CHOOSING A career path or shaping it is not as easy as it seems, for the individual student. Ask freshers just out of college or those in their first job. A majority of them feel unsure about taking up a career or studying further. Some of them say that the position they are in now is more out of chance, rather than out of choice.
Every one, of course, agrees that today’s world has great opportunities to study, to achieve and to gain acclaim or fat incentive packages for reaching professional milestones. And that choosing the right career path is important. But, very few colleges have the facilities to help students make individual career decisions.
Mohammed Tajudeen, who is involved in student counselling and placement, says students should make self-assessment and analysis, weigh their options in academics or careers so that they are comfortable with the final decision.
Self learning
Counsellors say that career planning and choosing should begin in the first year of college itself. Six or seven months after entering college, the self-learning process ought to begin. Normally, students have four options: Job placement in dream companies; to study MBA in top institutions like the IITs or IIT or XLRI; to do postgraduation in engineering in India, and to study M.S. in foreign countries.
All these need a good academic performance and enhanced soft skills. To pursue an MBA, it is preferable that one gain work experience.
On their part, colleges have a help desk or counselling centre. But their quality needs to improve substantially. A veteran principal, A.M. Natarajan of Kongu Engineering College, Erode, a high rated institution with mostly rural-based students, says one idea he follows is to bring in alumni in well-placed jobs to recount their experience with III and IV year students.