Career Awareness and Preparedness

Introduction:

Education imparts knowledge and skill which is considered to be Power. Government of India is committed to impart quality education to its people mainly to empower them, so that they can lead life satisfactorily. The curricula in case of primary and secondary education are by and large identical; however, the local context is given thrust as a part of it. There are various careers which demands candidates possessing  the skills as per the job description. Many students who study at the level of secondary education have expressed their desire to climb the career ladder, for which they have to plan properly. We have come across many situations  where students at primary and secondary have expressed their desire to become astronaut/ research advisor, scientist, doctor,  engineer, pleader, teacher, designer, charted accountant/ company secretary, civil servant, military, pharmacists, and so on. These jobs offers very good career, therefore, students concerned have to plan for it well in advance. The parents, guardians, relatives, teachers, etc. influences the candidates to aim at the coveted positions. There are thousands of such positions, which attract students to join and serve as per their terms and conditions. Elite section of the society motivate them to  target the positions concerned, for which they advise them to choose the course suited and prepare them rigoursly. Proper guidance is imperative need to realize the aim.

 

Meaning and definition of Career Development:

As you know the above introduction gives an insight into terminologies such as career, career preparedness, career development and building awareness. Let us understand the meaning and definition of this terminology.

Career: Oxford English Dictionary defines the word "career" as a person`s "course or progress through life. A career is often composed of the jobs held, titles earned and work accomplished over a long period of time, rather than just referring to one position.
Career Preparedness: Career readiness also known as preparedness is “the attainment and demonstration of requisite competencies that broadly prepare students for successful transition into the workplace”.

Career development: It is “the lifelong process of managing learning, work, leisure, and transitions in order to move toward a personally determined and evolving preferred future”. (Wikipedia)

From the above definitions it is very clear that a student has to choose a career based on his/her likes, harness himself/ herself to acquire the requisite knowledge and skill through formal education, get into the job as desired and keep on managing the learning to gain competencies based on the need.

 

Competencies required in Career Development:

Edunews identified the following :

  • Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
  • Oral/Written Communications
  • Teamwork/Collaboration
  • Digital Technology
  • Leadership
  • Professionalism/Work Ethic
  • Career Management
  • Global/Intercultural Fluency

 

Career Guidance After 10th Standard:

Every student in India decides their career after completing their 10th standard/ equivalent. The step which they take after 10th will decide about their future. It is a well known fact that students find difficulty to choose a career due to immaturity. They have to understand their strengths, area of interest, opportunities, and weaknesses, thereafter they can decide which stream Commerce/ Arts/ Science is suited to the desired career. Further they have option to choose Industry Certified ITI Course/ Diploma in various streams. In case they fail, the persons concerned will have regrets although the life. Students may not be matured enough during their schooling, it is therefore, advisable for them to interact with teachers/ relatives/ parents and get an idea to select the stream. There are few students who take wise decisions perhaps, due to the maturity of mind and exposure that they have gained with the environmental condition.

In addition to the above, a 10th pass student has many other opportunities such as programming, catering, app development, call centre courses, online food service, Amazon/ flipkart delivery, transportation and so on. Hence, choosing a career is not easy for students, a proper guidance with proper assessing of the students caliber and interest will pave success in the long run.

True, there are many sites offering online counseling. The counseling services offered by Edunews are unique, as it involved professionals and highly experienced personnel from different background. Edunews is a global digital platform, under which the requisite services relating to career, career preparedness and career development will be rendered. Students after 10th std. may feel free to interact with the digital platform and get proper remedy relating to the career.

Every stream has its own charm and value. Some people may stereotype, saying Science always has an upper hand over Commerce or Arts, whereas some others might defend the statement, saying Arts is for artists and deep thinkers and Commerce is for analytical brainers.

Edunews wish to inform all the students who have completed 10th std. not to get panic to succumb any pressure from the parents/ guardians. students can always tell them to offer valuable advices but finally decision about the career and the course should be yours.

 

Career Opportunities after 12th standard:

Most of the parents are dreaming for better career to their wards after 12th standard. It is needless to say the stream of choice will be many; obviously the position of students will be the same as that of fish out of water. For science students opportunities include medical, engineering, architecture, design, agriculture, AYUSH, Veterinary Science, pharmacy, basic science, applied science, computer science and information technology, etc. Too many options invariably make the students in doldrums, therefore, selection of the stream for the dream career is highly challenging. Edunews will come to the support of such students by way of effective counseling through its well experienced professionals. Thereby Edunews will be ready to ease out the challenging task of the students.

 

Career after Graduation:

In the wake of globalization, the career opportunities for graduates are in plenty both in India and abroad. The companies are looking for only skilled graduates. The institutions concerned impart education based on more of knowledge than the skill. Therefore, many graduates may not be found suited to the jobs in complexed environment. With the advancement in technology and education, a plethora of career options are available for students to pursue after graduation. Students after graduation generally feel happiness for crossing a mile stone in their life at the same time they started worrying about what to do next. Edunews, advices such students to identify the strengths that they have and the interest that they  have  to develop. They can view the horizontal career options available, out of which they have to make out the specific option, found suited as per the strengths and weaknesses. They have to employ strategies to reduce the weaknesses as they can be converted into opportunities.

Students can go for progression, for which they can choose the interested subject as a part of PG Course. Later on, they can move on conducting research mainly to diagnose the problems facing by the society. They can also pursue post- graduate degree in the emerging area so that their competitive edge will shoot up. For instance, BE in Electronics and Communication can get into the courses such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Similarly Commerce students can also enrich themselves by pursuing the course such as Digital Marketing, Data Analysis, Computer Based Accounting, and Foreign Exchange Arithmetic and so on.

 

Midlife Career Change:

Edunews has observed many people striving hard to change their career, especially in their midlife. People, who have rendered service in an organization on a particular job for more than 15 years, obviously will have  a fear while changing career. Perhaps, these people might gain good exposure which prompts them to change the career. Edunews wishes to offer the following tips to such people who are confronting with the problem of midlife career change.

  1. Discover the opportunity that they intend to get and also explore the possibilities to get it. For that purpose they should not be hurry up in taking decisions.
  2. At 40, one will have accumulated transferable skills that the new employer is looking for. They have to demonstrate willingness to learn the knowledge/ skill not found with them.
  3. Such people need to update themselves with the latest trends on contemporary knowledge and skill.
  4. Employer is always aiming at employees who work with passion; therefore, age may not be a hindrance.
  5. One needs to strike the balance between new career and family obligation. No effort can be made by midlife people can create chaos in the minds of the family members. Apparently such people do have the problem relating to housing, education/ marriage expenses for the children, etc. Therefore, it is essential on their part to make arrangement to ease out such problems before they aim at changing their career.

 

Career Opportunities Abroad:

Students from India can study their desired course in various countries of the world. After completion of 10th standard, they must have a proper vision about the course they intend to study abroad and the conditions to be fulfilled to get into it like qualifying language examination, visa formality and abroad information.  As is known the students from science/ commerce/ arts stream may take up studies in higher education institutions abroad. Edunews wish to give the opportunities to such students willing to pursue education in overseas country.

 

Science:

  • Students who have studied science stream, after 10th standard may make sure whether they are willing to take up studies in either pure science or basic science. Pure science comprised of Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics and Biology .Basic science include Physics, Chemistry and Biology. In case of basic science, students can pursue UG-PG-research. In case of pure science, students can pursue BE/ B.Tech/ BPharm- ME/ M.Tech- research.
  • Students have to find out the courses available in various higher educational institutions.
  • They have to get an idea about abroad information and Application process
  • They need to find out the popular streams which can help them to take up the career

 

Commerce:

  • Students from commerce stream may take up course relating to commerce/ business with economics
  • Students from science stream can also re-visit the stream that they have chosen after 10th by embracing commerce stream.
  • Courses in commerce include BBA, B.Com or BA in Economics, CFA, CA, ICWA and CFP abroad. Opportunities for students: BBA/ B.Com – MBA/ M.Com – Research.
  • They have to get an idea about abroad information and Application process.
  • Such students can find out reputed higher education institutions in which they can pursue studies with any impediment

 

Arts:

  • According to Pablo Picasso the purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls. Arts stream include Humanities and Social Sciences.
  • Students can find several options such as English, History, Political Science, Geography, Literature, Economics, Public Administration, Social Science, Fine Arts and sometimes Math could be also considered as an Arts subject.
  • Such students can find out reputed higher education institutions and the streams in which they can pursue studies with any impediment. Universities and the stream like Humanities/ Social Science/ Mass Communication and Journalism/ liberal studies/ psychology/ criminal justice/ fashion design/ musical arts and fine arts.

 

Preparedness to achieve Career:

As already stated the decision of students to select career after 10th standard is playing an important role in one’s life. Even slight deviation from taking firm decisions may become disaster, therefore, students need to be prudent in decision making. In a country like India, most students get influenced by their own peer, especially in rural background, in spite of awareness created. There are many careers available but candidates possessing requisite skill and knowledge are not found, hence mismatch. Infosys Chief Narayan Murthy pointed out clearly that over 85% of the engineering students do not possess the contemporary skills therefore they are not fit. The Department of Higher Education, Government of Karnataka also remarked that there are thousands of teaching positions, but due to paucity of skilled  teachers the posts still left unfilled. The situation in other departments is almost identical. From this it is very clear that students while studying the course, they are not preparing themselves properly to get into the career.

MHRD issued directions to all the regulatory bodies from time to time mainly to notify in the institution about the imperative need of career awareness and preparedness. Edunews wish to offer tip of advices which may help students to prepare themselves properly so that they can make humble efforts to accomplish the desired career.

  1. After 10th standard, students have to select the stream in accordance with the desired career. For instance, a student willing to be an astronaut has to select science as a career stream. A student who is willing to be a civil servant may select any stream from commerce/ arts/ science. Likewise, student desirous of becoming a charted accountant may select commerce. However, students from other stream may also attempt to become charted accountant provided they fulfill the requirement through bridge courses.
  2. Intensive preparation on the core subjects is also equally important. For this purpose they can seek the intervention of coaching besides e-learning resources published by various agencies both in India and abroad.
  3. While studying 11th standard, students should have proper clarity about the career they are aiming at. For example, a student who wishes to be a doctor needs to qualify himself/ herself the NEET Examination conducted by National Testing Agency, New Delhi. For this purpose, students concerned have to interact with the tutors may be in the formal education and coaching centers. They have to work out the model papers periodically, attend mock test and make out the strengths and weaknesses through self assessment and get ready to face the NEET Exam with confidence. Similarly, students desirous of becoming engineers from a reputed institution, have to focus on JEE (Mains) examination conducted by National Testing Agency, New Delhi. Even in this case also, students concerned have to intensify their efforts to get their knowledge augmented. Additional learning resources, mock test and regular interaction with tutors and peer will help them to enhance the level of confidence. Such students can face the examination and come out of it with the desired ranking which will be a gateway for their admission to one of the reputed institutions in technology. Students who have cleared JEE (Mains) may try for JEE (Advanced) will get a passport to seek admission in IIT’s of the country.
  4. Edunews advices students to maintain the same vigor and consistency in their chosen career. Any laxity on the parts of students will jeopardize their dream career.
  5. Even after joining under graduation, students must continue to intensify their efforts in the process of acquiring knowledge and skill to get better grading. They should aim at career preparedness, which is integrated area of instructions relating to academic planning, career development and financial literacy and technology.
  6. Colleges and universities/ institutions have the  obligation to provide students and faculty with insides into their graduate’s economic future. Many students step in to higher education with a narrow view of the opportunities while the faculty is also largely unaware of their student graduates’ actual employment outcomes.
  7. Leading higher education institutions, under career counseling centers, offers various advices about the opportunities available both in India and abroad. Further the centers inspire candidates to equip themselves with the technical skill and knowledge during the course of study. Periodically they arrange industry, institution interface for the benefit of students.
  8. It is a general practice that the higher education institutions arrange placement related activities in the campus. Leading companies visit the institutions, conduct placement related activities including the recruitment, screen the candidates at various stages and offer appointment to the candidates who fulfill the benchmark. It may be noted that Barclay Company, London picked up a student from Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore on a pay package of Rs. 1 crore 36 Lakhs p.a.
  9. Colleges involve greatest resource persons including its alumni. Many of them are eager to offer career advice and even internship opportunities in a company/ industry. The internship which brings out worthy recommendations may lead to hiring of such candidates to work may be at the middle level of management.
  10. Graduates from medical and engineering having aspiration to serve the society might focus on civil service examinations conducted by Union Public Service Commission, New Delhi. No doubt these students have come from the different streams yet they target on civil service examination. Many such candidates have chosen subjects which are not related to the domain subjects. Notwithstanding they have made stupendous performance by selecting subjects under humanities and social sciences. The society has witnessed many such people becoming district collectors/ deputy commissioner.

 

Summary:

The Government imparts education to the younger generation, mainly to empower them and thereby enable them to lead satisfactory life. The parents have a bundle of desire such that their wards will have good education and reach better career for the best future. They exert pressure upon their wards to be highly disciplined in their studies and reach all levels with higher grade. Students after 10th std. will be confused about the selection of appropriate stream which can help them to choose better career. The condition of such students, after 12 is unassuming. Further, they start worrying about their future soon after graduation. Parents, teachers, peer, relatives, etc. may influence upon the students to choose a career which may become narrow. Edunews, an online digital platform at global level, is harnessed to offer quality advisory services to the students and enable them to select best career as per their level of education.