Varsha Prasad
Editor, TeacherTribe.world
Career options today are plenty and beyond imagination. A few decades ago, who would have thought careers like social media manager, AI specialist and blockchain developer would exist? There was also a time when one would have not thought about anything other than engineering and medicine as a career option.
A little history
In ancient times, professions or ‘jobs’ as it was called then, was based on the resources available and the region where a person lived. Professions ran in the family, where the grandfather, father and the son followed the same profession. With discoveries and inventions, the professions of people evolved to suit the needs of the time.
When women entered a largely male-dominant professional space, it was a game changer. Professions that were initially considered to be meant for men, was preferred by women too. Armed Forces and Law Enforcement, sports like wrestling and boxing, aerospace engineering, aviation management, etc., are just some examples.
Today, we live in a VUCA world, where everything around is volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous. We are constantly in a state of flux. So, in this constantly changing world, there are newer opportunities arising each day, to accommodate newer inventions and explorations.
Passion and profession
After my class 12, when I decided to quit science and take up arts (English literature and Journalism), there were a lot of people around me who were convinced that I was taking the wrong path. They were very sure that arts and the subjects it offered, would take me nowhere in life. It was my parents and teachers who trusted my decision and helped me progress with a positive mindset.
Even to this day, there are thousands of youngsters who are still in a dilemma to decide what fits them the best and what career path to choose. In such situations, there is always an internal debate where the heart wants to go for passion, while the brain chooses a profession. But today, the world has come a long way where there are a lot of opportunities for careers that check the boxes of both passion and profession.
Teachers and parents’ role
I think the parents and teachers play a major role in influencing children’s career choices. The first and foremost task both these people have is to understand and gauge the child’s interests and passion. This can later be mapped to help the child if he or she is on the right path. For example, if a child is consistently average in science, it would be a bad idea to encourage the child to take up a career as an engineer. Similarly, if a child is a consistent, top performer in biology, it would be a great idea to motivate the child to consider a career in medicine, provided the child is interested.
It is very important for teachers and parents to be aware of and understand the new career opportunities available in the world today. With proper knowledge and awareness of the different kinds of jobs available, they will be able to help children explore various opportunities. To do this, teachers and parents can –
Research and be aware of the less-explored careers.
Observe and help the child decide what’s best for them based on their interests and performances.
Have discussions with children on their passions and interests.
Have an open-mindset towards career that are relatively new and lesser-known.
Discuss careers, opportunities and choices early on, to give time for the child to explore and decide.
Take help from professionals/career coaches to help them and students understand better.
With examinations nearing and with children of classes 10 and 12 deciding on the subjects to choose, teachers can have conversations and sessions in class to discuss pros and cons of choosing particular subjects and the prospects of various careers. Dear teachers, as rightly said by Steve Jobs, “the only way to great work is to love what you do,” if children do not enjoy what they are doing, the work done at the end of the day will be half-hearted. So let us become their guides and help them make the right career choice, and help them convert their profession into passion.
To help teachers better, TeacherTribe.world is bringing to you a new series of articles on ‘careers’, where expert career coach, Mr. Shravan Shetty discusses multiple topics like, lesser explored careers, psychological biases in career choice, etc. Stay tuned!
Do you think career choices today are backed with good research? Write to me with your thoughts, to varsha@greycaps.com.