KOCHI:The examinations are over and students who have appeared for the Class X and XII boards are anxiously awaiting their results. These are the days, especially for those in Class XII, to introspect their career decisions. This is where career guidance and counselling comes into play.
According to Eldho Kuruvilla, founder of VedAtma, career guidance and counselling play 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 or providing the address of the universities or colleges. It is about helping the students choose the right path,” he said. Not according to their potential as identified by their parents but by their personality, Eldho added.
Eldho, who is an MBA graduate from Griffith University in Australia, said the 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 on. 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, he added. “Once the question gets answered the student will be able to find an answer to 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, are increasing, the need for a proper guidance or counselling system gains importance. “Parents aren’t capable enough to decide on 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, the college students.
“We use 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 centres 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 was begun a year ago. VedAtma also has a centre in Bengaluru. For more details contact: 8330848025.
Myers-Briggs system VedAtma use
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Strong Interest Inventory to assess the students who arrive for counselling. Both the techniques are being used by companies and counselling centres all over the world. MBTI is the world’s most widely used instrument for understanding normal personality differences.