What is Career Counselling ? Definition, Types & Process
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Career counselling is the bridge that connects Indian students who are dreaming to study abroad to their desired career and course choices. One can get lost in the jungle of thousands of courses, universities, and quickly changing global job markets which is why the right decision may sometimes seem to be too much. However, Career counselling gives one a pathway through psychometric assessments, personalized advice, and insights into the international education systems to the point of choosing the right course, country, and career path.
Overwhelming decisions arise for Indian students when they dream of studying abroad - Which country? Which university? Or which course will secure a bright future? Career counselling helps to clarify all these queries and also builds up a student’s confidence. In fact, it is a systematic process through assessments, expert insights, and personalised planning, which makes sure every single person has made the right choice that is in line with their career options, interests, strengths, and market trends.
- What is Career Counselling?
- Types of Career Counselling
- Who Can Benefit from Career Counselling?
- Processes Involved in Career Counselling
- How to Choose the Right Career Counsellor?
What is Career Counselling?
Career counselling is a professional support service, which helps individual to understand himself, their career paths, and eventually make educated decisions about the education they take and the career they choose. As opposed to casual guidance from friends or family, career counselling is based on psychological, career development, and labor market research Career counselling is a process more than one time session. One of the sessions of Career Counselling has a trained expert counselor. A trained counselor assists students or professionals in identifying their strengths, aptitudes, and career goals and at the same time analyzes external factors such as the demand for the job market, future skills, and academic pathways.
Types of Career Counselling
Career counselling is categorised into 4 main types on the basis of the counsellor’s approach, the delivery method, purpose and tools& techniques used. These 4 main types are further categorised into 3 different types each. Here’s the explanation:
| Category |
Type |
Brief Description |
|---|---|---|
| By Counsellor’s Approach |
Directive |
Counsellor guides and advises the client directly. |
| Â | Non-Directive |
Client leads; counsellor supports exploration. |
| Â | Eclectic |
Blend of directive and non-directive methods. |
| By Delivery Method |
Individual |
One-on-one personalised sessions. |
| Â | Group |
Multiple students guided together with shared learning. |
| Â | Online |
Counselling delivered through digital/remote platforms. |
| By Purpose |
Educational |
Guidance on courses and higher-education choices. |
| Â | Vocational |
Identifies suitable career paths based on interests and aptitude. |
| Â | Placement |
Support for resumes, cover letters, and interviews. |
| By Tools & Techniques |
Trait & Factor |
Matches traits and abilities with suitable careers. |
| Â | Psychometric Tests |
Uses tools like MBTI or Strong Interest Inventory. |
| Â | RIASEC |
Categorises personality into six types to suggest career fields. |
Who Can Benefit from Career Counselling?
Anyone, at any stage and age can benefit from career counselling services. Including
- students exploring education and future careers,Â
- freshers entering workforce,Â
- working professionals seeking career advancement or transitioning, and
- those who feel unhappy, unmotivated, stuck or have a lack of growth and direction in their current roles.Â
Career counselling helps individuals identify their strengths and set realistic goals, develop relevant skills to reach those goals, by navigating through potential career transition processes by means of providing their personalised guidance and support.
Processes Involved in Career Counselling
There are 5 main stages of career counselling, which are described here below:
| Stages of Career Counselling |
Description |
|---|---|
| 1. The Self-Assessment (or Discovery) Stage |
This stage involves the understanding of the individual's career goals, aspirations, challenges, and expectations from the counselling sessions. |
| 2. The Exploration Stage |
This stage involves both the counsellor and the individual exploring various career paths and educational options that align with their findings from the self-assessment step. |
| 3. The Decision-making Stage |
Based on self-assessment and career path exploration steps from previous stages, the client shortlists a few suitable career options for themselves in the decision-making stage. |
| 4. The Preparation Stage |
At this stage, an action plan is created by the mutual discussion between the counsellor and the client. This includes drawing a roadmap for completing the education journey, getting required certifications, and taking other necessary steps that pushes the students/clients closer to their career goals. |
| 5. The Implementation Stage |
This is the final step of the counselling process. At this stage, the individual begins to implement the action plan created in the previous step, which could involve updating their resume, practising for the interviews, and applying for jobs or courses abroad. |
How to Choose the Right Career Counsellor?
Predict your IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE in just 4 steps!
Here are the steps to choose the right career counsellors in your educational and career journey:
- Determine your career goals, aspirations and the counselling approach you want to go with.
- Look for counsellors with experience and credentials aligning with your chosen career field.
- Check the reviews and student testimonials online for your chosen counsellors and career counselling services.Â
- Step 4: Finally, schedule a meeting with the counsellor to determine whether their communication skills, counselling approach and fee structure align with your preferences and budget.
This was all about the Career Counselling services. If you have any more doubts, feel free to drop your queries in the comments below.
Statement of Purpose
Letter of Recommendation
Student Visa Application
Admission Essay Writing
Student Curriculum Vitae