Given the fact counselling is mostly pursued by trends or fashion, the net result is choked creativity, escapist tendencies or violent outbursts
As a business promotion strategy, a posh institution once experimented to modernise, revolutionise and revitalise education by following the western system of counselling blindly and making a mess of it altogether. The proprietor merely wanted to introduce counselling in order to give his institution a trendy, fashionable or modern disposition but his miserly, tight-fisted and penny-pinching psychology would not allow him to hire a full-time specialist to counsel the young ones. He assigned the additional role of counselling to someone who was already working as the course coordinator, besides being an excellent physics teacher. With teaching physics to five classes, overall course coordination and counselling an hour every day after school with no additional pay and mounting accountability by the management, the poor teacher was left in the lurch and left! He could deliver neither the quality nor produce any good results despite the excellence he possessed.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Lodhran Pilot Project - Career Counseling
Career Counseling
Our career development is a lifelong process that, whether we know it or not, actually started when we were born! There are a number of factors that influence our career development, including our interests, abilities, values, personality, background, and circumstances. It helps us to know and understand our self and the world of work in order to make career, educational, and life decisions. It really is a lifelong process, meaning that throughout our life we will change, situations will change, and we will continually have to make career and life decisions.
Peter Drucker said:
Peter Drucker said:
"The best way to predict our future is to create it."
It gives us sense to think about our future. Career Counseling plays an important role in our life. In developing countries like Pakistan there is no concept about career counseling. It is very important for students, teachers, businessman etc. like as we are students of intermediate and we have completed our ten years of schooling. During these ten years nobody told us about career counseling but we needed it. Like after matric we did not know what to do now? Every way was in front of us but we did not know which one to be chosen. Some people said you should join the field of medical, some said join engineering it has many benefits and some said about commerce. We got confused and did that what our parents said. Before some days some career counselors came and told us about career counseling. We had a workshop with them about career counseling. They made our concepts clear about it. We are thankful to Allah Almighty for showering his special blessings on us through that workshop. That workshop was organized by L.P.P (Lodhran Pilot Project). After getting knowledge about career counseling through that workshop we got the answers of all these following questions which we had in our mind.
• How do we decide what type of career goals are right for us?
• What type of work environment fits us best?
• What field of study should we pursue?
• What if our career goals are different from what our families think they should be?
• What if we make a choice and then change our minds?
• What should we do if our career goals are failed?
Now we can see our future very bright because we know what we have to do in our future life and we have also developed our thoughts through that workshop.
The goal of Career Counseling is to give us the opportunity to begin exploring the elements of a career that make sense or seem to fit for us. The results can offer us insight into the type of tasks we may enjoy, the kind of things that are important to us, and the types of skills for which we have an aptitude or talent. In addition, results will suggest some career goals and occupations that we may want to research further.
We owe our special thanks to career counselors who gave us sense about best future. We are highly indebted to L.P.P (Lodhran Pilot Project) for organizing such kinds of workshops for Lodhran’s people. We also owe our deepest sense of gratitude to Mr. Jahangir Khan Tareen for organizing these kinds of workshops for the betterment of students which inculcating in us a self believe which proved out to be our greatest source of strength.
• How do we decide what type of career goals are right for us?
• What type of work environment fits us best?
• What field of study should we pursue?
• What if our career goals are different from what our families think they should be?
• What if we make a choice and then change our minds?
• What should we do if our career goals are failed?
Now we can see our future very bright because we know what we have to do in our future life and we have also developed our thoughts through that workshop.
The goal of Career Counseling is to give us the opportunity to begin exploring the elements of a career that make sense or seem to fit for us. The results can offer us insight into the type of tasks we may enjoy, the kind of things that are important to us, and the types of skills for which we have an aptitude or talent. In addition, results will suggest some career goals and occupations that we may want to research further.
We owe our special thanks to career counselors who gave us sense about best future. We are highly indebted to L.P.P (Lodhran Pilot Project) for organizing such kinds of workshops for Lodhran’s people. We also owe our deepest sense of gratitude to Mr. Jahangir Khan Tareen for organizing these kinds of workshops for the betterment of students which inculcating in us a self believe which proved out to be our greatest source of strength.
Sunday, July 21, 2013
Interview with Raza Abbas – Pioneer of Institutional Career Counseling in Pakistan
I've recently got an opportunity to interview Mr. Raza Abbas, Global Career Practitioner who has the honor of being the pioneer of professionalizing career counseling and career guidance in Pakistan. He consistently presents diverse research papers at premier international career counseling and career guidance conferences in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. He has acquired more than a decade of experiences in career guidance, career counseling, career development, human resources and leadership development.
Mr. Raza Abbas completed dual degrees from The University of Arizona, USA and earned certifications in leadership and personal development from the United States of America. He was also professionally trained in career counseling and career guidance from the Internationally Renowned Career Services Department at The University of Arizona, USA.
Following is a script of my interview with Mr. Raza Abbas (RA):
Career Pro: Please tell us about your recent visit to an international career conference in Italy.
RA: First of all thank you for the opportunity to share my humble experiences to a global and national audience. I submitted my research paper which was peer reviewed by two independent members of the Scientific Committee comprising of PhD global scholars in the field of career counseling and they unanimously accepted my paper: “Institutionalized Career Counseling Model: Creating Hope” at the International Conference “Life Design and Career Counseling Building Hope & Resilience”, held in Padova, Italy in June 20-22, 2013.
The theme of the International Conference was "Building Hope and Resilience". Research Professionals and Career Practitioners from all parts of the world congregated at the world renowned University of Padova in Italy to share their thoughts and ideas on the subject.
Career Pro: Could you summarize the paper you've presented there for us.
RA: Pakistan currently has a population bonus in which more than 60% of the population comprises of the youth. Therefore, Career Counseling and Career Guidance should be institutionalized in the country at all educational institutions as it is the need of the hour to guide our youth.
I emphasized that due to the acute shortage of skilled career practitioners in the country it is imperative to train the distinguish faculty at educational institutions in career counseling. Similarly, career counseling should be implemented as a policy at educational institutions in the country which will lead to a win/win situation for the students, educators, parents and employers. I further mentioned that our organization has developed a researched based institutionalized teacher training program for schools, colleges and universities in Pakistan and the region.
Career Pro: Why did you select this topic for your paper?
RA: Great question, I noticed that career counseling is no longer a luxury in the country it has now become an acute need for the youth to have productive and sustainable careers. Currently we do not have a concrete system of executing professional career counseling so I felt it will be fruitful to write a research paper on institutionalizing career counseling. Through this pioneering research we are providing a system to educational institutions to implement for the betterment of their valuable students and further increase the reputation of their respective institute.
Career Pro: What response you've acquired from international career professionals regarding your efforts for institutional career counseling in Pakistan?
RA: Well it was a humble experience to be acknowledged and appreciated by Global Scholars and experts in the field of career counseling and career guidance who have published significantly. They endorsed and appreciated the teacher training program and wished the best for this institutionalized career counseling program.
Career Pro: In an international and regional (south-east Asian) context where do you think Pakistan stands in a career development field?
RA: Well it will not be fair to compare Pakistan with the international arena as career professionals in the west and South Asia have practiced professional career counseling for decades. The promising factor is we have entered the international arena and have been endorsed and acknowledged for our pioneering professional efforts in the field of career development, counseling and guidance relatively soon while other emerging countries take longer time to materialize and achieve.
With respect to South-Asia we need to increase the professional advocacy of the career counselling and guidance profession in Pakistan. Internationally and in South Asia, Career Counseling and Career Guidance is already part of youth public policy and the youth in their respective countries receives career counseling as a civic right. There are legislatures for promoting career counseling and career guidance.
In our country we must appreciate and acknowledge the Government, Education & Literacy Department and Youth Affairs Department for initiating career counseling and career guidance projects for the youth for which I am grateful in being the part of that pioneering program.
After seeing the Government’s interest and support the International Donor organizations have also contributed in Career Counseling and Career Guidance projects in Pakistan. However there are numerous diverse opportunities to be accomplished to sustain career counseling and career guidance in the country.
Career Pro: Tell us more about your Institutional Career Guidance program and its scope in
Pakistan?
Pakistan?
RA: The Institutional Career Guidance program is holistic and involves all the relevant stakeholders in its teacher training program i.e students, educators, parents and employers. As there is acute awareness of career counseling and career guidance training in the country I have conceptualized a pilot program. The teacher training content addresses issues and challenges the youth have experienced in the past and is institutionalized and solution based program for the respective institute staff and youth.
Career Pro: What would be your take home message, after attending this conference, for career professionals in Pakistan?
RA: It is always wonderful to represent the country at such prestigious international conferences. It reflects the positive side of our country. Career Professionals my message to all of you: “Have hope and believe in yourself and believe in the nation because we have incredible talent. We have done wonders in the past and have the ability to do it again after all we are known to be a resilient nation.
Professional Career Counseling and Career Guidance is now a reality in Pakistan. Now it is the responsibility of educational institution stakeholders, distinguished teachers and the corporate sector through its corporate social responsibility to take advantage of this pioneering teacher training program and play their important part in this inspirational and meaningful program in the country’s history”.
Raza Abbas, Global Career Practitioner - he can be contacted at: ra@pathwayglobal.org.
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Drop-Out - Opt-In Theory of Career Development
Drop-out theory of career development
In a career development process if a student does not get admission in a program of his interest because of low marks, or lack of financial resources, then s(he) drop-out of competition and rely on the remaining educational options on a career ladder. Occupations on these career ladders are defined by actual or perceived demand of particular occupation.
Every students aims for the highest paying and reputable professions. To get into those occupations students either need to have a degree from a reputable university or program of studies. But no one ever did a statistics of how many people are in those profession and how many of them are earning highest salaries.
This drop down effect happens only when students does not look inside and ask what they really want, instead they look outside and ask what others are doing. In this process they lost the opportunity to define themselves, their career and success in life.
Opt-in theory of career development
On the other hand opt-in theory define thing inside out. In this situation student ask the right question i.e. who am I, what I want to do, where I want to go, how I could reach there? Additionally what is important for me, what interests me, does it matches to my personality. They does not follow other VIP's (Value, Interests and Personality) rather they define and follow their own VIP's Value, Interests and Personality. They opt in for occupations for which they find themselves suitable, capable and passionate. They does not follow the gold rather goal, which is well defined, refined for career success.
In a career development process if a student does not get admission in a program of his interest because of low marks, or lack of financial resources, then s(he) drop-out of competition and rely on the remaining educational options on a career ladder. Occupations on these career ladders are defined by actual or perceived demand of particular occupation.
Every students aims for the highest paying and reputable professions. To get into those occupations students either need to have a degree from a reputable university or program of studies. But no one ever did a statistics of how many people are in those profession and how many of them are earning highest salaries.
This drop down effect happens only when students does not look inside and ask what they really want, instead they look outside and ask what others are doing. In this process they lost the opportunity to define themselves, their career and success in life.
Opt-in theory of career development
On the other hand opt-in theory define thing inside out. In this situation student ask the right question i.e. who am I, what I want to do, where I want to go, how I could reach there? Additionally what is important for me, what interests me, does it matches to my personality. They does not follow other VIP's (Value, Interests and Personality) rather they define and follow their own VIP's Value, Interests and Personality. They opt in for occupations for which they find themselves suitable, capable and passionate. They does not follow the gold rather goal, which is well defined, refined for career success.
Presenting decent employment for youth through career development.
An inability to find employment create sense of uncertainty, uselessness and idleness in young people. One way of addressing this issue is to prepare students/youths for the changing need of market and economic trends. This preparation process can be achieved one, by continuously updating curriculum and two, by identifying students interests and informing/guiding them toward possible career options available to them.
We briefly review second strategy for preparing students to ever changing labour market trends.
There are different strategies available to identify interest and guide students to growing and developing occupational/career options. Interest of students could be identified by looking at academic performance in different subjects, non-academic interests and extracurricular activities, exposing them to different occupational fields and lastly using different interest assessment instruments. Occupational and Labour Market Information can be collected by surveying and analyzing economic trends and presenting that information to students so they could see what each occupation looks like, what is its outlook, earning potential and qualification required. And at the end could make an informed career decision.
By harnessing internal potential and external trends would increase employment prospect and leads to stable labour behaviour among young people.
We briefly review second strategy for preparing students to ever changing labour market trends.
There are different strategies available to identify interest and guide students to growing and developing occupational/career options. Interest of students could be identified by looking at academic performance in different subjects, non-academic interests and extracurricular activities, exposing them to different occupational fields and lastly using different interest assessment instruments. Occupational and Labour Market Information can be collected by surveying and analyzing economic trends and presenting that information to students so they could see what each occupation looks like, what is its outlook, earning potential and qualification required. And at the end could make an informed career decision.
By harnessing internal potential and external trends would increase employment prospect and leads to stable labour behaviour among young people.
Create a professional career brand using social media
How career practitioner or any professional can use social media to brand/market themselves
In today’s fast paced and interactive world of work branding and marketing yourself is the key to career success. In the past branding was limited to products and corporate sectors and it was a domain of marketing companies with large budgets (and it was an expensive exercise.) In today's present information and digital age branding moves from products to persons and every citizen of the world can benefit from it - thanks to the Internet and the World Wide Web. With a little bit of indigenous touch any individual can define, create and promote their brand without paying a cent to marketers.
For the marketer, word of mouth is world of mouth and therefore any person can brand themselves through word of mouth using social media on the Internet. It provides them an opportunity to tell the world who they are and what difference they can make in the world. This applies to all career development practitioners as well. Every career practitioner has unique talents, skills and experience, which they can promote through their unique brand to the right audience. "What makes you unique, makes you successful" - William Arruda. To tap the power of social media you need a very simple and well thought out strategy.
There are four steps to this strategy, which any career professional can use to define, design, communicate and refine their online and offline brand.
In the first step you need to define your unique offerings, talents, skills and experiences, and how you can create value in people's lives. This is your unique promise of value that you have to offer to others. For this you need to define your vision - ideally what value you can offer to people; your purpose - how you can add value to yourself; your goals - how you can reach your vision and purpose by asking what, where, when, who and how questions; your values - what is important for you; and your passion - what makes you jump out of bed in the morning.
In the second step you design your brand by working on social networking tools that will help you in creating a positive and desirable image of yourself in people's mind. This includes developing your online bio, resume, portfolio, professional presentations, videos; writing blog, posting comments, photos and news about/by you. For off-line branding you can join professional associations and attend conferences. Be mindful of consistency and clarity in your message and image. Once you develop and establish all the necessary social media tools in the next step you need to communicate them to the world.
In the third step you are going to communicate your brand to the world using social media, one of the most powerful and effective tools of networking. This does not mean that you underestimate the power of in-person networking but compliment it by building your on-line brand. The third step includes developing, writing, updating and maintaining good relations and reinforcing and communicating your unique image to the world by using different social media tools. At this step you need lots of energy and motivation to establish your presence. It is similar to an airplane, which needs extra energy and thrust to take off from the ground, once it is in the air it flies with less energy and help.
In the fourth step you refine your brand by continuously improving your brand on the basis of the feedback you get from your audience/customers. This step includes regular refining, aligning, adding and changing your purpose and goals and communication strategies to keep your brand in-line with who you are and what value you offer to others that makes a difference to all the people you serve.
"Building your personal brand online gets you noticed in the real world". Kirsten Dixson
By following these simple four step you will begin your marketing strategy of branding yourself by who you are and what you can offer, which allows you to deliver your unique promise of value.
Remember your brand creates your demand, and commands your success in career and life.
For additional help on branding refer to:
www.paulcopcutt.typepad.com
www.thepersonalbrandingblog.com
www.personalbrandingblog.com
In today’s fast paced and interactive world of work branding and marketing yourself is the key to career success. In the past branding was limited to products and corporate sectors and it was a domain of marketing companies with large budgets (and it was an expensive exercise.) In today's present information and digital age branding moves from products to persons and every citizen of the world can benefit from it - thanks to the Internet and the World Wide Web. With a little bit of indigenous touch any individual can define, create and promote their brand without paying a cent to marketers.
For the marketer, word of mouth is world of mouth and therefore any person can brand themselves through word of mouth using social media on the Internet. It provides them an opportunity to tell the world who they are and what difference they can make in the world. This applies to all career development practitioners as well. Every career practitioner has unique talents, skills and experience, which they can promote through their unique brand to the right audience. "What makes you unique, makes you successful" - William Arruda. To tap the power of social media you need a very simple and well thought out strategy.
There are four steps to this strategy, which any career professional can use to define, design, communicate and refine their online and offline brand.
In the first step you need to define your unique offerings, talents, skills and experiences, and how you can create value in people's lives. This is your unique promise of value that you have to offer to others. For this you need to define your vision - ideally what value you can offer to people; your purpose - how you can add value to yourself; your goals - how you can reach your vision and purpose by asking what, where, when, who and how questions; your values - what is important for you; and your passion - what makes you jump out of bed in the morning.
In the second step you design your brand by working on social networking tools that will help you in creating a positive and desirable image of yourself in people's mind. This includes developing your online bio, resume, portfolio, professional presentations, videos; writing blog, posting comments, photos and news about/by you. For off-line branding you can join professional associations and attend conferences. Be mindful of consistency and clarity in your message and image. Once you develop and establish all the necessary social media tools in the next step you need to communicate them to the world.
In the third step you are going to communicate your brand to the world using social media, one of the most powerful and effective tools of networking. This does not mean that you underestimate the power of in-person networking but compliment it by building your on-line brand. The third step includes developing, writing, updating and maintaining good relations and reinforcing and communicating your unique image to the world by using different social media tools. At this step you need lots of energy and motivation to establish your presence. It is similar to an airplane, which needs extra energy and thrust to take off from the ground, once it is in the air it flies with less energy and help.
In the fourth step you refine your brand by continuously improving your brand on the basis of the feedback you get from your audience/customers. This step includes regular refining, aligning, adding and changing your purpose and goals and communication strategies to keep your brand in-line with who you are and what value you offer to others that makes a difference to all the people you serve.
"Building your personal brand online gets you noticed in the real world". Kirsten Dixson
By following these simple four step you will begin your marketing strategy of branding yourself by who you are and what you can offer, which allows you to deliver your unique promise of value.
Remember your brand creates your demand, and commands your success in career and life.
For additional help on branding refer to:
www.paulcopcutt.typepad.com
www.thepersonalbrandingblog.com
www.personalbrandingblog.com
ABCDE and F of Social Media
Are you new to social media? Learn the ABCDE and F with us and the rest will follow.
Add value to conversation, talk something new and relevant, don't talk about yourself only. Every person has unique, therefore talk from your unique perspective, experience and knowledge.
Build relations, networking is a two way street, not only thing of what I can get also think of what I can give. build relations with a genuine attitude of 'how can I help you'
Communicate, that's how people know you, don't thing that adding your profile on social networking site will bring results (whatever your goals are) Communicate your presence by sharing ideas, knowledge and best practices in your field.
Differentiate yourself from other by communicating your unique value in the form of your accomplishments, contributions and what other people say about you. Your personal brand is not what you say about yourself, it is how others perceive you.
Engage people in a meaningful conversation ask relevant questions, answer right questions. Be consistent, be present and be engaging.
Failure in social media is caused by the absence of personal brand. People fail to promote their personal brand by
Add value to conversation, talk something new and relevant, don't talk about yourself only. Every person has unique, therefore talk from your unique perspective, experience and knowledge.
Build relations, networking is a two way street, not only thing of what I can get also think of what I can give. build relations with a genuine attitude of 'how can I help you'
Communicate, that's how people know you, don't thing that adding your profile on social networking site will bring results (whatever your goals are) Communicate your presence by sharing ideas, knowledge and best practices in your field.
Differentiate yourself from other by communicating your unique value in the form of your accomplishments, contributions and what other people say about you. Your personal brand is not what you say about yourself, it is how others perceive you.
Engage people in a meaningful conversation ask relevant questions, answer right questions. Be consistent, be present and be engaging.
Failure in social media is caused by the absence of personal brand. People fail to promote their personal brand by
- Not promoting themselves even with a simple use of business cards, email signatures, and personal websites.
- Incomplete LinkedIn and other social media profiles
- Lack of consistency in communicating
- Fail to engage their audience or reader
- Attitude of getting in and not giving out
- Following marketer rather then subject experts
Expectations from the Pakistani Students in 21st Century.
Pakistani colleges and universities are doing a poor job of preparing graduates for today's workplace. The biggest weakness, in the secondary and post-secondary education sector, is the lack of experience, knowledge and willingness to know how today's workplace works.
Educational policy makers and administrators could not relate to the challenges graduates are facing in finding work and trying to make their living from contract, temporary, part-time and unrelated employment.
The main challenge for colleges and universities is how to bring out students with an entrepreneurial attitude and approach in doing business and finding work.
At present, our graduates expect that someone is going to offer them a job or they will apply for a job and will get it. When this does not happen, many hopeful graduates give up and end up in doing low paying jobs in the careers that has nothing to do with their qualifications and interests.
If our talented young people who have the brains and determination to graduate can't find meaningful work, then we need to address this issue seriously and now!
Graduates could not afford to wait for the colleges and universities to enter into the 21st century. They need to learn how to package, market and sell themselves effectively to employers and businesses; find hidden work opportunities and create their own jobs as well as their destination.
Educational policy makers and administrators could not relate to the challenges graduates are facing in finding work and trying to make their living from contract, temporary, part-time and unrelated employment.
The main challenge for colleges and universities is how to bring out students with an entrepreneurial attitude and approach in doing business and finding work.
At present, our graduates expect that someone is going to offer them a job or they will apply for a job and will get it. When this does not happen, many hopeful graduates give up and end up in doing low paying jobs in the careers that has nothing to do with their qualifications and interests.
If our talented young people who have the brains and determination to graduate can't find meaningful work, then we need to address this issue seriously and now!
Graduates could not afford to wait for the colleges and universities to enter into the 21st century. They need to learn how to package, market and sell themselves effectively to employers and businesses; find hidden work opportunities and create their own jobs as well as their destination.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Importance of Career Counseling – Your Guide!
By Basit Saeed
Each year, hundreds of thousands of people pass matriculation in Pakistan. Many of them end up in high school (known as college or intermediate in Pakistan). Mostly students go for Pre-engineering because this way, they’d have the choice to opt commerce-related courses in the future. Unfortunately, over a fraction of the students who pass intermediate are able to study in universities because of the excessive pressure of making money to feed one’s family and quite expensive fee structure of the universities (a not-so-much-of-a-prestigious university offers a bachelor program in around 3.5-4 hundred thousand rupees. And that’s just basic tuition-fee. Not to mention all the other expenses like travel, stationary, course material, etc., make the overall cost reach 5-6 hundred thousand rupees.
Each year, hundreds of thousands of people pass matriculation in Pakistan. Many of them end up in high school (known as college or intermediate in Pakistan). Mostly students go for Pre-engineering because this way, they’d have the choice to opt commerce-related courses in the future. Unfortunately, over a fraction of the students who pass intermediate are able to study in universities because of the excessive pressure of making money to feed one’s family and quite expensive fee structure of the universities (a not-so-much-of-a-prestigious university offers a bachelor program in around 3.5-4 hundred thousand rupees. And that’s just basic tuition-fee. Not to mention all the other expenses like travel, stationary, course material, etc., make the overall cost reach 5-6 hundred thousand rupees.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Career Counselling
By Ali Moeen Nawazish
Monday, July 16, 2012
Monday, July 16, 2012
The News Education Expo is organized every year and it provides a platform for educational institutions to reach out to students across the major cities. This year the education expo happened bigger and better than ever in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore. A large number of people, particularly students of all level of education systems, many accompanied by their parents, visited the expo and took a keen interest in the event.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Employment has not kept pace with GDP growth
By Zafar-ul-Hassan Almas
Although most macro-economic indicators in Pakistan have improved in recent years, employment generation has notkept pace. Some critics describe this as a classic example of "jobless and joyless growth." The greatest challenge for Shaukat Aziz as prime minister, therefore, is to tackle the problem of unemployment.
Although most macro-economic indicators in Pakistan have improved in recent years, employment generation has notkept pace. Some critics describe this as a classic example of "jobless and joyless growth." The greatest challenge for Shaukat Aziz as prime minister, therefore, is to tackle the problem of unemployment.
Friday, May 4, 2012
Making choices: Career counselling in secondary schools
By Mariam Naeem Khan
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.
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.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Field of dreams
By Sumaiya Lakhani
A tomato field is an unlikely place to find inspiration, but amid the trees, mud and growing shoots, there it was: Inspiration with a capital ‘I’.
As odd as that may sound, what’s even odder is that it came as I saw a corporate banker jump over a mound, followed by a gaggle of giggling students in matching beige uniforms.
This was the moment when I got my first glimpse of the mentor-mentee relationship that forms the basis of The Citizen Foundation’s Rahbar programme.
Started in 2008, Rahbar is a mentorship programme that aims at the development of Pakistan’s youth on many levels. It’s come a long way since its humble beginnings and now includes over 1,000 volunteer mentors who have reached out to about 4,500 students in different cities.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Career guidance
QURAT-UL-AIN KHALIL
Career guidance refers to services and activities intended to assist individuals, of any age and at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers.
Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions a person will ever make. Unfortunately, many people make career choices without much career guidance.
In a country like Pakistan where literacy rate is quiet low, only 26% of students make their way to the higher education so, 74 percent of the students drop out due to many reasons; a wrong career can cause serious harm not only to the individual’s life but also to the economy.
The major drawback of our society is here decisions are the result of collectivism not individualism. This culture can be beneficial for other petty matters of life but for choosing career it can prove to be disastrous. Due to low literacy rate people have less information about variety of careers. Parents know only two domains of study: medical and engineering.
First thing required to choose the right career is to know your interest. Students should ask their parents only about their interests not about their careers. Once they are clear about their interests they should begin planning and obtaining information on it.
Schools should play their role; teachers should educate students with different kind of career options they could avail according to their interests and resources. The students who drop out of school could actively take part in economy if they are guided in schools at the right time towards their right career.
Students should also be assisted in presenting their abilities to the world. It is very important for the students to know about job searching strategies, such as writing a resume and cover letter, learning interview skills.
Career counselling is an issue which is not highlighted in Pakistan although it could be very helpful in producing professionals with highly specialised knowledge and expertise in variety of fields.
Career guidance refers to services and activities intended to assist individuals, of any age and at any point throughout their lives, to make educational, training and occupational choices and to manage their careers.
Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions a person will ever make. Unfortunately, many people make career choices without much career guidance.
In a country like Pakistan where literacy rate is quiet low, only 26% of students make their way to the higher education so, 74 percent of the students drop out due to many reasons; a wrong career can cause serious harm not only to the individual’s life but also to the economy.
The major drawback of our society is here decisions are the result of collectivism not individualism. This culture can be beneficial for other petty matters of life but for choosing career it can prove to be disastrous. Due to low literacy rate people have less information about variety of careers. Parents know only two domains of study: medical and engineering.
First thing required to choose the right career is to know your interest. Students should ask their parents only about their interests not about their careers. Once they are clear about their interests they should begin planning and obtaining information on it.
Schools should play their role; teachers should educate students with different kind of career options they could avail according to their interests and resources. The students who drop out of school could actively take part in economy if they are guided in schools at the right time towards their right career.
Students should also be assisted in presenting their abilities to the world. It is very important for the students to know about job searching strategies, such as writing a resume and cover letter, learning interview skills.
Career counselling is an issue which is not highlighted in Pakistan although it could be very helpful in producing professionals with highly specialised knowledge and expertise in variety of fields.
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/0ThPV
Career Counseling in Pakistan
We have guided missiles for the defense of country but the great asset of any nation, Pakistani Youth is unguided, said famous student trainer Qasim Ali Shah. It is fact; there is no trend ofcareer counseling in Pakistan. Our educational institutes never thought about the career counseling of Pakistani students. All the developed countries like America, China and other European countries have developed the trend of career counseling or career guidance. There are some big renowned institutions now started career counseling in Pakistan.
Bridging the industry-academia gap - II
Aurangzeb Soharwardi
There are enormous environmental factors which have hampered industrial development and business growth in Pakistan. Bad governance, the energy crisis, financial embezzlement and corruption, rising inflation, high tax rates and the menace of terrorism have been the main impediments in hindering GDP growth, besides declining FDI. However, another important reason for this dilemma which requires more attention is the disrupted link between the industry and the academic world. Ironically, not much focus has been provided in this regard as education is placed very low on the government’s priority list. Business and technical education, for the last 15 years, has attracted great popularity mostly through the private sector.
Particularly after the year 2000, a huge number of universities in the public and private sector have been established. Many new degree programmes with a diverse range of subject combinations have been introduced. A number of universities have started dual degree programmes with foreign university collaborations, offering significant opportunities for students to study abroad in highly ranked universities. Establishment of higher education was also a useful step, which offered numerous scholarships and facilitated higher education for all.
There are enormous environmental factors which have hampered industrial development and business growth in Pakistan. Bad governance, the energy crisis, financial embezzlement and corruption, rising inflation, high tax rates and the menace of terrorism have been the main impediments in hindering GDP growth, besides declining FDI. However, another important reason for this dilemma which requires more attention is the disrupted link between the industry and the academic world. Ironically, not much focus has been provided in this regard as education is placed very low on the government’s priority list. Business and technical education, for the last 15 years, has attracted great popularity mostly through the private sector.
Particularly after the year 2000, a huge number of universities in the public and private sector have been established. Many new degree programmes with a diverse range of subject combinations have been introduced. A number of universities have started dual degree programmes with foreign university collaborations, offering significant opportunities for students to study abroad in highly ranked universities. Establishment of higher education was also a useful step, which offered numerous scholarships and facilitated higher education for all.
Youth: Trigger for change
Fakiha Hassan Rizvi
The younger generation is a precious asset for any nation as it is the future builder. Youth currently numbers 1.2 billion or approximately 18 percent of the world population out of which 62 percent of the youth is living in Asia alone. Youth, as defined by the Ministry of Youth Affairs Pakistan, is the population which falls under the age bracket of 15-29 years. The New Growth Framework of Pakistan points that the proportion of people under the age of 30 years is 68 percent out of which 32 percent is illiterate, 8.3 percent is self-employed, 9.5 percent is unemployed and only 2.5 percent has received On-Job training. These abysmal statistics not only depict the lack of concern by our government towards youth issues but also admonish about the possible extremism that may foment as a result of an illiterate and frustrated youth.
The younger generation is a precious asset for any nation as it is the future builder. Youth currently numbers 1.2 billion or approximately 18 percent of the world population out of which 62 percent of the youth is living in Asia alone. Youth, as defined by the Ministry of Youth Affairs Pakistan, is the population which falls under the age bracket of 15-29 years. The New Growth Framework of Pakistan points that the proportion of people under the age of 30 years is 68 percent out of which 32 percent is illiterate, 8.3 percent is self-employed, 9.5 percent is unemployed and only 2.5 percent has received On-Job training. These abysmal statistics not only depict the lack of concern by our government towards youth issues but also admonish about the possible extremism that may foment as a result of an illiterate and frustrated youth.
Need stressed for career counseling of youth
Karachi : Teachers should guide youth in career selection, as youth career counseling helps the student community in their future career planning, said speakers of a 6-day Youth Counseling Workshop jointly arranged by Youth Affairs Sindh, The capacity Builder & British Counsel at a local hotel.
Sindh Youth Affairs Minister Faisal Sabzvari, Secretary Youth Affairs, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Director Y.A. Khursheed A. Sheikh, Director British Counsel Mashood Rizvi, Director The Capacity Builder Mansoor Naz Vindhani, spoke some 30 participants from Karachi University, Muhammad Ali Jinnah University, PECHS Girls College, Commerce College, SMB Fatima Govt. School & Gulbai Govt. School.
Earlier British Counsil Director Mashood Rizvi informed the attendants that the council will soon arranged a entry test of the participants for admission in the advance career counseling course of Warkwick University U.K.
Co-organizer of the workshop the capacity builder TCB Director Mansoor Naz Vindhani outlined the curriculum and scope of the workshop. He announced that the next session of Youth Career Counseling Workshop will be held in Hyderabad 12 to 17 December.
Sindh Youth Affairs Minister Faisal Sabzvari, Secretary Youth Affairs, Shoaib Ahmed Siddiqui, Director Y.A. Khursheed A. Sheikh, Director British Counsel Mashood Rizvi, Director The Capacity Builder Mansoor Naz Vindhani, spoke some 30 participants from Karachi University, Muhammad Ali Jinnah University, PECHS Girls College, Commerce College, SMB Fatima Govt. School & Gulbai Govt. School.
Earlier British Counsil Director Mashood Rizvi informed the attendants that the council will soon arranged a entry test of the participants for admission in the advance career counseling course of Warkwick University U.K.
Co-organizer of the workshop the capacity builder TCB Director Mansoor Naz Vindhani outlined the curriculum and scope of the workshop. He announced that the next session of Youth Career Counseling Workshop will be held in Hyderabad 12 to 17 December.
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/tNlcu
LCWU partners with British Council for Education Resource Centre
LAHORE - The Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) Faculty Development Centre on Friday partnered with the British Council Pakistan to set up an International Education Resource Centre at LCWU.
The decision was made in a meeting between LCWU Vice Chancellor Dr Sabiha Mansoor, deans and heads of departments of the college and British Council Pakistan Education UK head Nadia Kamran.
Speaking on the occasion, Nadia Kamran said that the purpose of setting up the student hub was to promote international education programmes with the expressed goal of increasing knowledge transfer, student and staff mobility and sharing of best practices between the academic communities in Pakistan and the UK.
The British Council would facilitate, build the capacity and mentor 18 faculty members at the LCWU in the areas of Career Counseling, Transnational Education, Linkages and Research Collaboration, Digital Aspects of Internationalisation, Coordinating Activities and Publications, Attracting Regional Students, Business Entrepreneurship, Staff and Student Mobility and Social Entrepreneurship.
Kamran said that the selected faculty members would be trained for 6-8 weeks after which they would be kept in contact through meetings, e-mail, skype and video conferences so that they could enhance their administrative and managerial faculties to uplift their institution nationally and internationally.
Dr Sabiha Mansoor appreciated the British Council for their cooperation in this regard.
The decision was made in a meeting between LCWU Vice Chancellor Dr Sabiha Mansoor, deans and heads of departments of the college and British Council Pakistan Education UK head Nadia Kamran.
Speaking on the occasion, Nadia Kamran said that the purpose of setting up the student hub was to promote international education programmes with the expressed goal of increasing knowledge transfer, student and staff mobility and sharing of best practices between the academic communities in Pakistan and the UK.
The British Council would facilitate, build the capacity and mentor 18 faculty members at the LCWU in the areas of Career Counseling, Transnational Education, Linkages and Research Collaboration, Digital Aspects of Internationalisation, Coordinating Activities and Publications, Attracting Regional Students, Business Entrepreneurship, Staff and Student Mobility and Social Entrepreneurship.
Kamran said that the selected faculty members would be trained for 6-8 weeks after which they would be kept in contact through meetings, e-mail, skype and video conferences so that they could enhance their administrative and managerial faculties to uplift their institution nationally and internationally.
Dr Sabiha Mansoor appreciated the British Council for their cooperation in this regard.
She expressed the vision to raise the LCWU to the top 500 universities in the world, adding that setting up an international education resource centre would help achieve the goal.
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/LwoXg
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/LwoXg
GCU students to ‘Teach for Pakistan’
LAHORE, Feb 1: The students of the Government College University (GCU), Lahore, with international organisation ‘Teach for Pakistan’ will teach public schools’ students improving their communication skills and knowledge besides developing their personality confidence.
This was stated by GCU faculty of science and technology dean Prof Dr Ikramul Haq at a meeting of GCU BS (Honours) final-year students on Wednesday.
Prof Haq said the varsity’s ‘Career Guidance and Placement Centre’ would sign an agreement with ‘Teach for Pakistan’ to assign teaching assignments to best of GCU volunteers at different under-resourced schools. He said volunteer teachers would coach, educate and motivate public schools’ students through modern teaching methodologies. He said that over 100 Ravians had volunteered for teaching at government schools.
‘Teach for Pakistan’ director recruitment Mariaum Ahmad said volunteers would also pay scholarship to the selected students taught at these schools. She said she hoped that every year, dozens of Ravians would teach at public schools in the country.
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/jfndE
This was stated by GCU faculty of science and technology dean Prof Dr Ikramul Haq at a meeting of GCU BS (Honours) final-year students on Wednesday.
Prof Haq said the varsity’s ‘Career Guidance and Placement Centre’ would sign an agreement with ‘Teach for Pakistan’ to assign teaching assignments to best of GCU volunteers at different under-resourced schools. He said volunteer teachers would coach, educate and motivate public schools’ students through modern teaching methodologies. He said that over 100 Ravians had volunteered for teaching at government schools.
‘Teach for Pakistan’ director recruitment Mariaum Ahmad said volunteers would also pay scholarship to the selected students taught at these schools. She said she hoped that every year, dozens of Ravians would teach at public schools in the country.
Primary Link: http://goo.gl/jfndE
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