Almost all of us at some point in time are confused as to which career to opt for or what profession we are really interested in. Some of us have listened to our parents or relatives, others have gone by instinct. And yet some of us have consulted a new set of professional — the career counsellor.
Career counsellors are trained to help you make the right choices about your career goals and they can help you make a plan to achieve these goals. Judging and understanding your aspirations, temperament and abilities, they suggest a choice of fields that is guaranteed to suit you. Traditionally, career counsellors were those who advised high school and college students. However, over the years, the profile of a career counsellor has changed and they are not limited to not just advising students about what courses or career paths to take but also help those looking for jobs to make themselves more marketable and presentable. In this era of globalisation and with the growth of the Indian economy and education sector the role and responsibility of a career counsellor has grown manifold. In fact because of the nature of the profession and its huge demand, the National Career Development Association has put together a list of skills that career counsellors should have.
Says renowned career counsellor, Dr.
CB Paul Chellakumar, Group Chairman, Campus Abroad, “This is a profession with lots of responsibility and it requires you to have the quality of patience. There is an urgent need for good career coun- sellors all over the country People today are looking for counsellors who have specific skills and attributes. They must have an understanding of your skills in order to effectively help you.” The remuneration is good and as you gain experience and establish yourself it gets even better. So, how do you become a career counsellor? The prerequisite is graduation. A degree in Psychology or Education will of course give you that edge over others in the field. It goes without saying that you should be abreast of the courses and programmes offered by different institutes and varsities nationally and internationally, know the career options after each stream, know the best places for various courses and so on.
If you want to be armed with a degree then you can do a Master’s degree in counselling—aprogramme accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counselling and Related Educational Programmes (CACREP). There are a few specialty certifications in career counseling as well which will give you a good understanding and perspective of the career.
Job options are also available on several websites that cater to advising students online.
Interested? Then, what are you waiting for?
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