Often with change, comes a lot of confusion, anxiety and anticipation of what will happen next; every growing child goes through this multiple times until they reach adulthood. It becomes quintessential to guide, support and empower them to become responsible and successful as adults in the future. The idea of empowering can be fruitful through self-discovery and self-awareness which allows the child to understand and accept their strengths and weaknesses. The biggest question here is - what is that one element that will guide them to become responsible citizens and adults?

The answer is very simple – Career counselling; more than often students get confused about their choices in life. This leads to various psychological responses such as – procrastination, anxiety, avoidance etc. To build confidence and self-efficacy, it becomes important to guide the students from a very young age- most of the kids start to talk about careers from the age of 11-12. During this phase, the student actively observes the surroundings and grasps all the stimuli which shape their perception of the world, therefore making it important to help them understand how to create their own space. 

Majority of students are aware of 7 career options – medical, engineering, law accounts/finance, computer application, management, designing; but we have seen an evolution in career choices over the years such as interior decorator, stylist, influencers, waste management, etc. A student requires to know their skills and how to use them to fill in the gaps that are there in various industries. A career coach will help them to navigate through their interests and skillset and in turn come up with an array of career options that will empower them to work towards achieving their dreams. 

Once Albert Einstein said, “Everybody is a genius but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, people will believe that the fish is quite stupid. The fish’s best ability is to swim in the water.” The takeaway is that every student possesses a unique set of skills, and it takes a mentor or a coach to highlight that skillset in the concerned student. A great philosopher, John Locke, talked about 'Tabula Rasa' which means a child’s mind is like an empty slate that then observes data solely by their sensory experiences, therefore the early career guidance would help the students by filling up their minds with the right kind of data appropriate for a suitable career choice. 

The world is technologically evolving and with that the career counselling space is becoming digitally advanced too. From virtual workshops to AR-VR driven courses, there are ample of new experiences lined up for the students to trigger their sensory points and allow them to take a deep dive into the world of new careers. This is not only exciting for the kids, but it also provides parents with a space where they can discuss and gain knowledge from their kids about the ever-evolving landscape of the new-age India. This helps bridge the gap between parents and kids and proliferates into a safe space for both parties to discuss the topics never known before. 

Finally, change is the new normal and career counsellors must help students develop skills and adapt to change for them to not only survive but also thrive in this competitive environment. Everyone wants to achieve their job goals, live a purposeful life and like what they do. Career counselling serves as an excellent support platform for students on this journey.