"The best way to predict the future is to create it "– Abraham Lincoln.

Have you ever envisioned a career where you can help people make the career choice that suits them best per their interests and skill set? Help people with something that would help them grow personally and professionally. If your answer is yes to this, Career Coaching is one such profession for you. Career coaches are trained professionals that help a student or individual make the right career choices. They provide students with extensive knowledge of various careers and professional opportunities per their interests and choice of subject or on any assessment test if taken. They work with various kinds of people with different requirements and mindsets covering various issues. Addressing each requires a different approach and understanding to help the respective individual. They play a vital role in a student's or professional's life, making it even more necessary to get the right training, knowledge and understanding of the right approach to best assist the individual in making the career choice that would fit him the most.

Current Status in The Market

Did you know that over 93% of students would like to consult a career expert to seek guidance to make the right career choice and build a successful future?

According to Jobs for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum, the roles with the highest growth rate include Medical Transcriptionists, Artificial Intelligence Specialists, Digital marketing executives,  Full Stack Engineers, Data Scientists, Customer Success Specialists, etc. Within lower-volume jobs, the highest growth is in Social Media Assistants, Green Marketers, Landfill Biogas Generation System Technicians, Wind Turbine Service Technicians, and Growth Hackers.

With many new-age career options, students are often disoriented and confused about the correct career path.

Need For Career Coaches

With the rising use of technology and the boom in social media, people are increasingly becoming aware of different career options. They now have access to professional chances and a better understanding of larger horizons because of websites like Quora and LinkedIn, etc. Students are no longer considering old, conventional options. As per the Top Teen research, India is in dire need of over 1.2 million career coaches. This indicates that career coaching is a lucrative career that provides a sense of satisfaction and would help the youth make better career choices and build a better future for themselves and the nation.

What does it take to be a Career Coach?

Here's a list of attributes required to be a career coach.

• Excellent communication and observational skills 
• Should deal with people well 
• An active listener without being judgmental and understanding both sides of the coin 
• Must have the ability to build good relations and make the people dealing with comfortable • Self-motivated, to be able to motivate the other person as well 
• Strong ethically but compassionate and has an undying passion for people 
• Mentally and emotionally strong and self-aware 
• Ability to multi-task 
• Has a creative bent of mind 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills 
• A good sense of humour
• Positive attitude wit 
• Having a passion for helping students and graduates discover their perfect career path and build a successful future.

Role of a Career Coach 

• Career Coaches must have a detailed understanding of client's requirements, interests, lifestyles, and backgrounds 
• Help students make career Decisions by leveraging objective and comprehensive psychometric assessment tests.
• Assist students in defining and developing their career development plans and path 
• Assist students in selecting the best colleges or training courses for their intended careers
• Conduct exhaustive research on subjects and careers related to them 
• Write informative blogs and articles for users 
• Makes a concerted outreach effort to ensure a rich experience by conducting workshops, sessions & presentations to students at schools, events, or conferences 
• Assisting students in locating sources of financial support to pay for school and other training programs 
• Research, evaluate & maintain online resources for a variety of career prospects, academic majors, and career fields.

How to become a career coach?

While becoming a Career Coach can be rewarding, certain qualifications are required to become a career coach.

1. Graduation in Psychology (Recommended, not essential) 
2. Post- Graduation in Psychology/ Counselling Psychology (Recommended, not essential) 
3. Additional certification in Career Counseling (Highly recommended) 

A 3-level certification program in Career Counselling that enables one to kickstart their career in this domain with state-of-the-art career guidance tools and globally used best practices. 

Conclusion

A career counsellor is a qualified mentor who provides career counselling, discussing your interests and skillset for career goals, providing individuals with appropriate career planning and interpreting their aptitude and ability tests to narrow down the best career choices. Different assessments focus on specific areas, including interests, emotional quotient, orientation style, aptitude, personality traits, and knowledge. An accurate career assessment is done based on the analysis of these areas. An advanced and multidimensional assessment based on various detailed parameters provides a comprehensive and accurate analysis of the best-fit career matches.