The Great Indian Career Counselling Crisis

I was good at History & Geography in school but much later realized that I was passionate about travelling, visiting new cities and reading about its ancient history. What if I had realized this during my school life? I could have become a full-time Travel Journalist, Travel Blogger, Travel PR, Travel Ambassador or run my own Travel consultancy firm.

• What if my Teachers or Parents had gauged my interest in travelling while I was in school?
• What if my Parents had consulted with a Professional Career Consultant?
• What if my School conducted Career Counselling Programs while I was studying?

Well, I would be writing a whole different category of blogs for sure! These days students have access to resources and avenues that were unheard of a decade ago. Each study field, whether it be Medical, Engineering, Arts, etc, is further segmented into 10’s if not 100’s of different subcategories. If that’s not tough enough, a student has no tools at his/her disposal to guide him to make the right choice for their future. 

Career Counselling has become a core part of the K-12 curricula. Many schools with IB, CIE, and ISC boards have Certified counsellors on their payroll. Schools also conduct special counselling session for 10th & 12th graders. But by and large, most schools in India are not equipped to handle Career Counselling needs of their students presently. As mentioned in an India Today article:

“Recent reports indicate that the biggest concern for schools is the lack of career counselling cells that enable counsellors to guide students. Around 85% of students are concerned about which option to choose for higher education and 92% don’t get any career-related guidance from their schools.”

Here’s why Students need Counsellors like You:

• Help students break the stereotype – 10th & 12th grade is the most crucial time for every student. They need extra attention and advice to be an extraordinary student. Complete guidance about renowned colleges and current career choices will help them avoid settling for the stereotypical Engineering or MBBS courses. Students need more awareness about the trending career paths and which one to pick as per their desire and ability. Here’s when expert counselling helps them overcome these barriers.

• A scarcity of Career Counsellors – Most countries all over the world follows Career Counselling practices at school. India is currently waking up to this reality. Millions of schools are in need of certified counsellor to conduct workshops for their students’ bright future. Lakhs of students appear for 10th and 12th board examination every year.There are thousands of parents & children who need the help and guidance of a professional Career Counsellor.

• Career Counselling is a MUST in schools – CBSE has made career counselling mandatory in schools for the students appearing for board examination. There has been a high demand for Certified Career Counsellors ever since. But there’s still a scarcity of Professional Counsellors. Opportunity knocks!

• Traditional methods need an upgrade – There is immense scope and growth for Counsellors with the changing time & technology in the education industry. Traditional techniques of Counselling don’t work effectively on students today. There are modern-day techniques available to upgrade one’s skill set and add value to the counselling profession.

• Need for Overseas Education Counsellors – Parents are always concerned about their child’s career choices. While some want to grab a seat in India’s top colleges, there are a set of students who want to study abroad. Most of these parents look for consultation from an Overseas Education Counsellor to guide them through the long process.