Honestly speaking, career choice can be daunting. In the process of choosing the correct stream at school, or a fresh graduate wanting to find out what to do, or even contemplating a change of career, it is very tempting to be under pressure to make the best possible choice.
The thing is that there is no such thing as a universal answer. Nonetheless, there is a point of beginning which makes everything more understandable- getting to know your strengths.
What Makes You, You?
We all have natural talents. Perhaps you are the friend everybody looks upon to get some advice. You can perhaps put complicated things in simple terms, or you are the one who sees trouble in the offing before it grows into tragedy. They are not mere personality peculiarities, these are hints at the professions where you will be really comfortable, not because you will get by.
The career counseling is not about someone telling you what you should do. It is about making you look at yourself straight. A good counselor is similar to a mirror; they mirror back your patterns, preferences as well as potential, something that you would not have noticed yourself.
Beyond Good Grades
Academic performance is important, but not all. You may be good at math and detest working with numbers all day. You might be a good memorizer of facts, but get revitalized by working. True career contentment will be when you are doing on a day-to-day basis what gives you a natural energy.
Career counseling through structured assessments, conversations and exercises assist in the identification of:
- Your talents and acquired skills.
- What inspires and weeps you.
- Your work style preferences.
Things those are most important to you.
From Confusion to Clarity
Career counseling can be thought of as a kind of a GPS to the profession. You are still driving, only that you have the map on which you know the directions of the roads. This clarity makes you make some informed decisions concerning education, training and employment.
Students who have the knowledge of their strengths pursue courses that they love. People who are aware of what they carry to the table get better negotiating deals. When one is in his or her zone of genius, everyone wins.
Your Next Step
Career counseling may be your turning point in case you are stuck or perplexed over what else you could possibly do or may want. It is not narrowing down your choices, it is simply deciding to put your efforts in areas that you have the greatest chance of success and where you will also be fulfilled.
There is no need to remember that it is not to find the right career. It is to discover your career- one that allows your strengths to shine, one that is aligned to your values and one that offers space to develop.
Want to see what you really have to offer? It just takes someone asking you the right questions at times to get you to discover the answers that always existed.
– The Author is Mr. Ajay Thiara , Founder & Managing Director of 360 College Review