A career counselor can be a valuable resource in the life of a student or a young professional looking to choose a career path. A career consultant not only has industry knowledge and experience but they also have professional exposure and interpersonal skills that can propel youngsters ahead in the career path of their choice. As career counselling steadily grows in popularity among students and professionals, there are a few things that they should consider before investing in such sessions. We list below, three pivotal questions students must ask a career counselor before starting a session:
1. What is the current job market scenario for my industry expertise?
While opting for a career guidance programme, it is extremely important that students are aware of the job market they are about to enter. Evaluating and comparing different job outlooks and the anticipated demand for an industry can go a long way in improving employment opportunities for students. Since a career counselor has access to various resources and robust industry knowledge, students starting career counselling after graduation should discuss in detail the various employment opportunities that their graduate degrees ensure so that they can together zero in on the right choice as per student qualification and market-demand.
2. How will this session help in building my strengths and improving my weaknesses?
Recruiters and interviewers love to ask potential candidates about their strengths and weaknesses and therefore, at the very beginning of an employment counselling session, it is imperative that students are made aware of their strengths and weaknesses. As a conductor of career guidance and counselling, it is not enough to merely help students identify their strengths and weaknesses for the job roles of their choice; a career counselor must also advice students on how to build on their strengths and improve on their weaknesses in accordance to the industry demands at the beginning of the session, so that students can customize their career paths clearly from the start.
3. How will this session help me stay ahead of the competition?
As the job market grows more competitive with every passing day, career counselling for students after 12th becomes a necessity to stay ahead of the competition. Before opting for a session, students should clarify with their career counselor what their expectations from the session are and how a counselor can actually help them swim ahead of the tide. Career counseling for students isn’t only about career advice from professionals, but it is also about practicing interviewing skills with your consultant, perfecting your resume with your guide’s help, enhancing your networking skills through your career counselor and last, but not least, tailoring your CV by highlighting industry-specific skills to land your dream job!
Be it physical career counseling or online career counseling, the key to a successful counseling session is heavily dependent on the counselor-student relationship. Thus, before opting for a session make sure you have clear and transparent conversations with your potential career guide and that both of you work towards a common goal.