The Indian education system is complex, and there are a lot of debates about how it emphasises grades rather than knowledge. Therefore many students often find themselves confused after completing their 12th class and keep thinking about what career options they can choose. Though there are many art, commerce and science stream career options, the lack of the proper career guidance often keeps the students away from their ideal career path. They either follow what their parents tell them or enrol on the same course their friends choose. A few years later, they find themselves lost as they choose their career path based on someone else's opinion and not on their interests and learning capacity. Therefore it's essential to make the right choices regarding your career.
Choosing the right career path is not easy as it sounds. Many students don't know enough about courses they can choose after their 12th. Additionally, they may not have the decision power to decide which career path to choose, so they end up enrolling in either engineering or medical as expected by their parents. To create a successful career and live a satisfying lifestyle, you must take the proper steps while choosing your career. If you don't know how to do that, don't worry. Millions of students don't know what career path they should choose. Thankfully a little guidance can go a long way. Here are four effective tips that will help you choose your ideal career path.
Know your interest
Choosing a career path after your 12th is crucial, so it's natural for your parents, relatives, and friends to suggest various courses you should select. Despite all that pressure and suggestions, you should cave in. Instead, you need to free yourself from the pressure and give more thought to what makes you happy, what your interests are, what your learning capacity and aptitude are, and what kind of career you would like to follow for a long time. It may not be as simple as it sounds. But there are ways to find your interests and a career based on those interests. If you love cars and are always eager to know how they work, you can pursue your career in automobile engineering or mechanical engineering. If you love airplanes and want to fly one yourself, you should become a pilot. If you are more e=inclined to technology and how machines work, engineering can be the right choice for you. In the same way, your interests have a lot to tell you about what kind of career you can choose. When you choose your career based on your interests, you are more eager to learn and acquire skills and won't feel stressed as it is what you like.
Know your future study and job prospects
Your interests may offer you great insights into what career path to choose, but you should not decide based on your interests alone. It's great that you are selecting a career based on your interests, but you should be aware of your future study and job prospects. If you choose a unique or unconventional career path, you should consider what kind of future study courses you might need to take. You should also know what possible job or self-employment opportunities are in your chosen field. For example, if you choose acting as your career, you need to be aware that you might need to attend a drama school or acting school to learn acting. You might also need to study abroad for any further courses. It's also important to understand that acting is a competitive field, and it might take years to establish your presence in the industry. Likewise, you should be prepared for what is coming regardless of your chosen career path. That way, you will have more clarity in your decisions and can decide on a roadmap for your career that you can confidently follow.
Seek guidance from a career counsellor
You must have understood by now that choosing your career path can be challenging. You may not know your interests and whether they can be followed as a long-term career. It's also challenging to decide whether you have the sufficient learning capacity and aptitude to follow a specific career path. For example, if you find mathematics and physics challenging subjects, it would be difficult(not impossible) to pursue a career in aeronautics, where most of the syllabus is based on mathematics and physics. Therefore it's best to get professional advice from someone who has experience in providing career guidance. Career counsellors are professionals who help students choose the ideal career path based on their interests, prospects and learning capacity. For example, if you completed your 12 from the science stream, they will suggest various science stream career options that you can choose from. So if you find yourself clueless about your career, ask your parents to book an appointment with a career counsellor. That way, you can save the precious years you might have spent following a wrong career and switching to another career after a few years.
Do not ignore the financial aspect as well
As much as you want to follow your interests, it's also crucial to know that your career should be able to provide you with the lifestyle you want. Therefore your career path should be aligned with what plan you have for your future. You should be able to afford the lifestyle you want in the future. Therefore you should choose a career that aligns with your interests and pay you enough to support your lifestyle. That doesn't mean you should also only choose a career with high-income prospects. If you do that, you may be able to earn a lot of money, but you will hate every minute of work you do, as you didn't choose the career that you like. Keep the right balance of financial aspects and your interests in mind when choosing your career.
Choosing a career path is a big life-decisions, and it should be. After all, the steps you take at this stage will shape your future. Therefore you should follow anyone else's opinion. But do self-introspection to know what interests you, whether you want to make your career in it and whether that career can pay you enough to support the lifestyle you want to have. That way, you won't feel stressed and can choose your ideal career path.
