Navhind Times

Panaji, June 7: Ranjana Kakodkar, an experienced career counsellor said that the process of career guidance is simple, need no prior preparation and the counselling is done with the emphasis on the positive aspects.

According to her, the career guidance programme consists of aptitude tests and career information. Based on these tests a student is guided accurately about his potential for various careers and the courses he should choose to enter the careers. There are no negative effects on the students. A student can come to her from 9th standard onwards.

Kakodkar who will be present at the 2-day Rotary Fair to counsel students free as a part of her social commitment feels that a knowledge of career choices makes him/her more focused on studies.

She says that it is not that only the students who are not doing well should undergo the tests, even those students who are doing well in the studies need to know their potential.

To a question what were the reasons for the stress in the students, she said,“Making career decisions is getting increasingly complicated. Choosing a career is one of the most important and significant decisions, which an individual makes in his or her academic life. For many students, it can be a daunting task largely owing to lack of guidance and career information.”

She said with too many career choices it would create confusion. In fact, with such wide range of careers— in technology, research, social sciences, sports, entertainment, sports, and so on—the going was never better. With so many career options available, one does not need to fit into a career. Instead, enjoy the luxury of choosing a career that fits you well.

About the preferences of Goan students regarding careers, she said from 10th standard students, science is a preferred stream. Engineering and Medicine continue to figure among the top preferred options after 10+2. Close contenders this year are careers Biotechnology, Hotel Management, BCA, BBA and Mass Communication. The field of Business Management is attracting lot of Goan students.

She said “I feel those who are considering Biotechnology, should also consider Bioinformatics, Nano Technology, Photonics, a multi-disciplinary subject that combines advanced electronics and optical technologies”.

With Goa turning out to be a happening place, Ecotourism, Event Management, Public Relations, Advertising, Journalism will be some of the careers to watch out for.

She feels that every individual with his own unique personality and ability has number of career options for success. There is definitely a need for a person to go through a process, which will not only informs him/her of various career options but also discover of his/her own interests, aptitude and personality, which are very critical components of any career decision. At the same time in the 21st Century the traits to be developed are the ability to work in teams, leadership, creativity, communication skills, etc.

Also it is essential to identify areas of requiring development and to work on them before embarking on a career.