5 Tips for Effective Career Planning & Carrer Guidance For Students

Lack of clarity and ambition leads children astray; that is where career guidance can become instrumental in setting them on the right track. Besides, career guidance is a comprehensive developmental program that enables individuals to implement educational and career-related choices. 

Furthermore, it is essential to note that career planning for students entails more than just advice-seeking. Students must follow an elaborate process as guided by the career counsellor/advisor. For instance, they must participate in compulsory measures, including self-assessment, research, setting goals, seeking guidance, and skill-building. 

But why are these measures vital to career guidance and counselling, and how are they even effective for students? Let us find out: 

Self-assessment 

Students and their parents prioritise engineering, medicine and law, but what if a student is not interested in doing either of them? To make matters worse, they are unsure about their career path. Therefore, taking self-assessment can give them a sense of clarity. 

In fact, self-assessment is an integral part of career guidance after 12th, but one can take it at any juncture of their life when having doubts regarding their career. Also, there are different methods for self-assessment, including. 

• Myers- Briggs Type Indicator ( MBTI) 
• Big Five Personality Assessment.

Students can use these personality tests to answer key questions about their personalities, attitudes, interests and feelings. Furthermore, career counsellors consider these answers carefully while providing career guidance for students. 

In addition, self-assessments can be extremely beneficial in understanding one’s strengths and weaknesses. It helps to highlight one’s aptitude, which can be a determining factor when choosing an appropriate career path. 

Research 

It is okay to be confused and uncertain, but going on without taking the necessary steps is unwise. Hence, one of the primary measures of career planning for students includes conducting research; effective career research enables learners to understand different opportunities and conclude the best option for them. Also, it entails the following: 

• Determine your personal needs and ambition and figure out which career paths align with them. 
• Self-assess your skills and capabilities and check if they fit your chosen career path; if not, you can always try to develop particular skills. 
• Check the online resources for career research, which is also one of the main components of career guidance. Students can find many online portals like LinkedIn, IndeedJob, etc.

Importance of Informational Interviews and Networking 

Communication skill is one of the important 21st-century skills that students need to master to express their views and perspectives without hesitation. In fact, the best schools in Pune strive to inculcate communication skills through various interactive sessions. Additionally, being well-spoken proves to be a valuable competency while engaging in informational interviews. 

Besides, informational interviews enable individuals to engage in conversations with experts and representatives who provide useful career-related insights. Furthermore, when they participate in school or college-hosted career camps, they get the opportunity to network. Also, career counsellors often mention networking while providing career guidance and counselling. 

The main reason is that networking helps students or individuals get in touch with touch industry experts, enabling them to create a source of contacts. So they can provide timely assistance through appropriate suggestions. 

Setting Goals 

Human beings are goal-oriented creatures and cannot function effectively without purpose; however, when it comes to careers, it is essential to keep them attainable through a SMART strategy. 

SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound, and is quite synonymous with the advice obtained during career guidance for students. 

How do SMART Goals Benefit Students? 

S (Specific) – Be specific about what you want to do in life; write down the details about things you want to accomplish. 

M (Measurable) – Take active steps towards achieving the specific goal, measure your success regularly, and determine your achievements. 

A (Achievable) – The goals should be challenging and inspire you to work hard and smart to attain them, something which IB board schools in Pune teach their students. 

R ( Relevant or Realistic) – If you don’t have the resources to attain the goal, make an effort to gather whatever is necessary. It could be learning new skills and working on preparing for examinations. 

T ( Time-bound)- Set a deadline for small tasks and strive to complete them, as that will lead you to accomplish the ultimate goal. 

Besides, a great example of career goals for students is learning a new skill like data analysis which can help them in their careers. Also, career guidance after 12th often includes suggesting students learn new skills to enhance their knowledge and competency levels.

Seeking Guidance 

Doing independent research about various career paths and professions may or may not provide an accurate answer. Therefore, an ideal solution is to seek career guidance and counselling, which can help individuals find an answer and alleviate their dilemmas. 

Types of Career Guidance

Class 10 to 12th standards are crucial in a student’s life, and career guidance can be extremely helpful to direct academic and personal lives. In fact, students can avail necessary guidance  from the school-appointed guidance counsellor or look for online resources. On the other hand, they can also contact qualified professionals with their parent’s help. 

How to Choose the Right Career Guidance Provider? 

The right career guidance service provider is qualified in degrees and certifications and can provide students with sound and effective career counseling. Also, they would also have the ability to understand student’s issues and help them find feasible solutions. 

Skill Building 

In today’s evolving world, companies and organisations require individuals who have the competency to face diverse challenges. Therefore, multi-skilled people often become an asset for an organisation, so while in school or college, students must improve their capabilities and learn new skills. 

Types of Skills to Develop For Different Careers

These skills are most important irrespective of career or profession, and the best international schools in Pune include them in their teaching methodologies: 

• Communication skill 
• Leadership skill
• Time management
• Teamwork 
• Emotional intelligence 
• Problem-solving 
• Analytical ability
• Decision making

How to Gain Skills and Experience While Still in School?

School students can take the opportunity to participate in workshops and enroll in online courses to learn and increase their knowledge. Remote training programs such as JAVA, programming, and multiple courses are available online. Students can spend their time upskilling themselves, which in the long run, will serve them productively. 

How to facilitate world-class education by amalgamating modern technologies with traditional techniques? One can find the answer in MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul; the institute’s IB curriculum allows students to learn skills and knowledge to succeed in the future. However, the most striking aspect of the institutes lies in the infusion of modern and instructional methodologies and traditional Guru-Shishya Parampara.