KOCHI: Exams are over and students who appeared for the Class X and XII boards are anxiously awaiting their results. These are the days, especially for the students of these classes to introspect on their career decisions. As soon as the students reach Class IX, their parents start thinking about careers and the courses that need to be pursued. However, even after many deliberations, they end up with the wrong career due to lack of guidance.
This is where career guidance and counselling comes into play. According to Eldho Kuruvilla, founder of VedAtma, career guidance and counselling plays a very important role in directing a student to the right career he or she is suited for.“Career guidance or counselling is not telling the students about the courses they need to apply to or about providing the address of the universities or colleges. It is about helping the students choose the right career,” he said.
Not according to their potential as identified by their parents but by their personality, Eldho pointed out.
Eldho, who has an MBA from Griffith University in Australia, said career counselling should not be limited to the what and where but also the who and why.“These are four Ws on which the counselling sessions should be based. The who and the why are most important ones. Our centre focuses mainly on these questions,” he said.
It is important for the student to know who he is. “Once the question gets answered, the student will be able to find an answer to the question on why he needs to go into a particular career,” the counsellor said.
In an era when the number of college dropouts, especially from the engineering stream, is increasing, the need for proper guidance or counselling system gains importance. “Parents aren’t capable enough to decide upon their children’s career options. The students need to be prepared for this as soon as they enter Class IX,” he said.
The course module prepared by Eldho is for three segments: the Class IX and X students, Class XI and XII and finally, for college students.“We use the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Strong Interest Inventory (STRONG) to assess the students who arrive for counselling. Both the techniques are being used by companies and counselling centers all over the world.
MBTI is the world’s most widely used instrument for understanding normal personality differences while, STRONG is a trusted career planning tools,” said Eldho who is an MBTI certified counsellor. At VedAtma, every student is given individual attention.
“Our counselling session is a six-hour programme spread over three days. In the first two hours, the personality of the student is assessed. In the second and third sessions, his or her career interests and study streams besides career options are discussed,” he said.Till date, over 60 students have participated in the counselling sessions at the centre, which began a year ago. VedAtma also has a centre in Bengaluru. For more details contact: 8330848025.
Right choice
According to Eldho Kuruvilla, founder of VedAtma, career guidance and counselling plays a very important role in directing a student to the right career he or she is suited for. In an era when the number of college dropouts, especially from the engineering stream, is increasing, the need for proper guidance or counselling system gains importance.