Early career guidance!

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - In late March and early April each year, the event known as "Career Guidance Day" is organized with great fanfare. From civilian schools to arts and even more specialized military schools, all organize career guidance sessions. Career guidance is necessary, but the negative consequences of rushed career guidance cause children to constantly "change direction."

My daughter has been asked many times which school she plans to apply to in the future, and her answer is always: "I don't know."

A few months ago, my child said they wanted to apply to a teacher training college. Actually, they admire their teacher and feel that becoming a teacher would give them the same "authority" as their teacher. They don't fully understand the specific requirements for becoming a teacher. Besides knowledge, they need pedagogical skills, closeness, love, empathy, and even greater resilience than some other professions, especially in an increasingly unpredictable educational environment. My child is introverted, quiet, and often shy in front of crowds, tending to withdraw and easily missing opportunities to prove themselves. We worry that pursuing a teaching career won't be easy for them.

Then, admissions counselors from various universities came to my daughter's school one after another to offer career guidance. One day, she told me she no longer wanted to be a teacher. She wanted to become a diplomat because she'd heard that diplomacy was a great profession and that diplomats were proficient in many languages. That suited her, since she majored in linguistics and was also learning another language outside of her major. While she was enthusiastic and confident in her language skills, I was worried about whether her quiet nature would allow her to become a diplomat who relies heavily on spoken language in her profession. I wanted to say something, but I was afraid of giving her the cold shoulder.

Then my child mentioned wanting to change careers and study international trade or economics , because some professions are considered trending. My child is at a crossroads.

Recently, my child said they would choose to major in forensic science. They watched crime dramas and were fascinated, then changed their mind. We are worried because we don't know how long this admiration will last, or if one day they will make a different decision.

Choosing a career should be like choosing a product; the more careful you are, the more durable it will be. Avoid fleeting inspirations or being influenced by the crowd effect. Children are affected by this from the moment they transition to a new school level, primarily because they lack early career guidance and direction.

I remember when my daughter chose to apply to a specialized language school, it was a long period of anxiety and worry for us. Children aiming for specialized schools often go through a lot of training and experience, from participating in selection teams and clubs to attending extra classes in various environments. But my daughter decided to apply very late, both as a challenge for herself and for her family. She chose to apply because of the influence of her environment rather than her own aspirations. At that time, many of her classmates said they would also apply to specialized language schools. Fortunately, she compensated for her lack of ability with hard work and achieved her goal, which made my wife and I breathe a sigh of relief.

Inspirational stories, instead of providing guidance, have caused many children to miss out on opportunities to study in their desired environments. For example, the children of my neighbor and my colleague. Their academic abilities are perfectly fine, but due to a lack of direction, they are afraid and choose to apply to undesirable high schools in the hope of safety. As a result, their scores are high enough to get them into top-tier high schools in the city, while they have to travel far to attend. Similarly, first- and second-year university students drop out or change careers because they are not interested in their current field of study. They enter university following their friends' lead and the hasty advice of the university, only to waste a year or two of their education.

Many children still lack early career guidance and orientation. From another perspective, "career fairs" are essentially just isolated admissions counseling activities organized by universities and colleges with the goal of attracting students to fill their enrollment quotas.

Children who receive early career guidance will know which schools to apply to and what careers to choose very early on, as if they have a pre-determined path to follow. They will equip themselves with the knowledge and skills to best meet the requirements of their destination, instead of rushing and constantly having to detour. This doesn't depend solely on the child; it requires the understanding and support of the family, the responsible participation of the school, especially universities, which need to provide early career guidance to students from lower grades, rather than focusing only on those they consider potential candidates, such as 12th-grade students.

Hanh Nhien

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/huong-nghiep-som-246161.htm