Are career counseling and career coaching different concepts? If yes, what does it mean?
It’s an appropriate time for such concepts because every young mind wants to become something and achieve something. We generally interchange the two concepts at some times.
Counseling actually is a short term process which can be done for 15-20 minutes or at the maximum can be extended for an hour. Therefore, we can say that it is an activity. Whereas career coaching is a long process, technical and time consuming process.
What is more important career counseling or career coaching?
Firstly we have to understand the importance of career as our whole life depends on it. Our future 40- 50 years depend on career. Therefore, career coaching is very important.
As for counseling we visit a counselor, is there one coach or many coaches involved in career coaching?
Coaches are actually always around us but we hardly realize their presence. As many successful people like our honorable ex- President of India Dr. A.P.J.Abul Kalam had many coaches in their life. I have found out there are four types of coaches around us:
a) The first coach is “We”, our self
b) The second coach is our “parents”
c) The third coach is our worthy “Teachers”
d) The fourth coach is our “Friends”
If the four coaches are genuinely utilized and taken proper guidance from each one of them, then there will be no problem and a person can easily follow their passion, interest and desires.
Usually students are always confused and so pays visit to a counselor but if they are actually their own coaches, then why they remain confused?
First of all students have to search and analyze their passions and interests. And in that process of search he will be helped by others. In finding different career perspectives the students can take the help of their parents.
Teachers and friends can also provide more insight in opting the different career opportunities. This way a long list or variety of careers can be made and then accordingly students will filter it and ultimately choose the best for them.
Youths are very confused regarding realizing their own skills, how can their confusion be cleared?
Firstly students have to understand their interests and passion. And hence should try to find out what they want to become. Next they have to find experts related to that career with which they can interact and learn the essentials for that career. For example is someone wants to become an engineer he has to meet an engineer and feel accordingly if that field really suits me. Similarly someone wants to pursue career in Journalism so they have to visit studio and feel what actually happens and how.
From which age group career coaching must be started so that we can take good decisions?
Honestly, it all depends on you, whenever you feel like get into the process because it is a kind of research of one’s own self. Therefore, one has to explore oneself, one’s interests and passions, as majority of people don’t like or enjoy what they do because they actually don’t know what they wanted to do.
People have this misconception that if I will get any government job I will be happy but actually our happiness wholly depends on the fact that if we enjoy what we do. We usually forget our interests and passion and follow what others suggest and run after securing the future. That’s not a right approach.
If we specify the age group, when should career coaching must be done and how to identify the coaches and what will be whole process of coaching?
In 9th & 10th standard, as in 11th standard they opt for their field. The two year research regarding the field and its every aspect can help in making the child confidently able in opting for the career. There are numerous career branches and option, if we try to make a list, it will exceed 100 and hence the two year time slot meant for career coaching is genuinely important. Also after 11th standard also students can go for career coaching as there are chances and instances where career can be rethought or reframed.

To know more about Prof. Sanjay Biyani visit www.sanjaybiyani.com