Career guidance comes with no age bar. Why career guidance is crucial while shifting careers in your life

Someone once said, “The first step towards getting somewhere is to decide that you are not going to stay where you are.” That seems to resonate with our career story. Though we initiate this journey called career, it starts evolving on its own - drawing resources from our experience, learning and desire to explore new territories. History is replete with people who carved phenomenal careers by taking another path. Walt Disney moved on from his desk job as newspaper editor to become the legend that he is today.We are lucky to belong to an era that thrives on creativity and the spirit of adventure that allows us to explore multiple career choices and switch our pursuits many times. The road to our dream career, however, is not easy to achieve. That’s why we need career guidance to make the most of our endeavours and fulfil our goals. Here’s a closer look as to how professional guidance can sort your career the best way:

Know your strengths/potential: Life is anything but ‘one size fits all’. We are so unique in our own rights that if we try to emulate someone else, from our role model to that star friend, chances are we’ll not make much progress. However, when we see someone successful in a certain field or a profession that looks appealing, we start harbouring a deep desire to achieve it without considering whether we are cut out for that role.Career guidance gives you a reality check by making you realise your true potential, inclination and specialised skills. It helps you identify your forte and how you can build on that. Your career advisor can tell you if your dream profession can realise your dream and hence, channelize your talent to a more successful trajectory.

Overcome weak areas: How is a professional different from an amateur? Well, they know how to smooth the rough edges and fix the problem. A professional career consultant will navigate you through the rough terrain of career transition till you reach your destination. When designing your career, you need to stay positive, motivated and ambitious. However, at times, in a bid to attain our goals we overlookor are unaware of our limitations that might pose future hindrances. A career expert understands your weakness and guides you accordingly to fill the gap before you move ahead. It could either be enrolling in a course, pursuing MBA or interning. They’ll ensure that you are prepared for the role that you aspire to take.

Clear doubts: You always drooled over wildlife photography, have a knack for it and have finally decided to take your leap of faith – yet, you have those last-minute thoughts of ‘what if…’.This is the best time to consult a career guide. They can provide you with a comprehensive picture about the industry, the relevant job skills, how and where to start, timeline to build a successful career and if your skill matches with the demands of the profession.

Fix goal: Once you have got your doubts cleared, there’s nothing to stop you from achieving your goals. Or is there? Between your big objective and the point where you start, the journey would call for perseverance, great dedication and resilience. The path might appear tedious and you might be tempted to digress. In short, it’s a challenge to stay on track and perform consistently, more so if you are handling it independently. A qualified mentor knows how to keep you going and maintain focus. They’ll set you on a mission to achieve a number of smaller goals, each one taking you closer to the big one. Or they might devise an exclusive personalised goal-setting formula just for you in keeping with your style of working. Career advisors aim to provide their protégé a great learning experience on their dream pursuit by reducing the risks of uncertainty.

Plan and prepare:A consultant is a trained strategist, so it’s always a good idea to let the professionals do their job. It’s like you want to build a house and have a beautiful design in mind. So, you do need to consult with an architect to figure out whether your plan is practical, achievable and possible with your resources. Similarly, when you are planning your career, you must seek expert advice to full-proof your plan with relevant inputs and useful points. Career guidance experts help you draw a plan based on your internal and external resources, skills, interests, personality and relevance in the job market.

Choose the right option: You may have started as an engineer or HR executive but now want to shift to marketing. There are too many options from PG Diploma courses to topic-centric certificate courses, from Digital Marketing to Mixed Marketing. Which course would cater to your needs and give you a head-start in this new field? A career guide can enlighten you on the best courses, institutions etc. and help you narrow down your choices.

Career guidance will keep you ahead of the race by providing you with an explicit roadmap. All you need is your determination and focus to conquer the new milestones. Good luck!