Is There Really a ‘Right Age’ for Students to Begin Career Counselling? Or Is It When They Stop Saying ‘I Want To Be An Astronaut?’

We have all been there. Waiting for the ‘right time,’ before we do something important, something big. Whether it’s about making an impactful decision, launching a new project, or choosing the best career counselling program, most people wait for the ‘perfect timing.’

This uncertainty leads to a common question - when is the ‘right’ time to start a student’s career counselling journey? It is our instinct to look for a defined moment where everything aligns. In

today’s world, the quality of education has improved significantly with the help of technology. There are multiple career options, and a good amount remains unknown to us. While this is a blessing, it is also equally confusing, challenging, and worrisome for a child to figure out their future pursuit. But when it comes to career counselling, it would be beneficial to start when the child starts worrying about what they should do next.

This is where career counselling steps in as a light at the end of a tunnel. It is an essential tool for empowering and guiding students to identify their strengths with confidence.

What Is Educational Career Counselling?

Career counselling primarily aims at helping students gain clarity about their higher education and career paths. Counsellors assist by identifying the child’s interests, strengths, and use psychometric tests to create a detailed and tailored report for every client, providing them with personalised results.

Educational counsellors play a critical role in this process. Students consult with them and discuss academic progress and requirements, future career aspirations, and personal challenges. Through assessments, counsellors help students understand their strengths and areas for improvement. The

counselling process involves building trust, identifying issues, and setting future goals. Counselling progresses through stages such as: rapport-building, goal-setting, strategy development, and equipping students with tools for self-betterment.

Types of Counselling in Education

The meaning of counselling in education goes beyond simply giving advice. It is a structured

process aimed at empowering students to make informed decisions about their academic and career journeys.

Career counselling focuses on identifying a student’s interests, strengths, and aptitudes. It often includes tools like psychometric tests, which generate detailed, tailored reports for each student.

Counsellors use these insights to offer personalised recommendations that align with the student’s profile. In psychology, counselling is defined as a professional service focused on solving problems, fostering growth, and preparing students for adulthood with improved interpersonal skills and values.

Essentially, the definition of counselling in education involves:

• Helping students understand themselves better.
• Guiding them in setting realistic academic and career goals.
• Providing tools and techniques to address challenges effectively.

Counselling in education is not limited to just one-on-one sessions. Different types include:

1. Individual Counselling: Focuses on a one-on-one approach to address specific challenges and preferences of the student
2. Ability Grouping: Consists of counselling sessions among students, fostering shared learning, mutual understanding and growth. Commonly called group counselling, it allows students to share experiences and learn collaboratively
3. Wellness Counselling: Involves parents in the session along with the student, ensuring a supportive ecosystem for the child’s progress
4. Career Counselling: Counsellor assisting students in understanding career options, academic requirements, and strategies for future approach

Each type of counselling plays a significant role in supporting students through different phases of their educational and personal journey.

What Happens During a Counselling Session?

A counselling session is more than just a conversation. It is a systematic process aimed at addressing a student’s personal and academic needs.

The stages of counselling include:

1. Rapport-Building: Establishing trust and creating a safe space for open communication
2. Goal-Setting: Identifying the student’s aspirations and academic/career challenges
3. Strategy Development: Building actionable plans to help achieve the goals set
4. Feedback and Tools: Offering personalised strategies for self-improvement

The counselling process ensures that students gain clarity, confidence, and insights, helping them through their academic and career paths effectively.

How Does Career Counselling Help?

Career counselling offers more than just academic guidance. It addresses a wide spectrum of a student’s needs, ranging from improving self-esteem to better decision-making skills.

Here’s how career counselling supports students:

• Understanding the Student: Initial assessments to identify needs, challenges, and aspirations
• Identifying Strengths: Through counselling, students gain insights into their personality, aptitudes, and interests
• Using Psychometric Tools: Using scientifically validated tests to gain deeper insights into the student’s subconscious mind
• Providing Guidance: The counsellor provides personalized advice based on the assessment results, mentioning specific career paths the student can pursue
• Setting Goals: Counsellors help students map out further academic and career goals
• Building Confidence: Students learn to trust their abilities
• Facing Challenges: Whether it be academic stress or career path confusion, counsellors provide practical advice for overcoming these problems

At Infigon Futures, our counselling sessions for students begin at a young age of Grade VI. By starting early, students have more time to explore their interests and align their academic choices with their long-term aspirations.

Counselling or Psycho-educating?

Counselling supports students by addressing challenges they face from a young age, teaching them to accept and improve their self-esteem, enhancing interpersonal skills, and targeting to better aid

academic and further on, career development.

The meaning of psychology counselling, or psycho-educating, lies in its ability to address not just academic concerns but also social, emotional, and mental health challenges.

Counselling helps students:

• Build emotional resilience
• Improve communication and interpersonal skills

Psychology counselling is about developing and improving both, personal and professional growth in a student.

Why Choose Infigon for Career Counselling?

At Infigon Futures, we combine expertise with AI based technology to deliver counselling services. What sets us apart:

1. Customised Approach: Tailored solutions for every student’s personalized needs
2. Experienced Counsellors: A team of experts who bring empathy and professionalism to every session
3. Tech-Driven Insights: Using latest tools to provide data-backed guidance
4. Long-Term Counselling: Continuous support throughout a student’s academic journey

The ‘right age’ to starts career counselling isn’t really a number. It’s about recognising when a child starts worrying about their future. Providing them with the right guidance can change their future.

At Infigon Futures, we are committed to empowering students. Through our counselling sessions, we help students with their academic and career journeys and ensure that every student is led towards success.