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Sunday, October 21, 2012

Career counselling plays vital role in child’s future development

Khalid Khattak, The News

Lahore: Parents are their children’s first teachers or counselors therefore they must realize and accept this responsibility, says veteran educationist and career counselor Syed Abidi, emphasizing parental support in developing the future of a child.

Speaking to The News exclusively, Syed Abidi says career counseling could play a vital role in developing the future of a child. Mentioning a research, he says parent support is more important at school success than a student’s IQ, economic status or school setting. “Parents who are involved in the initial development of their children enable them to achieve higher grades and test scores and attain better attitudes and behavior,” he observes. He advises parents to help their children identify interests, explore careers and develop plans for future.

According to him, students who complete their early schooling successfully mainly depend on better career counseling by their parents. “However, very few parents realize and accept this responsibility,” he deplors.

Abidi says parents should keep the communication lines open with their children and ensure that they are appreciated and rewarded on even small achievements that they bring home from school.

Answering a question, he says it is unfortunate that parents in high society or rich community often do not get involved in counseling and guiding their children in the early years. If this is the case they should seek professional help or services of qualified and experienced career counselors. “The career counselors who are experts in understanding children’s needs and can provide counseling tips to parents as well as help children to understand their responsibilities and motivate them towards the well-known 4-Cs: connection, capability, counting and courage.”

Elaborating on the concept of 4-Cs, he says, “Connection is the sense of belonging; capability is the ability to take care of oneself; counting is the knowledge which makes a difference; and courage is the belief that you can handle what comes.”

To a question, Abidi says, in his experience, children counseled and guided in their early ages i.e. from 10 years to 14years, were more likely to correct their vision about their career options and perhaps pick the right subjects which suit their academic ability mindset or wishes of the parents.

This is a process whereby child is left to explore careers, a process where children are encouraged to make independent decisions and are given small economic responsibilities within their home or environment which allows them to bring out hidden abilities which, most of the time, remain embedded and the child never gets to show what he/she can do, he adds.

According to Syed Abidi, a renowned career counselor and consultant, following are the key points parents should keep in mind while counseling them: How to assess what your child is good at? How is he progressing? What subjects is he comfortable with? And which are the careers he can look at after 10 years from now to ensure that he has chosen the right profession compatible with his foundation which you should start building now?

Answering yet another question, Abidi admits that there are very few qualified career counselors in Pakistan who are experts in career counseling young students which, according to him, is more difficult than advising or guiding adult students.

For a career counselor, the most important thing is effective communication as his/her job is not providing tuition but increase comfort level of a child towards subject of a student’s choice. He believes that a career counselor should be educated and knowledgeable personality with international exposure besides being very polite and a very good listener.

Abidi says he has counseled and helped more than 12,000 students so far from the age of 10 to 30 – those with basic education to a postgraduate or PhD level. He has experienced different problems and issues that face students of all ages when choosing and developing their career plans and becoming a responsible citizen one-day.

In the West, he says, career counselors had to play an important role in the education process. “We in Pakistan need them for two main reasons: a) towards improving academic achievement; and (b) to improve social environment.”

Abidi says there is an ever-increasing need for the schools whether government or those which provide British or American qualifications or those who are known as English medium schools to appoint career counselors.

“However it is unfortunate that even these English language elite and expensive schools do not have qualified and trained counselors, however they are non-existent in the government schools,” he says, adding, “Those appointed should have appropriate qualifications in counseling or career development management coupled with relevant experience. Schools in the West strictly appoint qualified and experienced counselors for this purpose.”

They are mostly teachers or administrative officers who are providing information rather than professional career counseling, a core element in development of a child’s future, he goes on to say.

To a specific question on how he feels the career development theme is changing, he says the concept of career development depends on what is known in career counseling as the “High 5 + 1”.

1. Change is constant
2. Focus on the journey
3. Follow your heart
4. Keep learning
5. Access your allies

Besides the five points, the plus (+) one is: Believe in yourself

He says that challenges in career development and opportunities are a result of planned and unplanned developmental and environmental events. He adds that career decisions evolve over a life time and career development services need to be differentiated and available across the lifespan to suit specific and individual cases.

Answering a question on the impact of technology on the profession, he adds that career counselors of 21st century need to adapt themselves to the world of internet/iPad/iPhone and the technological developments taking place globally. The child/student of today is fully aware of the options available to him before he/she approaches a career counselor which is not the case in the early 90s.

Abidi urged institutions of higher education in Pakistan to initiate courses in career counseling; saying curricula should be designed keeping in view local cultural and traditional setting in order to produce trained and well-equipped professionals to lead this vital area.

Khalid Khattak, The News, Monday, October 15, 2012 
Primary link: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-2-137567-Career-counselling-plays-vital-role-in-childs-future-development

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