If you are a student who is appearing or just appeared the 10th or 12th standard board exams and keen to know that what should you do next, please read this post till the end.If you are a parent who wants to help your child and guide him/her into the best field then do follow this post.As a Career counsellor I get hundreds of students who are confused in Life with respect to career.

Many students and parents come just after 10th or 12th board exams but majority students I get are after their 1st year or 2nd year of graduation degree.They are completely lost,depressed and exhausted because they don't like the course which they chose.May be they joined the degree on the suggestion of their parents or it is due to blindly following friends.I have also got cases where the students have stopped attending lectures and become very lonely all by themselves.

Parents are clueless because they don't know the reason and they often blame the students for being careless or lack of seriousness in studies.Remember one thing you need the desire and passion towards a specific course for you to be able to study it with interest and perform in it.Sometimes students who even chose the course themselves end up making mistakes because they did not research well about different careers before choosing one.

In this post I will share with all Students and Parents the step by step procedure to choose their Career in their life which forms a major portion of the lives.So if you are a Students at any phase of your life who is confused and clueless about what you need to do next,this post might be a helpful read.Also parents need to follow this post who want to help their children in an informed way.So let's begin the step by step approach to choosing your career.

Step 1: Knowing the real definition of Career

The biggest mistake students and parents make is not being able to know the real meaning of career.For some career is just a money making process.For some career is prestige and identity.For some career is just interest and passion.For some career is following your lineage.Your career cannot be just one of these.It is a long term commitment.

I define career as an activity which takes major part of your life(say 30-40 years) and major part of day ( say 10-12 hours) to give you financial freedom , Service to society and Emotional Satisfaction. The emotional satisfaction part is often overlooked by students and parents because we are programmed to compare careers on basis of the money they can earn for us.

But people forget than earning in a career is possible only when you perform exceptionally well in it.When your skills are useful for the organization only then you are an asset to them.And performance in a career is highly dependent on your passion interest and inner drive to do that work.Money alone cannot be the motivating factor in the long run.So many clients I get are earning a lakh a month and still not happy with their careers due to lack of inner satisfaction.

On of my clients shares his Life journey: he narrates , I got 85% in my 10th standard, clueless about what to do next, I took commerce as I thought science would be too difficult for me though a lot of people told me to take science.When I started studying commerce I found myself in no way attracted to the subjects or content being taught.I was in a very reputed college but I just could not perform because I never liked to study the subjects.

I ended up leaving my graduation midway in the last year.Then I suddenly felt inclined towards art forms like sketching , graphic design and joined an animation institute.I did a 2 year program and really excelled in the career.In the beginning the salary was very less but I was so happy doing the work the ai never bothered me .Gradually I kept on moving the ladder and today after 7 years of hard work dedication fueled by my passion I own my own editing Studio and earning very well.People who criticized me before and no more talking and my parents who once lost faith in me , support me immensely.

My personal suggestions to all students would be to tread very cautiously .Dont dont make decisions who will regret later on because no one can get a refund for the time which you have invested in learning something you never used in your life.

Step 2 : Consider Non Conventional Careers

Every parent wants their child to be a Doctor , Engineer, Lawyer, IAS. Imagine a world with only these 4 careers. Who will do other other work? If you child truly possesses the aptitudes and interest for the conventional careers then you should definitely consider them.But if you just want to impose these careers because who want to follow family tradition or get influenced by the money these careers make or just following your relatives of societal prestige then it would not be a wise choice.

People have this myth that only conventional careers can make money. Truth is that I have had clients who are  photographers/designers/artists and earning lakhs of rupees per month and even engineers who are jobless.You earn in careers where you are able to learn.Where you can truly learn only there you stand a chance to grow intellectually or professionally.

In today's date the options available for career are endless.People earn so much money doing creative photography,film making, acting , dance, creating music, being a Dj,Being a vlogger and blogger, being a youtuber or doing digital marketing.They earn fame and money both and people envy them too.They travel a lot and live life to the fullest.

Then there are certain booked base careers which also give good earnings like MBA , Chartered accountant, Architect, Hotel Management, Psychologist,Microbiology,Pharmacy and so much more. All careers are not suitable for you but my point is the options are endless. I have given only a few examples.May be in coming future posts I will share with you the diversity of careers available.

Each career requires a different skill set and abilities.If you possess those then it is the right choice for you.Remember you can learn skills by practicing things again and again but passion and interest can only be generated to a certain level.What drives you from inside can give you insights for choosing your right career.So parents let you kids explore different and unique career options before finally narrowing down on one career.

Step 3: Know yourself

You expect so much from your career.Money, prestige, Popularity, Fulfillment of your dreams. What do you give to your career in return.If your career should do justice to you then you should laos do justice to your career,In order to do justice to your career you should know yourself fully.you should be able to sync with the needs of the career.You should be able to grow, perform and outperform other in that career.Only then you truly deserve the career.

Sadly students are too much disconnected with themselves.I ask them what you like they say nothing much I ask them what is you passion they say dont know.I ask them what is your dream and they said not yet planned.They are very much connected to mobile phones,games,tv series,movies but not at all connecetd to themselves.Iery few studnets I get, actually know what they want from their lives.

The best way to know yourself is to get support from your hobbies interest and aptitudes.For career counselling of my clients I usually take a Interest + Value + Personality + Skills Test.You can define your interest by things you never get tired from doing.Your aptitudes can be known from your scores and performances in your academics.Your values are the very core of your career that can make or break a decision. And your personality is the type of person you are and the type of people you are keen to be surrounded by.

While checking your hobbies and interest to gain insights for your career it is also suggested to be realistic.Some hobbies are best left as hobbies.You may have 3 different hobbies.In this case the hobby and passion which will also given you financial freedom with inner happiness should be considered as a career. A career should only be that much of a struggle which does not demotivate you.Too much of wait time to get success if often one reason due to which students get disheartened and do not want to move ahead in life.

Step 4: Research the Career

Ever tried to learn swimming or went to a pool side? Did you dive into the pool without knowing its depth? No, Right? So why do you dive into a career without knowing its content.I have seen parents and students doing this mistake a lot.Just found about a career from someone and immediately they enroll into the course.This leads to shock and denial for the student as soon as he is exposed to the syllabus.It happens a lot with engineering graduates who never know before what they are getting into.

Sometimes students come to me complaining about their parents that their parents do not support them in their career dream.I ask them is it a dream which you see when you are asleep or is it the type of dream which makes you sleepless? My friend you see the lack of passion or the presence can make a huge difference as how people perceive you and how much seriously they take you.

Your parents always want you to be happy, healthy and financially stable.Their intention is always pure but sometimes their execution can go for a toss.But students who blame their parents for being non supportive should prove to their parents first the extent of the passion they possess for the goals they have dreamt of.What stops you from convincing them.Passion is free and it's even infectious. So anything you like and want to make it your career, should naturally be visible to your parents in your daily routine.

Want to be a singer ? Start a youtube channel and showcase your current skills

Want to be a chef? Cook different things at home with variations

Want to be an actor? Show your skills on social media

Want to be a photographer? Show it to people around you

Your passion should be like a siren that no one can ignore.

Now how do you research the career?

Here are some important points to take into consideration while researching your shortlisted careers.

• Use internet websites like quora to get insights from professionals in your target career.
• Browse Youtube for career counselling related videos
• Search and meet at least 1 professional of you target career to know pros and cons.
• Use youtube to find video lectures of your target course
• Download pdfs or buy books of 1st year of your target course and explore them.

If you do all of the above and still continue to feel that you have found your dream career then it is fine to proceed and you will even have parents support.

Step 5: No easy Route

Students who often are complaining about their parent’s non supportive nature are trying to cover up their failure for hard work.Yes want to avoid studies, hardwork and that is why the want to seek career which according to them are easy or require no study.They think that creativity based careers are fun and require no hard work.They are completely wrong in this.

All careers, be it booked based careers or creativity based require immense patience dedication,consistency and practice to make it perfect.It may not involve book study but it will require to learn the theory before the practicals and laos learning the implementation of it.Whatever career you opt you will have to give your heart,soul,sweat and blood in order to succeed in it.

Some examples to show that no career is easy are below

• Do you know how much time it requires for an actor to byheart his lines
• Do you know the practice needed to perfect lighting ,iso,aperture and shutter speed for that perfect click
• Do you know how many hours it takes for an animator to rig a character
• Do you know the pain a sportsman goes through before a race
• Do you know the responsibility a DJ has to face while playing at a party.
• Do you know how much practice a singer does before a concert
• Do you know how many rejections an artist has to face before approval

These are only a very few examples of some careers which would be misunderstood as very easy to accomplish by some students.Whatever career you choose you will have to give it your time and start learning or studying from the very begining.College life can be distracting,With new friends,new freedom,it can be very easy to drift away.But these 5-6 years is what can make or break you.

You can waste these 5-6 years in what you call it enjoying your college life or you can use it to create something out of yourself so that you don’t have to struggle later in life.Do have fun but also keep the balance intact so that you don't get carried away with it.Remember when you have your career ,finances and respect intact you automatically attract people.

Step 6: Dealing with Failure

One of the biggest fears and challenges a student faces is encounter with failure.Many students stop their journey of education or pursuing career because they hit a hurdle.They lose their confidence, experience low self esteem and start believing that nothing is possible in the lives.This can happen in case of poor grades or in this case of wrong career decision making and then reaching a dead end.

Failure means putting hard work and not getting desired results.Failure can also arise due to putting hard work in the wrong direction.A person may also feel failure from unable to work hard at all which often comes from guilt.A Failure can suck up your energy or even worse put you into depression.In order to avoid damage to your career path you need to overcome failure.

We all are humans and we make mistakes.Sometimes the mistakes are due to carelessness and something due to poor planning or execution.Sometimes failure happens with no mistake from our side and the circumstances are not in our control.For example you ran a race and lost it because your shoelace opened just before the end point. Or for example you failed an examination because you fell ill before the exam.

In order to overcome failure please take note of below points:

• People like to gossip and aim at other people’s fault.Ignore them
• Everyone fails somewhere or someting.Its not a big thing
• Failure means something was not done as it should have been.
• Failure is a chapter in Life not the entire book]
• Stay away from people who criticise your failure,because they can't be your friends or well wishers.
• Failure should give you critical feedback about how to approach the task again.
• Accepting defeat can pause you life but trying again can do miracles.
• Stop unnecessary anxiety and  worry about the future as you can tweak it with an action plan.

So if you have failed in any way in your life or career, gather your broken pieces and be ready to start your life once again.The only way you can get rid of the failure tag is to change it with success.That is why it is important to keep trying.

Step 7: Seek a Professional

Last but not the least, consider visiting a professional life a Life Coach or Career Counsellor who can help you with finding the ideal career for you.How Much ever trial and error we do,there can be chances where we are completely lost and unable to still find which career is best for us.Sometimes we also need assurance that our career choice is the right decision.

A counsellor is a trained professional who can help you align your career values,goals,interests,abilities ,skills and personality together you give you the best combination of passion + money in a career.The counsellor uses tools like active listening,asking relevant questions and career assessment tests to counsell the student to find his/her ideal career match.

With a career counselling session you can never go wrong.In India sadly, going to a counsellor is sometimes seen as a mental block but now times have changed.People have realised that it is better to be proactive and make informed decisions than to just rely on instinct to find a suitable career match.So do not delay.if you still haven't been able to find out what your ideal career should be. Book an appointment with a nearest career counsellor.

So Finally I would like to say that the best career option in India after 10th and 12th is the Career which you can stick to 35-40 years of your life, give it a full shot ,overcome the hurdles and be lively and passionate about it. Any career can give you the dream salary and package you desire.The only thing required from your side is unbreakable passion, spirit and consistency to learn from in it.The better and more you learn the more you earn.

Every field has equal scope.Its upto you what you choose and explore.Don’t be afraid to try something unconventional if you truly enjoy doing it.Ans yes do your research well before choosing your course.Parents too should be supportive to their kids because ultimately if it makes them naturally happy,they will succeed in it.

So if you find this post useful, do share it with your kids or friends or any one who might need it. Also if you have any questions do ask below in the comments section, we will try to answer them. Thank you