Getting a new job is not the start of a career. It starts much before this. It begins when a child goes to a school/college where discussions about career options with their teachers and parents start. Children get an idea of the future career opportunities best suited for them in these educational spaces. Read on to understand the role teachers play in career building.
How can teachers help students in their careers?
1- Analysing their academic strengths
Teachers can find two subjects a particular student is performing well, check if it is their favorite and encourage them to perform better in the subject area. This will help decide the specialization to opt for in the next phase of their career.
2- Finding social strengths
Social skills can be found by analyzing the traits of students that best describe them. Aptitude tests can be used to pinpoint the strengths. Asking other students to pick the traits that best describe a student is also a fantastic way to identify their social strengths.
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3- Helping students explore trending careers
Financial gain must not be the only motivation for students to opt for a particular career. Rather their skillset should be. Teachers can discuss the most exciting career options trending in the market, so students can choose the one relevant to their skillset and prepare accordingly.
4- Encouraging teamwork
Teamwork is one of the most essential skills needed to survive in the competitive corporate world. Teamwork helps students learn the right way to communicate, compromise, and also value the efforts of other team members. Involving students to work on projects and assignments together can encourage teamwork. Almost all jobs need team efforts, and employers look for results on time, within the set budget and a collective effort helps to fulfil the organisational goals easily.
5- Encouraging students to meet career counsellors
Counsellors prepare students to select the right college for further studies and apply for the college admission tests and relevant scholarships. Small conscious efforts can help students identify career possibilities even outside their experience.
6- Teaching students to be future-oriented
Life’s grind starts after graduation. The practical application of knowledge comes into effect. Hence, learning to be future-oriented helps students ask if they will ever get to use the skills learnt in college. Once teachers start to measure the post-graduation success of students based on their current learnings, it will have a significant impact on influencing the nation’s economic health, besides the career of the students.
7- Inculcating complex thinking skills
It is not always about getting into a dream job, but the path followed to achieve it. This is because the things learnt during the early stages of learning lays the foundation for a bright future. So, educational institutions can engage students in activities that motivate them to solve problems and make decisions. These skills will encourage the creative side of the students and help them come up with innovative ideas and solve complex problems in the workplace quickly, irrespective of the job they do.
8- Encouraging students to take risks
It can be scary to step out of your comfort zone, but it will teach you a life skill even if you don’t succeed in your efforts. So, encouraging students to confidently try new things at least once in a while will help them explore the unknown. This will nurture their risk-taking skills and help them become successful.
9- Providing students with relevant study material
Along with books, there is a wide range of study materials available online today. Students have limited time to learn many things. In such a scenario, when teachers provide the relevant material, they can save a lot of time collecting the materials. This will save them from getting exhausted but the time can be used to learn something new and add to their skill set.
10- Motivating students to be consistent
Once the students choose the path they want to follow, it is important to stick to their goals. Teachers can motivate them, teach them how to avoid distractions and religiously adhere to their plans. They can also provide updates on technological advancements to stay ahead in the competitive market.
11- Showing empathy
Everyone has their struggles in life. The key to avoiding the problems from overpowering the student is communication. Teachers can have friendly relations with the students, so they can frankly discuss their problems, especially if it affects their studies. Showing them empathy and helping them overcome any hurdles is a great way of building their confidence and helping them build a promising career.
12- Helping students discover talents
Teachers can analyse the interests and hobbies of students and encourage them to pursue something that interests them. It can be reading books, painting, coding, interest in music, playing chess or other sports. These are clues that can help teachers identify the best career option for the students and guide them accordingly.
Conclusion
Teachers need to teach the subjects well, to lay a strong foundation for the students, as this will help students learn which subject they like and want to pursue as their career for a lifetime. Being observant and helping weaker students by tailoring strategies as per their needs can be quite helpful in making students confident. Setting goals with the students and staying in sync with them to make sure that they are heading in the right direction is fundamental for building a great career ahead.
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