Career counsellors are Delhi?s most wanted
Now that the Class XII results are out, helplines have taken a backseat and career counsellors are the most sought after souls in the city.
Now that the Class XII results are out, helplines have taken a backseat and career counsellors are the most sought after souls in the city. An increasing number of students and parents are flocking to their offices — the counsellors never had it so good.
“Career counsellors act as a link between parents and children. Often parents don’t understand a child’s aptitude but when a counsellor shows the way they tend to listen,” says Sidhharth Vij, a Class XII Science student from Mother’s International School.
He has joined acting classes and his parents have come to terms with his choice. “There are as many as 3,840 careers to choose from. Even though the Internet gives ample information, children may not be able to gauge the authenticity of the information. Moreover, parents often agree to a counsellor’s advice and allow the child to follow his heart,” says Pervin Malhotra, a career counsellor.
But the city also faces a dearth of career counsellors. “There are very few genuine counsellors who can guide us. Most of the time they are as confused as we are,” says Rajdeep Puri of Bal Bhawan School. “Candidates are confused and need self-analysis from a counsellor. Only a trained career counsellor can guide them,” says Hema Gupta of Resources Evaluation and Life Management.
Counsellors agree that the shortage of professionals has led many psychologists to double up as career counsellors. “Unless you are trained you can’t do much. It will be like playing with a child’s career,” adds Malhotra.
