Why Students make Wrong Career Choices?

What is a ‘Wrong Career Choice’? In my opinion any choice which causes you to perform less than optimal or a Career which you regret later or one which makes you unhappy is a Wrong Career Choice.

There are three parties to Career Decisions: Student, Parent & Society (Environment). Here we have brought to you some insights into role played by all three of them. Read further to understand what can make you less successful with ‘Career Decisions’. This is meant for all of us because we would always fit in one of the three roles.

Student Part:

Students do not fully appreciate the importance of Career: A career is going to affect almost every aspect of life. More often than not students who create focused Career Goals early in school tend to be much more successful. At this stage of life Career doesn’t becomes the Central Goal for many students.

Wrong Timing: Most students start thinking about Career only when they reach class XII or after their XII Boards. Ideally class IX is the time to start thinking about Careers. That gives us two years time to thoroughly analyse ourselves & career options. There are career choices where definitive actions have to be taken from class IX.

Peer Influence: In teen years no one matters more to a child than their friends. Many students end up compromising Careers under that influence. Some students who are competitive and focused at the start also lose their way under Peer Influence.

Lack of awareness of Career Options: One is only as good as his knowledge. There is so little effort made to properly explore Career Options from Students, Parents & Schools alike. Another aspect is understanding long term prospects in the Careers.

Limited understanding of Future Professions: We are preparing our kids by mindset of past. In the next 15-20 years world would be vastly different from what we see today. As a result the Careers of Future would also be completely different.

Lack Dedication: A general observation about today’s generation is absence of good old ‘Dedication’. The reasons are many, but nothing can compensate what could be achieved by focus & dedication. The available distractions and change in standards of discipline has played a major part in it.

Lack of self Analysis: A suitable career is one which matches student’s Interest, Personality & Aptitude. Out of these three Aptitude is judged to some extent by school exam system. Understanding own Interest and Personality requires thorough introspection by student.

Assumption about Social life associated with Careers: When student’s think about career they are thinking about a certain lifestyle. These assumptions turn wrong for majority. Because the lifestyle we assumed would be achieved by successful people in those career. And at the start the lifestyle would be vastly different from that.

 

Parent Part:

Parents’ limited awareness of Careers: Parents spend very limited energy on exploring changes in Career Landscape. Most are driven by the scenario that they faced when they were making careers with some addition of what they have seen in immediate surroundings. Note that we are preparing our kids for next 35-40 years.

Some jobs are considered to be reputable and some are disreputable: Bias of parents towards certain careers kills the spirit of many children. Appreciate that the times have changed. Structure of society you have faced and what your child would face would be totally different. Shed your bias and let them try & fly.

Forced decisions: There are many cases where parents literally force choices on students. There is no doubt that as a parent you love your child and have only their good in heart. Kids today are quite different sentimentally and forcing choices might have unwanted repercussions.

 

Societal Reasons:

Quick success and money required: This is a very fundamental problem with changed Value System of society. When we wish quick success we go for well treaded paths and close possibilities of new exploration. Some students feel stifled in such conditions.

Race to follow Trend: This is again a fallout of changed fabric of society. We have become used to follow latest trends. This trend chasing has also affected how kids are making career decisions. 

Too much emphasis on Top Colleges: How many students can go to top colleges? Can all jobs be fulfilled through students from top colleges? The answer is ‘No’. Understand not every child can reach these Ivy League Colleges. But despite that he/she can make an illustrious career.

Feeling of being ‘Average’ cultivated in students: Our school system, single dimensional assessment system, grades and great value attached to grades by parents/society have made a divide of ‘Extraordinary’ & ‘Average’ child. If a child has been marked ‘Average’ he would need some motivation to break that barrier.

Fear of Failure: No successful person has tasted success from the start. In fact they have been unsuccessful many-many times. But as a society we have created a culture where Failures are laughed upon. A student who fears failure is bound to be less successful in career. Remember we cannot have a Day without Night.

 

Conclusion: Just the fact that you are reading this means you are concerned about being informed and correct about the Career Decisions. Further you can understand the science of Stream Selection, read about the careers available for Sciences, Commerce & Humanities. If you are facing difficulties with respect to understanding yourself in terms of Interest, Personality & Aptitude, you can write a Career Assessment Test with us.