Worry Factor

The biggest stress or worry factor for parents as well as students is not really health or self development. Career choices seem to be bothering students as well as parents the most. But I guess it’s the parents who are more troubled with it than their children. Most young people and teens are fairly clear these days as to what they want to do. In case of confusion, they just need some guidelines as to what are the options available in various fields.

Parents and Counselors Are a Problem

Unfortunately, most parents and counselors are not aware of career options. Further, they try to live their unfulfilled lives through their children and force career choices on them. This is going to create stress. If your child is good at art and also good at science, parents will force them to take up a science related career; or worse; put them in engineering and force them to do MBA. But the young adult wants to be an artist. So there is going to be confusion and stress. We do not train and allow individuals to take their own decisions.

Tips To Make A Career Choice

There are just a few simple things one can do decide on a career. Parents can help collate information for the student in their area of interest and let them decide. Just remember these few simple tips to help you make a great career choice:

• What are you good at? There are many things you could be good at but you have to opt for what you are the best at. In case you are good at science and art, but if you are better at art, then pick that up. In today’s day and age, every activity is commercially lucrative.
• Look for information and options in your desired fields and disciplines. There are multiple options available and everything is commercially viable. So you need not worry about whether you are going to make money. If you do what you genuinely want to and are focussed, you will make money.
• Psychometric or other career related tests don’t help. The results keep changing all the time as every individual keeps evolving all the time. There are quite a few talents which no test can identify for you. Only you can know yourself. An honest self assessment is the best test you can take.
• You already know what you really like or are good at. In most cases what you like and what you are good at, is the same. You don’t need someone else to tell you what you are good at.
• Many parents try to impose their likings, views or opinions regarding careers on their children. Listen to all information and viewpoints, but decide what you want. Parents are not always wrong either.
• Peer pressure is another area which is not good. Speaking with friends or seniors is one thing, but getting swayed is quite another. If people without experience or in the same boat as you, are going to guide you, you may run into trouble. Again listen to all views but make your own choice.
• Decide and move ahead in the direction of your choice. Even an interest in literature or the arts can make you money if you do it well and stick to it. Passion and perseverance is the key to success in any discipline.
• Don’t worry about what your life will be like five or ten years down the line. You will land up taking a wrong decision. Go with what you definitely like today and are capable to do it.
• Be rational. E.g. there is a big difference in being creative and actually thinking you are creative. You may want to be an architect but if you are bad at geometry as well as art, it is probably a fantasy.
• If you are in some doubt then it is advisable to do some internships or work for two to three years. The exposure to real life will help clarify what you want to do. Sometimes it even takes ten to fifteen years to figure out you are in the wrong profession or field.

What we are saying is very simple:

IF YOUR HEART LOVES IT, YOUR MIND SUPPORTS IT AND YOUR ARMS, LEGS AND SENSES ARE REASONABLY GOOD AT IT; THAT IS YOUR CAREER!

If you are still stressed about your children’s career then probably you should opt for some online stress consultation with our expert.