There are ways of identifying the genuine sources of career information, which might require you to sift numerous types as not all of them are trustworthy. Therefore, making an informed career choice is something deliberate that every high school student should consider.
In my today’s piece on career guidance, we delve into some credible sources of career information.
Foremost, students who desire to know more about careers should avoid myths and misconceptions. Instead, they should read and research widely. The Essential Career Guide by Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) is a good pointer.
Secondly, newspapers provide insightful information concerning careers. For instance, every Monday, Daily Nation has a special pullout dubbed Newspaper in Education (NiE). In this section, high school students get good guidance on career choices.
Thirdly, in a school set up, there is a department mandated to help students know more about careers. Most schools have the department of Guidance and Counselling taking charge, but some schools have hived careers from the department of Guidance and Counselling.
Consequently, there are Guidance Offices and Counselling Centres. Such offices, outside school environment, normally include essential career files that stash loads of information about the world of work — placement and employment.
In addition, special ‘Career Days’ or ‘Career Fairs’ are often organized and sponsored by schools, churches and colleges. Such events present good opportunities to students. It is where they see and seize chances to talk to knowledgeable people. In turn, they collect and collate useful information on a variety of vocations from credible sources.
That aside, state employment offices, commercial employment services or school and college placement agencies supply information on employment trends as well as on specific vocations. This underscores the essence of visiting institutions of higher learning as part of academic trips.
Moreover, several professional associations exist, and most of them publish brochures describing raft of professions. It is important to access such stuff. They are available in any public or school library, as well as in virtually all school guidance offices and college counselling centres.
Then, accessing interviews of a person actively engaged in a vocation can give interesting personal insights into that particular calling. It can be a helpful method of getting pressing questions answered.
Lastly, there is job shadowing, which exposes young people to places related to what they yearn to pursue in future. It can work at family or school level. A student dreaming to become a great journalist should have an idea of what the newsroom looks like. Again, this is why educational trips and field excursions are of paramount importance.
By Victor Ochieng’
The writer guides students on career choices.vochieng.90@gmail.com
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