Unplanned Education : A Necessity or A TRAP : Part -2 The Solution

 

So we saw in the previous part how the external environment is encashing on the Student's ignorance or innocence making his life more challenging even after spending a lot of money and more importantly a considerable and important time of his life. 

So how do we face this challenge? While there may be numerous views about how the education system has to change, how regulations should be strict, what should the students do and what not. And there may be certain calls to be taken by parents as well.

Frankly,  as a society, we have been discussing such things for decades and we have realized that societal changes take time and they come with their own pros and cons. 

One cannot simply waste his life waiting for the changes to happen or simply go by tolerating whatever is happening. The time ( actually life) keeps ticking and doesn't wait for anyone... not even you. 

Hence in this article, we will focus on what we as individuals responsible for our own life  can do and should do. 

As I have said earlier,  the solution is simple but not easy. Hence all those who want to avoid any career misdirection or derailment should be ready for a long haul of consistent and specific efforts to make a happy and successful life. 

Here are a few tips - rather a broad action steps to be taken. 

Have You made your Career Plan ?

A career plan is a roadmap that outlines your short-term and long-term career goals, as well as the steps you need to take to achieve them. Career plans can help you make decisions about what courses and classes to take, and identify the extracurricular activities, research, and internships that will make you a strong job candidate. Below are some helpful steps to guide you in creating a career plan customized to your interests and ambitions.

10 Steps to an Effective Career Plan

 

1. Discover Yourself: Understand your Personality- what makes you unique or different, what are your strengths and weaknesses, what kind of work drives you, what are your interests – what excites you ? what are your Talents- what are you great at ? and how  do you face and manage your emotions … what are your Values?

Once you discover yourself it would be much easier to identify your waters that you can sail effortlessly. You may seek professional help in this process if you are unable to do the same on your own. Alternatively, you can use some good self-assessment tools for the same.

 

2. Identify Your Career Options. Develop a refined list of career options by examining your interests, skills, and values identified through your self-discovery process. Narrow your list to 4 to 5 career options by reviewing career information, researching educational websites and other sources, and talking to various professionals. You can further narrow your list when you take part in experiences such as shadowing, volunteering, and internships – Virtual or in person. A good career coach can help you in this process. 

 

3. Prioritize your Options. It’s not enough to list options. You have to prioritize. Once you've identified a few career options that you're deeply interested in, it's time to prioritize them. What's most important to you in your career? Is it salary, work-life balance, or the opportunity to make a difference? Once you know what's important to you, you can start to make a decision about which career path is right for you.

 

4. Check the Alignment. Compare your most promising career options against your list of prioritized skills, interests and values. If you have any sincerely pursued DREAM then assessing the options with respect to  your dream is a must here.  Quite often we tend to go by gut feeling without much of rational study / research. Here I would suggest that gut feeling has to be used at the end when you have completed all the rational, logical or factual analysis

 

 

5. Consider Other Factors. You should consider factors beyond personal preferences. What is the current demand for this field? If the demand is low or entry is difficult, are you comfortable with risk? What qualifications are required to enter the field? Will it require additional education or training? How will selecting this option affect you and others in your life? Consider potential outcomes and barriers for each of your final options. Discuss with family and dear ones who matter.

 

6. Make a Choice. Choose the career path that is best for you. How many paths you choose depends upon your situation and comfort level. If you’re early in your planning, then identifying multiple options may be best. You may want more than 1 paths to increase the number of potential opportunities. Conversely, narrowing to one or two options may better focus your job search or college applications.

 

 

7. Set Goals. Now that you’ve identified your career options, develop an action plan to implement this decision. Identify specific, time-bound goals and steps to accomplish your plan. Set short-term goals (to be achieved in one year or less) and long-term goals (to be achieved in one to five years). Don’t forget to keep your goals SMART

S           Specific — Identify your goal clearly and specifically.

        Measurable — Include clear criteria to determine progress and accomplishment.

        Attainable — The goal should have a 50 percent or greater chance of success.

        Relevant — The goal is important and relevant to your dream.

        Time-bound — Commit to a specific timeframe.

    8. Create Your Career Action Plan. It’s important to be realistic about expectations and             timelines. Write down specific action steps to take to achieve your goals and help                     yourself stay organized. Identify the Job / employment Skills that you need to possess             when you enter the job market. These skills may be field related hard skills or                         transferable skills like communication skills, problem solving skills, critical thinking skills,          adaptability , teamwork, high EQ and similar ones. Make a specific action plan to aquire          and evaluate them for you.  Check them off as you complete them. Here it may be                 important to note that you may want to keep more than one action plans to reach your             destination to account for contingencies. If One action Plan doesn’t work feel free to                 amend as needed in order to achieve your dream . Your goals and priorities that lead to          your dream  may change, and that’s perfectly okay.

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9.     Choose your Career Partners: A Educational Degree and the Educational Institute are           just two partners in your career pursuit. Once you have done the 1st 8 steps deligently           you will feel empowered to choose the Right course and Right college for the same.  You         may refer my blog on how to choose the right college for yourself  

https://boldnetindia.blogspot.com/2023/08/10-important-pointers-to-choosing-right.html .  

      Please note that your degree course or college is just a vehicle that can take you to your pre-decided destination.  It makes more sense to choose a vehicle that is taking you to your destination however unattractive it may look rather than jumping on to an attractive or comfortable vehicle that's going somewhere else which is not your destination. An important point to be noted here is,  however attractive or unattractive your college may look, you have to choose one that directly or indirectly helps you with taking all those skills development actions mentioned in point no 8. It may be also noted here that nowadays colleges consider helping you get placed ( during the final semester) in any company (        and that is considered as their accomplishment of promises to you ) and they are not bothered about your Career Dream or aspirations. 

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 10. Start Networking for Career: Networking with career focussed peers, Professionals in field of your chosen career ( including allied fields)  is a necessary tool to keep yourself on track and abreast with the latest happenings in your field. It also helps you learn the necessary skills which may or may not be part of your curriculum, besides such networking helps you with internships and even a job.

 

Creating an effective career plan takes time and effort, but it's worth it in the long run. By following these steps, you can create a roadmap that will help you achieve your career goals.

Additional tips for creating an effective career plan:

·         Get professional help. If you're struggling to create a career plan on your own, consider hiring a career coach or mentor. They can help you assess your skills and interests, identify career options, and develop a realistic action plan.

·         Be flexible. Your career plan is not set in stone. As you gain experience and your interests change, you may need to adjust your plan. Be prepared to make changes as needed.

·         Don't give up. It takes time and effort to achieve your career goals. Don't get discouraged if you don't see results immediately. Keep working hard and eventually you will reach your goals.

I hope you liked this  article. 

for any queries feel free to reach out to me 

Avinaash Deshmukh 

Youth and Career Coach 

care@brainsmaart.com