American author Napoleon Hill has wisely remarked, “No man can succeed in a line of endeavour which he does not like” and it’s very true, indeed. One needs to be on the right career track coupled with an appropriate set of skills to flourish outright. However, deciding which career to opt for has, is and will always be a daunting task for many, especially young teenagers, who are faced with numerous career choices and are constantly bombarded with unsought, frivolous advise from virtually every one they meet in today’s world.

The best place from where young teens can solicit reliable career advise is their secondary schools. Undoubtedly, secondary school occupies an important place in a teenager’s life as many facets of his/her life are associated with it. His/her personality and ideology of life begins evolving there; he/she starts developing social skills and most importantly, a student’s knowledge bank expands at school.

It is at secondary school that a student confronts his/her very first career choice when in eighth grade he/she needs to decide between Science and Commerce subjects. A number of students pick specific subjects simply because their friends are opting for them while some decide according to their parents’ wishes. Only a few select subjects are based on their interests and that also without knowing if their preferred subjects would lead them to their desired careers or not.

Arham Mahmood, an eight grader says, “I want to be a mechanical engineer so I think it is best to choose Physics and Math, but this is only my guess. As a teenager, I want to know which subject combination is preferable to become a mechanical engineer and which other options are available.”

This is precisely where career counselling comes in to help young students carve suitable futures.

“Secondary school students need career counselling the most. This is because in secondary schools young students are introduced to a range of subjects they can select from, the colleges and universities they can go to and the professions they can enter. We need to discuss their conjectures about different subject combinations and describe to them what the job market looks like. They need to know which professions are in demand and which fields have saturated.

“In secondary schools, career counselling largely revolves around students’ interests and skills only to guide them towards the most felicitous career path. We shouldn’t expect absolute clarity and decisiveness because as teenagers, they are still growing up. They need time and exposure to identify what they want to do with their lives. I encourage students to talk about their favourite subjects and inform them about the most relevant professional choices that are available based on their interests,” explains Zohaib Aslam, a career counselor based in Karachi.

Career counselors believe that secondary schools are the platforms where students explore, experiment and enhance their life skills. It is during adolescence that they learn to communicate and interact with diverse groups, acquire problem-solving skills, polish their critical thinking abilities and recognise the importance of teamwork. Therefore, counselors suggest that secondary school students should be provided with appropriate career guidance so that they can make informed decisions about their higher and professional studies.

At this stage, they recommend students to choose electives that are aligned with their subject preferences and proficiencies. Career counsellors also chalk out all possible career lines for the teenagers, bringing a number of new and profitable professions in their knowledge.

Teenage career counselling also addresses the dilemma of parents compelling their children to go for a career of their choice, ignoring their child’s aspirations and inclinations. Mrs Saqib recalls the time when she had insisted that her teenage daughters must take medical colleges aptitude tests as she wanted them to become doctors. Her daughters wanted to attend business schools and enter the corporate world. They flunked the medical aptitude tests and after long, heated discussions finally persuaded Mrs Saqib to grant them their wishes. “I regret obliging my daughters to opt for medicine when they were actually interested in business subjects. Primarily, I was looking forward to a secure future for them and I thought if they become doctors, they would surely find good jobs. I was hesitant—what if no agreeable positions were available with reputable companies?”

Gratifying jobs is one of the most common reasons why parents want children to pick their desired line of profession. Parents need to look beyond some so-called “prestigious professions” and analyse where today’s recession-struck job market is heading. A number of new, lucrative professions are emerging and with the right education and competencies, our younger generation can easily attain employment.

Moreover, it is important that career counselling is taken as an on-going practice. After Matric/O’ Levels, a student is in a better position to determine whether he/she wants to advance in the same field or needs to change. Intermediate/A’ Levels is the time when strategic career thinking and advice is required as students need to fill out applications for professional colleges. Career advice is necessary in professional colleges and universities even as students tend to become apprehensive about their employment prospects.

Career counselling needs to be treated as an integral part of the secondary schools as it can steer the youth of this country in the right direction. It can save the teens from undesirable career diversions and will help them focus on their chosen line of profession.