In every child’s life, few critical decision points shape his or her future career and are the primary cause of anxiety in the parents. The first and foremost is when the child is graduating from Class X to Class XI and has to choose a subject stream. Next comes the time to select the right college and the field for undergraduate studies. Finally, there are the decisions regarding post-graduation and evaluating the various job options, but by that time, the child typically matures enough and prefers to make his own decisions.
In my experience as a career counselor, I have come across multiple instances where there is a clash between the parent’s expectations and the perceived interest of a child. This situation is especially common for the children who are on the verge of entering the big good world after completing their class XII and are struggling to find the right direction to pursue their future studies.
I have been asked many times how can a child of barely 18 years old have sufficient experience and knowledge to make the right decision regarding his or her career. Do we not, as the parents know best for our children? Well, the answer is both Yes and No. The parents no doubt understand their child better than anyone else and want the best for him. However, the moot question is, can they actually guide them objectively, or are they influenced by their fixed mindset and biased view of the world tainted by years of experience or unfulfilled ambitions? I have found that it is quite challenging to maintain objectivity while deciding our own child’s future just like for a doctor performing major surgery on his loved one. Hence, often it is best to take the help of a professional counselor and be a participant in the process rather than the sole decision-maker.
As parents, we have the responsibility to ensure that the career decision process for our child is interactive and stress-free. To achieve that, one can use the counselor as a facilitator who can moderate a frank and open discussion. The child will feel involved and be more acceptable to the final decision, which is critical for his future success and satisfaction.
At Krescon, we help you in your decision-making by being a guide, mentor, and voice of your child at every step of his career. We leverage tools like the NDP framework, Vedic Astrology, Psychometric test to have a detailed understanding of the child’s interest and passion along with the family expectations. This approach allows the parents to have an in-depth knowledge of the child’s psyche, making it easier to make the right decision. The child is also comfortable and happy with the outcome resulting in a win-win scenario for all.