THE CHOICE OF A CAREER
As soon as a boy or a girl passes his or her SSC examination, he or she is faced with the problem : ‘What should I do now?” In the past, professions were determined by castes and were mostly hereditary. Young men (woman’s place was in the home) had to take up the hereditary occupations at a very early age. This was possible because the occupations were few, the skill and knowledge required for them were limited and the necessary training and experience were provided by the joint family system or the guilds of craftsmen or merchants.
But the advent of industrial revolution completely changed the age-old pattern of living and of making a living. Today choice of occupation is not only possible but also necessary for a modern young man or woman.
Since it is not possible for a young boy or a girl in his or her teens to make a choice of a career, he or she has to consult his or her parents, elders, teachers, vocational guidance centers and books on career planning. Vocational guidance centers not only provide information about various available courses but also help and guide the young boys and girls in making the right choice on the basis of their performance in a number of aptitude tests and various other tests.
For making a proper choice, a young man or woman must have information about various streams of learning, various professions or occupations in each stream, the educational and other qualifications required for each, the duration of the course or training period for each, and the institutions where facilities for such courses or training are provided and the future prospects.
His choice of profession will be determined by his aptitude and liking, his willingness and ability to devote the required time and labor after it and his personal and financial limitations.
Every young man should choose an occupation which he likes and which assures him income enough to make a decent living. If a person follows the occupation not of his own choice but forced upon him by chance or circumstances, he will be like a square peg in a round hole. Again, if his remuneration is not sufficient he cannot give his best to his work. Lack of job satisfaction makes his life a dragging burden.
Proper choice of career helps one to be prepared for and take up the occupation after one’s own liking and aptitude. Naturally, he will give his best to his work and in the process develop his own personality. He will have the necessary job satisfaction which will make his life happy and worth living.
Source: Elders
