider leather or the non-vegetarian food industry if your morals forbid the killing of animals for their skin or food. They direct your thoughts, assist you in organizing them, and force you to make wise job decisions.

2. Recognize the employment market

Career guidance counselor are knowledgeable about the work market and its intricacies. They are aware of the types of workers that various sectors require. For instance, compared to construction, hospitality demands very different types of personnel. Web development is not appropriate for a web designer, etc. They help you comprehend what the market expects of you, how uncertain it is, and what you’ll need to do to keep up.

3. Make a wise professional choice.

Clarifying your beliefs, interests, and personality-related talents through career counselling also helps you comprehend the work market. Therefore, it examines how to strike a balance between the two components of a successful profession, namely your interest and the industry that suits your skills. You can make a well-informed and wise career decision with its guidance.

4. Advice on how to investigate potential careers

Career counselling assists you in examining how to maintain and further improve your interest once you have made an informed decision that is cognizant of your interests and skills. It demonstrates how to investigate occupations that are relevant to your interests. Your career counsellor provides you with the right advice in accordance with your interests in many fields. For instance, you might have a combined interest in the outdoors, entertainment, and business. Counselling teaches you how to investigate these areas so that you can choose a fulfilling career that fits both your interests and your career goals.

5. Determine the education and training requirements for the career you want to pursue.

Getting good job advice won’t leave you in the middle. The counsellor assists you with the logical next step, which is choosing the educational path and training programmes needed to pursue that vocation.

6. A fantastic method to understand your possibilities is to seek out career guidance.

Professional counselling informs you of all the possibilities that are realistic given your interests, skills, prior education, and career development. From a personal and market standpoint, it examines your possible career and highlights all of the viable choices. Students frequently lack clarity on their skills and interests, as well as a clear future outlook. You can learn about your interests and associated vocations through counselling. Your attention will be drawn to all alternatives, including those you might not be aware of.

• At some point or another, every student should seek career guidance. Students should seek it while heading to class in grades 9 or 11, even though the ideal moment for them to do so may vary. Students go through a lot of physical and emotional changes during this period of their schooling and development.
• The three major streams (Arts, Commerce, and Science) are available for selection in the ninth standard, and the 11th standard sort of determine the student’s future area of study. The majority of students quickly select one particular stream, which they only later realise is incorrect. It could become stressful for them. As a result, they ought to start off moving in the appropriate path.
• The three primary streams (Arts, Commerce, and Science) are selectable in the ninth standard, and the student’s future field of study is sort of decided in the eleventh standard. Most students make a hasty decision regarding one particular stream, which they subsequently learn is incorrect. For them, it could become stressful. They should therefore begin by heading in the right direction.
• College students who don’t know what to do with their careers or who are unsure whether to pursue further education or employment can benefit from career counselling.
• Additionally, it benefits professionals wishing to change careers. If they wish to go from their current field to something they love, they should get career advice.

The best career guidance websites provide career guidance. However, making a decision too quickly is not the wisest course of action. To choose the best career guidance services, one should perform a thorough survey, get feedback, and then decide.

If you’re seeking career guidance websites, you’ve come to the right place. OneCity recently introduced CollegeMarker. A website called CollegeMarker provides comprehensive information to students, parents, and educational institutions on college programmes, events, admissions, and much more. Its objective is to assist students in making wiser career decisions. One can quickly get in touch with the best career guidance counsellor in the area by hitting a button. You can more easily receive career counselling at your convenience with CollegeMarker’s career guidance services.

Professional career guidance for students is now and professionals are near their homes. By using the portal for scheduling appointments through career guidance websites, you can choose the career guidance counsellor who is closest to you. Nowadays, scheduling career guidance services is well recognised for its contribution to job advancement. Students have immediate access to career guidance and can find local professionals to help them.

Made easier to choose a career

People work for about half of their lives. A person works 90,000 hours in his or her lifetime on the job. However, the evidence indicates that few professionals are content with their jobs. It’s because they didn’t prioritise settling down over advancing their careers. People who have at some point in their lives participated in career guidance for students tend to be more advanced and content in their careers.

Therefore, anytime they experience defining moments in their lives, both students and professionals need to seek career guidance. Students should consult Career guidance after the 10th. They should also seek professional advice when changing careers or going through other significant life transitions. Making an informed choice is always preferable to wasting your valuable time on something you are unqualified to do.

There are many different educational options. By assisting you in conducting research on all of the courses that are offered. A career guidance website such as  CollegeMarker  will advise you on which course to pursue. Look at the top-ranked schools and institutions in Mangalore for a variety of fields, including engineering, nursing, business, fashion, and animation. CollegeMarker gives the best career guidance services for you.

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International Handbook of Career Guidance pp 1–22 Cite as

Introduction: An International Handbook of Career Guidance

• Harsha N. Perera   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0003-0811-6190 3 &
• James A. Athanasou   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4743-4098 4  
• First Online: 02 January 2020

3924 Accesses

Career guidance operates within a tradition of concern for the welfare of the individual and a respect for the dignity of each person. It eschews a haphazard or serendipitous approach to career choice for one that is more coherent and structured. The aim is to maximise the vocational potential of each person for themselves and the world-at-large. Over time, career guidance has evolved not only as a field of professional activity but also as a major area of academic research that focuses upon one’s vocational adaptation to life. This second edition of the International Handbook of Career Guidance is addressed principally to researchers in that discipline and reflects not only developments in career theories or guidance practices but also methodological approaches. This chapter sets out some broad influences on career guidance in terms of individuals, the society at large, occupation, and changes occurring in the world. The aim of this Handbook is to provide an up-to-date overview of the field of career guidance on the world stage. The argument is advanced that the fundamental intention of career guidance is to ensure that the individual maximizes lifelong career satisfaction. With this as a founding tenet, it considers prominent contemporary issues that confront career guidance services and practitioners, including the presence of the informal labour markets and changing formal workplaces, accelerating digital transformation and automation of processes, and the need to accommodate the work-based experiences of people on the margins. It is argued that there is scope for professional guidance in this changing, complex, and competitive labour market.

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• Career guidance in practice

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Perera, H.N., Athanasou, J.A. (2019). Introduction: An International Handbook of Career Guidance. In: Athanasou, J.A., Perera, H.N. (eds) International Handbook of Career Guidance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-25153-6_1

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The well-being outcomes of career guidance

Peter j. robertson.

School of Life, Sport and Social Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, UK

The potential for career guidance to impact on well-being has received insufficient attention in the UK. There are both conceptual and empirical reasons to expect that the impacts may be positive, but a lack of evidence directly testing this proposition. Career guidance has commonalities with therapeutic counselling suggesting analogous effects, and it promotes positive engagement in work and learning, which may be associated with health benefits. There are implications for services in reconciling health and employment objectives. However, the promotion of well-being need not imply quasi-clinical ways of working. A call is made for more research and debate in the career guidance community as to the extent and implications of the potentially important relationship between career guidance and well-being.

Introduction

Since the turn of the millennium there has been increasing interest in happiness and well-being. This is particularly evident in the work of positive psychologists (e.g. Diener & Seligman, 2004 ) and the economists and policy makers they have influenced (e.g. Halpern, 2010 ; Layard, 2005 ). In the UK, the health and well-being of the working age population has become a focus of concern for employment policy (e.g. Black, 2008 ) and in education there has been:

… an explosion of interest, policy debate, policy making, academic research and programme development around the concept of emotional well-being…( McLaughlin, 2008 , p. 353)

In spite of these developments, the concept of well-being has been neglected by the UK guidance community, with rare exceptions, notably Kidd (2006 , 2008 ) who focuses primarily on careers in organisations. There has been little attempt to systematically explore its implications. This article attempts to provide a foundation for such an exploration, and seeks to establish the topic as interesting, important and relevant to both career guidance practitioners and researchers.

A brief introduction to the concept of well-being is used to set the scene. This is followed by a discussion of the two main channels by which career guidance might lead to improvements in well-being. These are direct effects, comparable to those found in therapeutic counselling, and indirect effects via promotion of healthy participation in work, learning or alternative activities such as volunteering. This discussion includes an identification of potential conceptual links between career guidance and well-being, and an overview of a diverse empirical evidence base. Finally, some of the issues for practice are considered, with a view to making explicit assumptions that might underpin services adopting a health or well-being focus.

The concept of well-being

The meaning of the term well-being is a complex and contested area. For a full discussion of the issues of its definition and measurement, the reader is referred to Forgeard, Jayawickreme, Kern and Seligman (2011) . Here we are primarily concerned with approaches to subjective well-being that are derived from positive psychology, a perspective that has been applied to careers in the American literature (e.g. Walsh, 2008 ). Three approaches can be identified in positive psychology. The first focuses on the experience of the emotion of happiness, often described as hedonia (e.g. Argyle, 2001 ; Kahneman, Diener, & Schwarz, 1999 ). The second recognises that sometimes expression of negative emotion is healthy, and that well-being has a cognitive as well as an affective dimension. This influential approach advocates the measurement of the balance of positive and negative affect, combined with measures of life satisfaction (e.g. Diener, 1984 ). A common feature of these approaches is the use of empirical research, and a claim that simple psychometrics designed to measure well-being can have robust technical properties. Finally, the third approach recognises that healthy functioning is not just a matter of individualistic experience of positive emotion. Engaging in meaningful activity, taking responsibility and the pursuit of personal growth go hand in hand with adopting productive roles in society. This elusive concept is labelled eudaimonia in contrast to the pleasure-focused concept of hedonia (e.g. Deci & Ryan, 2008 ; Ryff & Singer, 2008 ), and it has a clear resonance with the notion of career.

In any consideration of positive well-being it is difficult to avoid the converse notions of psychological distress or poor mental health. These experiences have been extensively researched, and positive psychology could be seen as a movement seeking to rebalance this dominant clinical focus. It is not necessarily the case that positive and negative experiences are opposites. Huppert and Whittington (2003) argue that well-being is at least partially independent of negative distress experiences. However, at the most broad brush level, positive well-being is associated with lower incidence of both mental and physical health conditions. It is possible to think of well-being as a continuum from positive to poor mental health in the population as a whole, whilst accepting that at a more detailed level of analysis it is possible to distinguish between the incidence of positive and negative experience, and between hedonia and eudaimonia. This is the kind of thinking advocated by Keyes (2002) , and it is adopted here for two reasons: it allows us to consider a wide range of evidence without getting bogged down in narrow definitions; and because the positive career experiences are likely to involve eudaimonia (positive engagement) more often than hedonia (pleasure), so a narrow focus on happiness is undesirable.

Direct effects

This section explores the mechanisms by which the experience of participating in career guidance may have direct effects on the well-being of service users. To the extent that career counselling resembles therapeutic counselling it may be reasonable to expect similar effects. The notion is not far-fetched. Several authors claim there is overlap between the concerns raised in career and therapeutic counselling (e.g. Herr, 1989 ; Lenz, Peterson, Reardon, & Saunders, 2010 ; Zunker, 2008 ); personal and health issues feature in both settings. This view is supported by surveys of the concerns clients report (e.g. Lucas, 1992 ; Niles, Anderson, & Cover, 2000 ). This is evidence of presenting problems, not of impact on well-being outcomes. Fortunately, there are accounts of case studies where career counselling interventions have positively resolved personal or psychological difficulties (e.g. Blustein, 1987 ; Imbibo, 1994 ; Lenz et al., 2010 ; Lucas, 1993 ; Super, 1993 ; Tolsma, 1993 ). This is not the most robust kind of evidence, as these are counsellors’ own narrative accounts. However, what they lack in rigour, they partially make up for by being numerous and consistent in claiming positive effects.

The helping relationship in career guidance may be beneficial in itself, for the same reasons as it may be in therapeutic counselling. Receiving attention and emotional support, while sharing concerns in a safe and trusting environment, may be beneficial. If ‘common factors’ in the helping relationship are effective in counselling, they may transfer to a career guidance environment, although this area is under-researched ( Bedi, 2004 ; Meara & Patton, 1994 ; Whiston, Lindeman, Rahardja, & Reed, 2005 ).

In the context of a supportive career guidance relationship, clients may be provided with emotional support and challenges to negative thinking that assist them in the management of distress. Unlike a therapeutic setting, managing emotions is not usually an agreed goal of the intervention, but emotional support is nonetheless a common element of the process. Hanisch (1999) draws a distinction between approaches that are problem focused as opposed to symptom focused. As career guidance is more likely to be the former than the latter, to the extent that career-related problems are the source of distress, then solving them may help to alleviate it. This does not mean that employment-related interventions cannot also directly address symptoms of distress. The clearest example of this is the use of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for personal development or condition management with unemployed adults. The evidence is mixed. Not all studies find CBT effective, and in particular there is a question mark about whether clinical efficacy translates into effectiveness in occupational settings ( Rose & Harris, 2004 ). However, recent UK evidence is promising. Kellett et al. (2011) report a large study of a CBT-based group psycho-educational intervention for benefit claimants with health conditions. They found improvements across a range of psychological well-being measures for half the sample, which were maintained at follow up. Thus in career guidance or analogous employment support settings, well-being gains might be either a side effect of practical support or a consequence of managing emotions as a sub-goal of a helping process.

Powerlessness and lack of control are known to be associated with psychological distress. Career guidance seeks to empower clients to be proactive and believe in their ability to make things happen: it promotes a sense of agency. There are a range of psychological concepts dealing with the importance of agency (including learned helplessness, locus of control, and mastery). The most well developed of these approaches is Bandura's (1997 , 2001 ) concept of self-efficacy. The evidence base for career interventions promoting self-efficacy is strong in terms of both quantity and quality ( Betz, 2007 ; Gainor, 2006 ). Furthermore, self-efficacy is closely related to well-being ( Borgen & Betz, 2008 ; Borgen & Lindley, 2003 ; Schwarzer, 2008 ). Recent evidence suggests that belief in one's own employability can substantially limit the negative psychological effects of unemployment ( Green, 2011 ). Recipients of career guidance often report their confidence has been boosted (e.g. Bimrose, Barnes, & Hughes, 2008 ; Joyce, Smith, Sullivan, & Bambra, 2010 ). Hughes and Gration (2009a) review the literature and conclude there is strong evidence that in-depth career guidance promotes confidence in job seeking. So competence beliefs are important determinants of well-being, and they are likely to be boosted by career-related interventions.

Career guidance may also encourage clients to be optimistic, set constructive external goals and focus on the future rather than ruminate on past or present problems. A bias towards future life planning is fundamental to career guidance. The counselling models typically adopted in career guidance settings in the UK are often goal and action oriented (e.g. Egan, 2010 ). Aside from any practical benefits resulting from goal achievement, the process of setting and pursuing goals is likely to be of intrinsic benefit. Optimism is a key characteristic of the mentally healthy, and the adoption of goals implies a willingness to entertain the possibility of positive outcomes. A more thorough rationale for this claim is provided by Lent and Brown (2008) . Seeking to integrate positive and vocational psychology, they provide a social-cognitive model that identifies goals as a key factor influencing both job satisfaction (well-being in the work domain) and life satisfaction (global well-being).

Although largely future focused, where career guidance is retrospective, it seeks to encourage a positive reconstruction of the meaning of past experience. People often hold distorted interpretations of setbacks as failures ( Cannon, 1997 ). With support, career and personal biography can be viewed as resource bank of skills, qualifications and experience; as assets to deploy to meet future challenges. Past events, even those with negative outcomes, can be redefined and become a source of learning. This process of reframing is a feature of many helping perspectives, but is particularly salient in narrative counselling, an approach that has been influential in recent thinking in career guidance (e.g. Reid, 2006 ). Hartung and Taber (2008) takes this rationale a stage further by claiming that a constructivist approach to career counselling promotes subjective well-being through supporting adjustment to developmental challenges and the implementation of a healthy social identity.

The construction of social identity is a core activity of careers work, because work and learning activities define vocational identity, an important component of social identity. Career guidance may encourage clients to redefine their vocational identity in a way that strengthens their self-esteem. There is good evidence that interventions can impact on vocational identity ( Whiston & Rahardja, 2008 ), and this construct seems to have a strong inverse relationship to career anxiety ( Holland, Daiger, & Power, 1980 ). It seems that a well-formed vocational identity may help to protect against distress. Career guidance may also move clients towards a wider social identity that avoids clashing with their value system. Osipow and Fitzgerald (1996) suggest career choice could be seen as a process of cognitive dissonance reduction.

Indirect effects

There is a vast literature linking unemployment with detriments to mental health, including some authoritative reviews (e.g. McKee-Ryan, Song, Wanbeg, & Kinicki, 2005 ; Paul & Moser, 2009 ). Even allowing for the possibility that poor health may increase the chances of unemployment, the weight of evidence makes it unambiguously clear that unemployment is a causal factor in poor mental health. Conversely, work tends on balance to promote mental health ( Waddell & Burton, 2006 ), but only if it is good quality work. Unhealthy psycho-social environments and insecure or marginal work may offer negligible benefits or be harmful to health. This implies that to the extent that career guidance promotes good quality work, it seems likely it will tend to promote well-being.

There is an equivalent, but much smaller literature relating to participation in learning. This explores well-being outcomes alongside social outcomes, as one of a number of possible wider benefits resulting from engagement in learning. In general, health and well-being improve with more years spent in education (Centre for Research into the Wider Benefits of Learning, 2006 ; Hammond, 2004 ; Ross & Mirowsky, 1999 ), a relationship that reflects patterns of social inequality ( Wilkinson & Pickett, 2010 ). It must be acknowledged that education may have some disbenefits, and the evidence in relation to some sectors is weak (further education), equivocal (higher education) or suggestive of only transient benefits (vocational training). However, Field (2009a , b ) reviews the literature and suggests that on balance it indicates a positive effect of learning on well-being, particularly for the most disadvantaged groups in adult and community education. Similarly, studies of volunteering also point to positive health effects of participation ( Casiday, Kinsman, Fisher, & Bambra, 2008 ; Corporation for National and Community Service, 2007 ), although the evidence base is somewhat weighted towards older or retired volunteers.

Work and learning often involve absorbing activities that give opportunities for use of skills, and a sense of control. Benefits may be enhanced to the extent that the activities are personally meaningful and well matched to individual interests, values and abilities. Csikszentmihalyi (2002) uses the concept of ‘flow’ to describe the healthy state of absorption in activity. Task engagement may also help to block negative thinking. Silva (2006) makes a persuasive case that interest is a transient emotional state associated with positive well-being, which over time can become a personality characteristic. This is a foundation for enduring eudaimonic well-being. Having vocational interests that are congruent with the work environment is associated with higher job satisfaction, although the relationship is not as strong as might be expected ( Arnold, 2004 ; Furnham, 2001 ). Job satisfaction is related to health ( Faragher, Cass, & Cooper, 2005 ) and to global life satisfaction ( Erdogan, Bauer, Truxillo, & Mansfield, 2012 ). There is also some evidence that happiness may be a cause of career success rather than vice versa ( Boehm & Lyubomirsky, 2008 ; Lyubomirsky, King, & Diener, 2005 ).

In addition to tasks and activities, there may be social benefits too. As career guidance aims to promote participation in work and learning, this means that clients may gain opportunities to belong to a social group, to forge friendships and avoid loneliness. This may enable them to build both the quality and quantity of their social ties, to make useful contacts that may support them in facing future career or personal challenges. This should promote mental well-being. A systematic review from De Silva, McKenzie, Harpham and Huttly (2005) concluded that there appears to be a negative association between an individual's social capital and their level of mental health symptoms.

The extrinsic benefits of participation must also be considered. Lack of money can have a corrosive effect on well-being. Financial pressures and debts lead to anxiety, aggravated by housing insecurity. Lack of income makes it difficult to sustain relationships, give gifts or participate in social events, particularly for those cast in a breadwinner role. Lack of money undermines a sense of agency and leaves people feeling powerless ( Fryer, 1992 ; Price, Friedland, & Vinokur, 1998 ). Career guidance may help to ameliorate these effects via provision of advice and support to students in relations to grants, awards or loans; and to the unemployed via welfare benefit advice. More importantly, career guidance may also support people to secure a sustainable income via promoting access to paid employment, or support with career advancement.

It seems that a strong case can be made that health and well-being are influenced by career experiences, and participation in good quality work, learning and other productive social roles tends to have positive effects. These benefits may be greater if the activities are well chosen, and lead to long-term career security, rather than short-term marginal employment. This is not intervention evidence; none of these observations constitutes evidence that career guidance impacts on well-being. But it is a small step of logic to suggest that any intervention which enables people to overcome social exclusion and access appropriate career roles may tend to have positive impacts on health. Clients may gain well-being benefits indirectly as a result of career guidance promoting engagement in work or learning. Participation in these opportunities may provide access to psycho-social benefits ( Warr, 2007 ).

Research that considers the well-being outcomes of interventions to promote employment is hard to find. The work of the University of Michigan Prevention Research Center stands out. Price, Vinokur and Friedland (2002) provide an overview of two major research projects adopting randomised control designs, which explored the well-being outcomes of group-based job search training intervention to support unemployed adults. There have been successful international replications of this approach, notably in Finland ( Vuori, Silvonen, Vinokur, & Price, 2002 ). They claim positive effects on both well-being and employment outcomes, while accepting that local labour market conditions are an important limiting factor. Reviews of the literature regarding the effects of active labour market interventions such as these on health and well-being are more cautious in their conclusions, pointing to the scant evidence base ( Audhoe, Hoving, Sluiter, & Frings-Dresen, 2010 ; Coutts, 2010 ). There are similar, but isolated, examples of much smaller studies demonstrating positive mental health effects of career education interventions for school pupils or college students ( Koivisto, Vuori, & Nyokyri, 2007 ; Peng, 2005 ; Vuori, Koivista, Mutanen, Jokisaari, & Salmela-Aro, 2008 ).

Issues for practice

From the preceding discussion it seems possible to postulate a number of causal mechanisms. Career guidance may directly benefit well-being via provision of a helping relationship, emotional support, building confidence or competence beliefs, promoting optimism via identifying future goals, and defining vocational identity. Indirect benefits may arise through promoting participation in employment or alternative activities that provide access to absorbing work with the opportunity to use skills and exercise control, social group membership, and income to address financial anxiety. Although scarce, the available research does imply that it is reasonable to expect that positive effects may be found, and further study is worthwhile. The evidence is still too limited to sustain firm conclusions or to act as a basis of prescriptions for practice. As a result the following discussion is speculative, and goes some way beyond the evidence base. It seeks to make explicit some of the assumptions that might underpin practice in career-related services seeking to incorporate a health focus. These ideas may help to outline some of the issues and options for service delivery.

The goals of career services typically focus on promoting employment, lifelong learning or social equity. The outcomes that are used as measures in performance management and evaluation are, if anything, even more important than the stated goals, as this is how the work of a service is judged. Employment goals have dominated this arena, and the funding of employment support agencies is often linked to placement and retention in work. Well-being has tended to be absent or at best an implicit goal. This need not be the case. Zunker (2008) advocates a dual role for career counselling. As soon as services have dual health and employment objectives, their prioritisation needs to be addressed. If work is the prime objective then gains in relation to health are secondary – a desirable side effect, or perhaps a necessary problem to manage or overcome on the road to a job. A therapeutically oriented service might adopt the reverse rationale: work could be seen as desirable side effect of getting better, or as a step in the recovery process. Multiple objectives need to be reconciled.

Multiple objectives may also need to be sequenced, particularly where health needs are substantive. A distinction has been drawn between ‘work first’ and ‘human capital development’ initiatives to support unemployed adult job seekers from welfare into work. The former promote early placement into open employment; the latter focus on skills acquisition prior to job seeking. Work first approaches have tended to dominate ( Lindsay, Mcquaid, & Dutton, 2007 ). Bambra (2011) suggests an alternative for those who are workless for reasons of sickness: a ‘health first’ approach, where health conditions among benefit claimants need to be managed before re-entering work. Thus services face choices as to what comes first: work, learning, health, or pursuing these goals in parallel. Brown (1985) seems to be the only career counselling source raising the issue of sequencing health and vocational support. With the proviso that careful assessment is needed, he advocates that where the relationship with work is a key source of distress, then early career counselling is appropriate even where emotional problems are severe.

Historically, career guidance services have been located in employment- or education-focused settings. Another perspective is introduced by considering health services as a potential location for career guidance; indeed some vocational rehabilitation services are located in clinical settings by choice (e.g. Bond et al., 2001 ; Sainsbury et al., 2008 ). If a work-focused service can have a health setting, then logically a health-promoting service can have an employment or educational setting. It does not follow that services require a quasi-clinical culture in order to deliver health benefits; on the contrary, the mainstream feel of the environment may be a beneficial ingredient (e.g. Perkins, Repper, Rinaldi, & Brown, 2012 ).

The career counselling literature points to the commonalities between career and therapeutic counselling, often advocating a fluid boundary between these activities (e.g. Richardson, 1996 ; Westergaard, 2012 ). In the UK attempts to define career guidance as a counselling activity have met with some resistance from policy makers ( Jayasinghe, 2001 ); career guidance and therapy remain distinct. This need not be an obstacle; adopting individual psychotherapy as a model for practice is not the only way to promote well-being. Counselling is only one of the activities of career guidance ( Standing Conference of Associations for Guidance in Educational Settings [SCAGES], 1993 ); other more prosaic activities should not be ignored. A variety of mechanisms of impact may be at work, and there is reason to believe that even jobseeker support programmes with no counselling component may have a positive effect. Concerns about professional boundaries and staff competence arising from the integration of career and therapeutic counselling (e.g. Niles & Pate, 1989 ) are less salient if well-being is supported without adopting an explicitly curative role.

A key question here is whether a service should be seeking to promote positive health (salutogenic), or to remedy illness and distress. While the two are not necessarily mutually exclusive, the distinction is useful and can be found in the mental health ( Provencher & Keyes, 2011 ) and even in the career counselling literature ( Super, 1993 ). For career guidance services a salutogenic approach has much to commend it. It does not require a clinical style of delivery, which may be inappropriate in occupational settings. It is consistent with an asset- rather than a deficit-based approach. It may be appropriate to the whole population, not just to a clinical target group. This is a crucial point: the promotion of positive well-being may be viable in mainstream service settings, not just specialist rehabilitation agencies. It is possible for a career guidance service to be concerned with health promotion without necessarily casting itself in a therapeutic role for a special population.

A final note of caution is required. The career guidance evaluation literature rarely acknowledges the possibility of harm resulting from interventions, which at best is mentioned only in passing (e.g. Oliver, 1979 ). The more general notion of perverse consequences of interventions is accepted by Hughes and Gration (2009b) . The tendency is to assume benign ineffectiveness, where positive impacts are not detected. Any claims to health impacts should take the possibility of iatrogenic effects seriously. The most obvious risk is through the harmful consequences of raising career expectations that cannot be fulfilled. Considerable caution is needed before making claims for career guidance services that cannot be sustained by research evidence. Impact evaluation evidence is needed to assess these risks.

Conclusions

It is possible to propose a number of plausible causal mechanisms through which career guidance interventions might have a direct impact on well-being comparable to therapeutic counselling, or an indirect impact, via promoting participation in healthy work and learning. Although there is a lack of unambiguous evidence demonstrating well-being outcomes of career guidance, there is a sound rationale, and enough evidence to suggest that it is reasonable to expect these impacts might be positive. There remains a pressing need for research to directly evaluate the well-being outcomes of career guidance with aview to informing our understanding of the ways in which practice can contribute to the promotion of health and well-being.

This article has made explicit a number of fundamental considerations facing a ‘health aware’ career guidance service. In the case of a service working with those with substantive health conditions, there are issues to address in terms of how to reconcile and combine dual health and employment objectives. However, it is not just specialist rehabilitation services that could adopt health objectives. The promotion of positive well-being in the clients of career guidance services need not require a quasi-clinical approach. It may be relevant to the needs of mainstream service users in educational and occupational settings.

Although the evidence base is at an early stage of development, it is clear that the career guidance community needs to consider the potential well-being effects of its services. It is time to call for practitioners and researchers to discuss the appropriate extent and nature of the profession's involvement in the promotion of health and well-being.

Notes on contributor

Peter Robertson trained as a career adviser at Bristol Polytechnic, before working in Hertfordshire and North London, specialising in supporting young people with disabilities. He became a training manager after studying occupational psychology at the University of East London. A chartered psychologist, he currently leads the career guidance programmes at Edinburgh Napier University.

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Essay on Career for Students and Children

500+ words essay on career.

Career is a very important thing in one’s life. Whatever career path you choose to follow, it will impact your life greatly. Your career will define your status in a society in addition to your lifestyle. In other words, your career will determine your social circle and relationships.

Therefore, it is extremely important to choose the correct career path . From a very young age, we aspire to be something or the other. While someone aims to be a doctor, some wish to become a painter. Our career choices depend on a lot of things. Thus, it is important to consider all factors before choosing a career path.

How to Choose your Career?

You must consider a number of factors before deciding on your career. Each factor plays a significant role in your choice. Firstly, always assess yourself thoroughly. You must understand your area of interest to choose a career. For instance, someone who dances well can surely become a doctor, but his interest will always be in dance. Thus, ensure that you have the caliber to perform well in the field you choose. This will come from your area of interest itself.

After that, you look for the opportunities available as per your area of interest. Now that you are aware of what you like and dislike, you can easily look for occupations matching your passion. Make a list of the occupations you can get into following your interests. Furthermore, shorten the list you have prepared. You must do so as per what suits you best. Consult with your seniors and parents to make informed decisions.

Most importantly, acquire the skills for the career option you are interested in. Ensure you earn the qualifications and degrees for it. Try taking training programs to enhance your skills. This will give you an upper hand in knowing whether you are correct in choosing the specific career plan. Furthermore, create an impressive resume which can help you get the right opportunities.

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How to Achieve your Career Goal?

There are steps you need to take before achieving your career goal. As they say, success doesn’t come overnight. You must work along the way to accomplish your goals. There is always hope if you have the will. Firstly, create profiles on different job portals to attract the employer’s attention. When you maintain your profile well, you will be able to get good career opportunities.

Moreover, always maintain your network. Build a solid network and create sources in the field. This way you can update yourself with the latest happenings in the industry. In addition, try to attend the related seminars and workshops that happen related to your career choice. You will meet influential people of the same field who can broaden your thinking.

In short, always remember to stay determined. You can easily achieve your career goal if you set your mind to it. In other words, people usually distract themselves easily. You must not do so and focus on your career path to achieve your goals efficiently.

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Guidance is like a compass that helps us throughout our lives. It’s like having a map to choose the right path from the time we’re born till we grow old.

Think about your future job – nowadays, everyone is competing to reach their goals. In today’s world, where there are many job choices, having good guidance is like having a clear plan to succeed. We have lots of options for jobs, which can make it confusing to pick the best one.

But if we have proper guidance from the start of our school years, it can help us make better choices.

Importance of career guidance

Academic career guidance is one of the most important guidance that students need to nurture their future. The decisions of early student life have a major impact on their career, which is not just restricted to their academics but have an impact on their social, financial, and personal life.

Students are considered as the future of a country, and for a prosperous future, students need correct guidance, especially at an early stage of their academics.

The correct guidance by an expert career guidance counselor will help the students to understand and choose their career options as per their knowledge, skills, interest, and capability.

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Career guidance at the stage of secondary education 

• India is a very diverse country, and the education system in India is also very diverse and intricating. The central education system is followed in all the states, while the states also have their respective state education board.
• In the ICSE board, ninth-standard students are given the option to choose among the stream of Arts/Humanities, Commerce, Science. Selection of any stream is very crucial as the students have to appear for their class 10th board examination with the subjects in that stream.
• In the case of CBSE and many state boards, this stream bifurcation is done after the 10th standard. Hence we see that there is diversity along with options available for the students at the stage of their secondary education.
• Now, let’s understand how career guidance is important at the early stage of academics. Students preparing for the board exam have a common goal to triumph and succeed in order to obtain the pinnacle in their career.
• With the correct guidance, the goal can be obtained because such an early stage in academics is considered as the ladder to reach the destination.
• The guidance not only helps to select the right stream but also helps in understanding its future benefits. The guidance helps the students to get motivated and not to get distracted while studying.                          

Career guidance at the stage of higher secondary education

• Higher secondary education is a very crucial stage of students’ academic careers. After a careful selection of subjects, students need to stay focused by avoiding all the distractions.
• The selection of subjects is very important, and one should conscientiously analyze his strengths and weaknesses before selecting the subjects. Complete guidance by a professional career guidance counselor helps a lot to ease the process.
• The importance of the counseling is not just restricted to the selection of the subjects but also provides a complete strategy and execution plan that must be followed by the students. The counselor will provide all the basic information along with creating a positive mindset in the students.
• Higher secondary education gives a lot of options to the students to choose the subjects that are suitable to them as per their interest.
• One important thing that must be taken into consideration before selecting any career option is that it must have better future options. Choosing a career that does not provide better opportunities in terms of financial and social security will be a bad option.
• Hence it becomes important for students to get complete career guidance by a professional counselor before selection of career options.
• In India, after passing the 10th standard, students have options to choose the subjects that are interesting, productive, and satisfy their requirements to achieve their goals.

List of all streams and their relevant subjects that are available after passing the 10th standard:

• Arts/Humanities: History, Geography, English, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, etc
• Commerce: Accountancy, Business Studies, Economics, English, Mathematics, etc
• Science: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Computer Application, Statistics, etc

Career guidance for high school students plays a vital role because many students start their preparations for the different entrance exams during this stage.

Clearing these entrance exams is essential to get admission to the topmost colleges of the respective field. The burden of study upsurges straight away because the students need to focus on both entrance and board exams.

The simultaneous preparation for both exams needs an extensive strategy to cope up with the pressure. Here the importance of career guidance emerges, and career counseling by an expert career counselor becomes important. Here is the list of entrance exams that students start preparing along with their high school studies:

• Joint Entrance Exam (JEE)
• National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET)
• Common-Law Admission Test (CLAT)
• Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY)
• National Talent Search Examination (NTSE)
• Indian National Olympiad (INO)
• National Defense Academy Exam (NDA)

Career guidance after completing higher secondary

• This is the stage where students need to stay focused because during their higher secondary they have already made a career decision.
• The ship has sailed; now, your consistency, motivation, focus, and endurance will help you to reach your destination.
• In many surveys, it is found that many students dropout of college mainly because they are no longer interested in the career option they have opted for in their early stage.
• Hence, the students need to select their career options very wisely, keeping all the pros and cons in their mind. Once a student reaches the college level, it is very difficult to turn back and alter their previous decision.

Also Read:  Career options after 12th arts with high salary

• Career guidance after 12th will help the students to develop a general understanding of how the future opportunities have benefits and impacts on social, financial, and personal life.
• Generally, many people end up picking the wrong career option that either does not help them to achieve their goals, or they realize that the career option was meant for them.
• It is important to understand that students have to work in the field based on their studies, skills, experience, and subjects that they have learned throughout their academics.
• To ensure job satisfaction, you need to understand the subjects and excel in them. 

Problems faced by the students while selecting career options

• Lack of awareness:  Many students want to pursue their careers in a particular field but have no clarity on how to proceed.
• Career guidance and counseling play a vital role in such cases, with an expert guiding you by analyzing your interest, strength, capability and making you able to transition successfully towards a career option.
• Numerous options and dilemmas:  When it comes to selecting a better career option, it is not just confined and restricted to stream and subject selection.
• A whole new Pandora box is opened when you start to shortlist your future career option. A lot of questions start to bother your night dreams like which college to select, whether to study in India or go abroad and many others.
• Even if you select a particular field, there are many branches to make your decision more complicated. Career guidance plays a big role in resolving these issues and making your path crystal clear.
• Facts and Myth:  Students must stay away from false narratives and propaganda developed to mislead many students.
• Before taking admission in any educational institution and opting for any subject to study, students are advised to do well research and fact-check all the details.
• Impact of surroundings:  It must be kept in mind that to achieve the optimum results sky’s the limit. Let not your surroundings have an impact on your career; stay away from pessimist people who are always ready to drag down your morale. 

Role of career guidance counselor

• A professional career guidance counselor guides the students to find the best and suitable career option for them.
• This guidance has proved to be prosperous, thriving, and life-changing for many students. A career guidance counselor is like a doctor who can easily identify the problems in the students and guide them in the most appropriate manner.
• Nowadays, career counseling services are available in almost every part of the country. We live in a digital world where these services can also be easily available online.

Career counseling process

• With all modern-day facilities, multiple career options, and a race to reach the pinnacle of the career, one must easily say that career guidance has become a necessity.
• A professional counselor may identify your talent by taking a simple career guidance test. This test will help him to analyze your strengths and weaknesses and provide you a road map for your career path.
• These tests might also include a career guidance aptitude test to understand your ability to perform a certain type of work under given circumstances.
• The result of the test will help to analyze all the options that are good as per your capability. The career guidance counselor will also suggest how to improve on your weaker sections and improve those areas.

When you consult a career guidance counselor, there are few things that you must keep in mind:

• Be free to ask any question regarding your career options
• Always be truthful with your counselor, and do not hesitate to share your weakness
• Remember that he is there to help you, so share your previous academic difficulties
• You can share your subjects of interest with him and don’t forget to mention your previous experience in those subjects
• If you have any pre-planned career options, discuss all the pros and cons of that career option
• Discuss a backup plan option in case the first plan doesn’t work.

NEP 2020 and how the career guidance will help the process

• National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 will replace the age-old education policy of 1986. The Government of India has outlined its vision along with a comprehensive framework for elementary and higher education. This policy is considered to be a revolution in the Indian Education system.
• The previous system of (10+2) will be replaced with the (5+3+3+4) system, and it will give a lot more opportunities to students. Since the policy is new, hence career guidance will play an important role in having a better understanding of the policy.
• Since an age-old tradition in the education system will be changed, consulting a career guidance counselor will be more important than ever before.

Also Read:  Alternative Career Options After MBBS

Conclusion on Importance of career guidance

Career guidance will help the students to fulfill their aspirations by setting up realistic goals. As mentioned earlier, career choice will determine the future of the students not only by providing them their dream job but also by providing them a better future with job satisfaction. 

Career guidance with an expert counselor will develop a clear road map to fulfill future dreams. A career guidance counselor is an expert in the field of career opportunities and options that students must have, depending on his interest and capability.

A counselor is well aware of the opportunity and examines them from a broader perspective to find a suitable solution for a particular student. From all the above-mentioned details, it must have been clear how an individual can obtain benefits from career guidance.

FAQs on Importance of career guidance

1. is career guidance important when the students are in elementary education.

Career guidance is helpful at any stage of education. It not just helps to understand better career options but also helps to stay motivated throughout the journey.

2. Is there any special preparation required for the career counseling test?

No, there is no need for any special preparation for the career guidance and counseling test. It is advised that students must have a fresh mind, take a good nap earlier that night and come prepared naturally and not take any stress during the session.

3. Does the career counseling service provide a list of all good colleges?

Yes, career guidance and counseling services provide you all the necessary information that is required from the beginning till the end.

3. What are the documents required for the career guidance interview?

You must have your academic results with you and carefully follow the instructions given by your career counseling service provider.

4. Is online career guidance a good option?

We live in an era of science and technology where work is gradually shifting towards digital mode. Hence we can use the online career guidance facility at our convenience.

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