A great career option sets a student apart from the crowd. This is the path that a student should be content with while pursuing and excelling at it. Helping them choose the best career option that is suitable for them and interested in can help them grow into a successful and happy person. But sometimes, students are often confused about what to do in life. They face different difficulties like societal expectations, parental and peer pressure, etc., which may force them to choose others’ expectations rather than paving the path they desire. This leads to an unhappy, unfulfilling life, which later puts them in tremendous stress. So, choosing a career option can also be considered the fundamental step in the ladder of life. And we need to help them navigate through the chaos safely. Teachers play one of the essential roles in this cycle.
For example, Sachin Tendulkar was mentored by his teacher Ramakant Achrekar who recognized his skills and helped him pursue cricket. It helped him become one of the greatest cricketers in the world. There are various ways one can explore and learn about the career they are interested in. Teachers and mentors can use different methods to learn about their student’s interests and suggest other career options based on them. However, it is up to the student to know their strengths. It will help students choose their careers better and have a rewarding future.
Career exploration is a vital step in assisting kids in learning about many career opportunities. These enjoyable activities are designed to assist students in identifying their unique interests, talents, and skills. Here are some of the ways on how to choose a career. These methods can help in figuring out a student's interest and help them navigate their career better.
Identifying Student Experiences
Every student is unique. It is a teacher’s responsibility to bring out the best from their students. One can help a student choose a career path by learning about a student’s significant life experiences. Often, these experiences bring out the best from the students. Moreover, these experiences also allow them to utilize their skills in various ways, which sometimes highlights if they can choose that as life’s career option. And later on, if they have a profound realization, students can pursue a career that will present them with these experiences.
For example, a teacher can create various opportunities for a student to learn about their experiences. If a student likes to read, encourage them to explore more. It will provide the confidence to explore careers in journalism, writing, novelist, editors, and more.
Considering Strengths & Weaknesses
A lot of students do know about their strengths and weaknesses but never implement them efficiently. A teacher or a mentor can help them list down five strengths and weaknesses and look for hints which make a student more focused and happy on a particular strength. It is entirely okay if a student likes a career they are weak at.
Teachers can also speak to student parents to learn and get more clarity on their weaknesses and strengths. Simple quizzes on likes and dislikes or interactive activities on different career options like designing, writing, and others can help them know their students better.
Discovering a Student's Talents
Every person has an innate talent. A child has to hone their skill to create a career out of it. Teachers can help a child explore a child’s talent and bring them for their career discussions. For example, Is a student good at coding or maths? Or do they know how to sing, play sports or other talents? These talents should be put on the stage when deciding on which career paths to follow.
Everyone has distinct abilities that one can utilize to pursue a job of one's choosing. You may plan a profession that matches a child’s personality by using their capabilities. Look for other career alternatives that complement a child’s existing skills and abilities. For example, if a child likes to talk about food and knows cooking skills, teachers can encourage them to look for a career as a chef, restaurateur, hotel manager, and more. However, this is not the only thing that they can do. The idea is not to ostracize anybody for their choices and to encourage them to do what they love.
Exploring Career Options
Choosing a career path is not easy, especially when we have a surrounding where only certain career options are given more importance or known as the best. But in reality, there is no such concept that a particular field is best. Every student is unique and makes their choices. As a teacher, the onus is upon them to make students understand and boost their confidence to choose any career they want.
Once a teacher knows what a student likes, they can push them or help them explore career options in that particular field. For example, a student enjoys painting but doesn’t know if there’s a career that they can pursue in life. Now, you have to help them educate what options are available to them if they choose to pursue art in the future, like animations, graphic designing, etc. Also, boost their morale and confidence that they can excel even if that career option is unique than others. Also, ask students how they feel about specific careers. It will surely help them tick potential career options and learn more about them in detail.
Many people work in a variety of occupations before deciding on a career path. A student has plenty of time to get to know themselves and choose a job that suits them.
Considering Academic Strengths
While academic strengths are not the best indicator to judge a student, they can help figure out a student’s strengths academically. Create lists of a student’s favorite subjects. Look for subjects where a student spends the most time. This is important as it will bring out the best in students. Students who are relatively good at subjects like Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics can mull if they want to choose a Technical career like Engineering. And if a student is creative and interested in topics like Economics and Politics, they can choose to follow that path. In any scenario, if the student has a personal liking of the matter, that field becomes a lucrative option to explore and excel.
Creating a Self-Portrait
A self-portrait is an exciting concept which helps a mentor or a teacher understand how a student views, how they think about everything, and how they feel about them in general. This provides a clear idea of what a student is capable of doing. Teachers can make an extensive questionnaire that allows them to dive into various psychological aspects of a student. Sometimes, introverted students get neglected during their growing period, which keeps them confused till the end. So, such a questionnaire can give a detailed insight into a child’s thinking process. If a teacher finds that the student has confidence issues or has no direction but a passion for a particular unique subject, etc., they can swiftly guide them as personal mentors and help them reach their full potential. For example, what would a student do if they were made to work on a time-sensitive project? Or would they like to work in a group or alone?
This particular method is quite effective but can seem like a hefty task to shoulder on, but teachers always are ready to take that extra step for a student’s betterment in life.
These questions help to deep dive into how a child perceives, and hence, they can choose a career according to it.
Internships & Courses
Internships and courses are among the traditional ways that can help a student decide their career. With the variety of courses available in the market through live classes or recorded lectures, It is easy for a child to learn from them at the comfort of their homes and think about them when deciding a career path. Courses become extremely useful as they fill the knowledge gap a student might be having on a specific career besides helping them towards a rewarding career.
Besides, Internships are also crucial for students to learn about career opportunities in their desired fields. Furthermore, it provides a hands-on practical experience which becomes a perfect learning tool for students.
Conclusion
These are some ways to help students decide their careers, but it is okay if it is confusing or feels indecisive for a child. A career path is a big step towards a student’s life and should be thought through before going for it. Teachers play a big role in a student’s life who can guide the student better to navigate through different career choices in making the right decision. It is because a teacher knows a student better than others. Sometimes, teachers are crucial regarding career choices.
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