Success does not come easy. For an individual, it costs hard labour, a long dedication, a favourable environment and some luck at the same time. One component missed is a success missed and we know, time and tide wait for no one. Adequately assembling all the assumed elements, one requires good guidance, very often, singular decent advice–from educators or career consultants– elevates the career of a person to the throne of achievement.
The discipline of education and career consultation is directly concerned with the issue discussed above. While a lot of freshers are seeking updated consultations, also there are people and organisations that have been making this a profession with service. In our scenario, the majority of students pursue abroad studies for a dignified degree that they hope can establish them as scholars and specialists whereas another chunk is opting to choose a better profession within the country with average to excellent academic backgrounds. To meet this willingness and suggest the best options to follow, an informative pathfinder is necessary as a parent, a guardian or a professional consultant.
For whatever group, consultation is important. Professional educators and career consultants can play a crucial role in building one’s career. However, the world is changing day by day and Nepal is not unaffected. Hence, Nepal’s educators and career consultants need to update themselves with their changed duties.
Difficulties of career consultation in Nepal
Due to the stack of the syllabus, long hours of studies, tough tests and examinations, a heavy burden creates a parabola between two points of start and destination for a fresh student. We never want them to sink in the quagmire and deviate at any cost. Western countries that we take as examples for practical education with the application conduct periodic career consultations for both parents and students from the very beginning of schooling. They reckon on the optional directions.
But, in the case of countries like ours, we have very little counselling and consulting culture within schooling, rather a negligible count of students appear in the counselling doorsteps for choosing courses and universities after they pass the secondary level of education.
In this circumstance, consultation is really a tough job and to meet the expectation of one individual student at a time among many is literally challenging. Nevertheless, a handful of professionals in this sector is handling it and making it possible for the candidates choosing the right destinations.
Updating knowledge and skills
In this situation, abroad education counsellors and career consultants must be updated about the national and international academic tendencies, changes in choices of students, the recommendations of the foreign universities, living standards, laws and regulations, possible income generation opportunities, and settlement provisions. Then, they need to convince to return to the country after achieving the degree to contribute to nation-building.
Similarly, career counsellors and consultants have more dares to psychologically apprehend the candidate, determine the career options matching with their academic and skill potentials to fulfil earning as well job satisfaction. Most often, candidates pursuing technical professions basically choose technical subjects in colleges and universities and they can find a way out to match their career with what they learn, but in the case of students pursuing the discipline of social sciences, humanities and philosophy, there is never a right desk for operation in any of corporations or agencies. To console and invite determination in these situations, throwing light on the varieties of embracing fields and to assist grasping choice, career counsellors can play significant roles and change the wholesome life value.
Matching the principles and practices in Nepal regarding career consultation, we are practising it as a motivation and guidance as well as a compensation of the gap that has prevailed throughout the academic years of the students, whom we nominate as candidates. In recent years, authentic guidance is in demand, the counselling culture has been picking a high rise in the graph as we see as the professional in the sector. Also because of the pandemic and within its shadow, academic interruptions and career confusions have taken a toll to bother growing youth who are contacting and visiting counsellors physically or virtually to mitigate the psychological fragility and discover a safe pathway.
Amidst these demands and necessities, the decency of professionals is reflected in their response and versatility. Paramount ethics and the highest sense of responsibility is basic to be found in the profile of counsellors or a career consultants. Moreover, the delivery of quality service matters the most.
There should be strict government regulations to run such counselling (individual or institutional), organised training, workshops and regular updates on the particular field of the profession. All that matters is not what is exercised, but what has been ‘achieved’.
