It is a puzzling task to choose the right path from an unknown junction to the destination. Most of the students are, quite often, in a dilemma when it comes about choosing the right stream after 10th and it is, definitely, one of the important decision in your life as this will have long-term impacts, impacts, though.

Everybody, ultimately, ends up in a job, as time passes; which could be your right choice or not and this job is going to consume one-third of the time span of our life. Can you think a job that doesn’t offer you any contentment? This weariness would become inevitable if our career choice is in the wrong direction. The decision once took out of peer pressure or parental pressure or due to lack of knowledge becomes the burden of life. Hence, it is very important for a student to carefully choose the stream for better career prospects in future.

Choosing the right stream among 3000 courses and more than 30000 institutions available could be challenging. However, careful planning is needed for a successful career.  Career exploration, knowledge about one’s own potential, interests, decision-making ability, and future goals are some of the essential elements needed for a successful career planning.

The innate potential could be identified through self-awareness, interests, subject priority, and parental influence. Sometimes students take wrong decisions due to lack of knowledge and a proper guidance from the experts and experienced people like teachers/parents/seniors could prove fruitful. Quite often, students ignore their passion and follow their parents’. Here, a healthy conversation with them could help them realize your passion and interest!

Aptitude being the Apt Tool

Aptitude tests prove to be the effective and scientific method to choose a right stream and one’s talent/ability/potential to do a certain kind of task without prior knowledge or training could be evaluated through this. This test includes many factors like numerical reasoning, verbal reasoning, abstract reasoning, speed, accuracy, etc. Students are mostly asked about skills, values, likes, dislikes and their innate abilities the strongest and the weakest areas in each area of reasoning are measured.

Decide Precisely

The decision taken will be strong enough only if the student has a definite GOAL which will lead her/him to Gallop for an Objective with strong Ambition that makes Life meaningful. Some other factors like the personality type, duration of the course, opportunities and scope, institute’s location, financial situation, interest, performance area, personal values, morality, dress code etc. should be kept in mind while deciding!

It is a paradox that one who doesn’t talk and interact join for an LLB Course same as the one who doesn’t have a hardworking and adventurous skill do the Mining Engineering! We have our parents and grandparents at home who didn’t take aptitude tests or not much studious about their higher study or career and still do the job. Now the situation has entirely been changed to the era of the “Survival of the Fittest”.  The competency of each field is more specific and only the best can survive!   For deciding a potential career, one can also attend educational fairs, career guidance seminars that allow you to get in touch with several institutes and courses. They should have a persistent focus towards his or her goal and can seek the help of their teachers, parents, and elders. A detailed strength-weakness analysis should be done while choosing. Set a Goal through a strong objective with a thorough strength-weakness analysis by testing Aptitude and considering interest, personality, opportunities, time span, expert advice, open discussions, decision making skill etc.,  like components and reach and reach the sky!

Ramla Beevi
Chief Career Counselor, CIGI