What is Career Counseling and Why Your Child May Not Need It

“Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.”

~John C. Crosby

Your child has several career options before them so they’re confused. Which one to take and which one to drop? Will it be the right direction? How do I know I am making the right career decision?

Parents find this to be a problem when it’s not and then go seeking a career counselor. What if I told you that a career counseling program is not suitable for a child who lacks a sense of career direction?

According to Dr. Anish, one of the leading Career mentors in India, “Career Counseling is a means to counsel an individual having a problem or an issue. The concern lies in the fact that most parents think their child has a problem if they are not sure of their career decision.”

My question to most parents is – Are you sure it’s a problem? Or, is it just a matter of simplifying and resolving a confusion to bring about clarity? Do they need career counseling or a career mentor?

I have had several parents reach out to me for their children. Through the years, we’ve all been conditioned to only look at career counseling as an option. In this blog, I am going to take you through what career counseling is all about and whether or not your child needs one.

What is Career Counseling?

Career Counseling is a program that involves counseling a student about their career-related problems. The student may be suffering from an underlying problem or state of suffering which obstructs their ability to find a way. The career counselor plays the role of identifying what the child is going through and experiencing, detecting the gap, which may involve doing a psychometric analysis if required, and adopting a few solutions.

So, one would wonder why almost every parent thinks that career counseling is something that their child requires. It is because career counseling is the only term floating around. Not many have heard or realized the significance of a career mentor. The two are different, play different roles, and address different situations.

What is the role of a career counselor? Knowing this can help you identify whether or not your child needs one.

• Enable the child to talk about their ideas, thoughts, feelings, and concerns about their career and educational choices.
• To help them sort out, organize, and make sense of their thoughts and feelings.
• To identify the factors influencing their career development, and help you assess their abilities, interests, and values.

Unfortunately, there is no clear distinction made between a career mentor and a career counselor. It is important to know the difference between the two to figure out what your child needs. Most often the child requires a career mentor, and here’s what I will discuss next.

Who is a Career Mentor?

A career mentor is the professional your child needs when they lack a sense of direction about their career path. As I mentioned earlier, a child is mainly confused about the direction they should take. Unlike decades ago, career options are in plenty now and most of them are promising paths. This means that a child is likely to be spoiled for choice.

It’s like reading a menu at a restaurant and getting confused about what to pick because there are just so many options. Would you look at this sense of indecisiveness as a problem or as confusion? It’s the same way with a child. This is why a Career Mentoring Program will enable the child to gain the clarity they need for their career path.

The career mentor will help the child make a confident decision about the path they wish to take as a career.

• Help your child realize the true vision of their career.
• Gain clarity about their career and life direction.
• Build a career path that synchronizes with their purpose and identity.
• Manage significant transitions in their life without developing a sense of panic.

So, before you thrust your child into the able hands of a career counselor, my request to all parents is to first know the difference. This knowledge will help you decide the right course of an actionable solution for your child.