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Come admission time, career counsellors are in great demand

It is college admission time in Mumbai, and a huge number of institutions with numerous courses have opened their doors wide. This situation has proved to be favourable for career counsellors. Scores of students are flocking to career counselling centres to know which course is best for them.

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It is college admission time in Mumbai, and a huge number of institutions with numerous courses have opened their doors wide. This situation has proved to be favourable for career counsellors. Scores of students are flocking to career counselling centres to know which course is best for them.

"We have seen a significant increase in the number of students and parents coming to us these days for career-related counselling," said Shailja Mulay, a Mahim-based career and education counsellor. "The head count has gone up nearly two-fold in the last five years," she said.

Career assessment has never been as important as it is today, because of the rise in the number of courses and competition in almost all fields, says a counsellor at Growth Centre, a Chembur-based career guidance firm.
Over 100 counselling centres are operating in Mumbai at present, but only about 10 have qualified counsellors-cum-psychiatrists. Their fees range from Rs1,000 to Rs 5,000 depending on the counsellor.
The mother of a 10th grader, Bhavika Jain, who recently sent her son for a career guidance test, said, "Most class 10 students are not able to decide what career to opt for. They postpone the decision until the time they are filling forms for higher studies. The reasons for this are lack of maturity and exposure. They think that only a professional can help them choose the right course and thus don't pay much heed to the advice of their parents."

Moreover, many young students know what they want to do, but do not know what institutes offer a course in the chosen field. Career counsellors help choose the right course and the right institute.

It is not just competition that makes the role of a career counsellor more important today. "Even the guardians are not able to guide their wards any more because of so many options available today," said Prajakta Shinde, another parent.

Competent career counsellors conduct an aptitude and personality test which may take two to four hours to complete. For a 10th grader this includes written tests of mathematics, reasoning, analytical skills, spatial understanding, psychoanalysis, among other subjects. After the tests, counsellors brief parents about suitable career options, the strengths and vulnerabilities in the child's personality and the child's psychology, which offers pointers to further personal growth.

Many parents and students mainly want to know from the counsellors which field gives the best earning prospects. "These days, many parents and youngsters enquire about the course which offers best remuneration in the future. They would like us to suggest the same course to them, even if their ward does not have the skills and interest in that particular field."

And when the counsellor says their ward does not have the aptitude for the desired course, they simply say, "Can't we work hard and get through the stream?" This is a suggestion which often leaves the counsellor fumbling for an answer.

The growing trend of career counselling has brought some under-qualified people into the field. Such counsellors may leave parents and students more confused than before.

"A popular career counselling centre advised my daughter to choose the science stream for her HSC, as this would keep the door open for other options in future. Similar advice was given to her three friends as well, though at least two of them wanted to explore commerce and arts. This was strange and made us suspicious about their test methods," said a parent who had to send her child to another centre for a second opinion.

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