Career choice: What is the role of parents, teachers?

It is common to meet university students pursuing courses just because their parents dictated so or for the sake of acquiring a degree or diploma qualification. However, choosing a course to pursue after high school ought to be given due attention as it ultimately shapes to one’s lifetime career. This daunting process should involve the student, parents and teachers so that the final choice can harness the student’s potential. Short of working together in making this decision has shown that many students end up in wrong fields. For instance, Iryn Ingabire, a second year student at the Jomo Kenyatta University, says she didn’t ever imagine she would study bachelor of commerce. “When I was still in high school, I always thought I would do pharmacy or public health, or something related to sciences. It was my dream to do sciences right from childhood. However, by the time I completed secondary school, I was struggling to make a decision; a lot of things were going on in my mind and I was confused. “Eventually, my uncle advised me to do commerce so that I can be self-employed in future. I had never thought about this, but I followed his piece of advice,” she says. Ingabire, like most other students, face such scenarios when choosing a course to pursue, but she says the only way to overcome this is to involve everyone concerned, especially parents. On the other hand, Joyce Kirabo, an education counsellor, notes that the students should always be helped by their parents and teachers to realise their potential and what they are good at. “Choosing the right course is a big decision and it is important to get it right, as it can impact your future success. It’s not a thing you do in a second. Students should, therefore, be given great support in the first place to identify their passion in relation to their future careers. Parents and teachers have an important role in this process because they know the students pretty well,” she says. A girl mentors female students. Mentorship and career guidance are pivotal in choosing a career. (Lydia Atieno) Kirabo also says that students themselves should seek guidance to figure out what they are good at instead of simply doing what their friends or peers are pursuing. “Students also have a role in their lives; they should assess themselves objectively to determine their abilities and what their future should look like. Seeking guidance from reliable people in their community is another way to go,” she adds. Mentorship and career guidance key Sheila Kawira, a teacher of English at Mother Mary School Complex Kigali, explains that mentorship and career guidance are critical in helping students throughout the whole journey of choices for higher learning. “Mentors have a big role in not only helping students to identify what they are good at, but ultimately shaping their future. They always encourage students, depending on their abilities, to live a life of significance, and this is exactly what children take from early childhood,” she notes. Although economic backgrounds sometimes hamper the students’ career choices, Kirabo says career guidance helps overcome such challenges. She says counsellors can help students with career decisions as well as other aspects of a student’s life that might impact on career decisions. “Many students are discouraged by their financial status and the economic background of their families. This is a common conception that needs the intervention of a career guide and mentor. Both assist one to be able to make the right choice regardless of their background,” Kirabo says. Ultimately, Kirabo highlights the great need to help students explore how the real world works and work with them collaboratively to prepare for their future. For Caglar Candir, an education consultant based in Kigali, students should be tested with what he terms as ‘characterising tests’, which he describes as those tests that explain the actual behaviour of a student when they are still at a tender age. “Some students are more of science-minded while others are social-minded. Students should first recognise and acknowledge who they truly are. However, characterising tests should be given when they are in lower classes for them to choose the right subject combinations tailored towards their career dreams,” he explains. Teachers, parents speak Fidele Muhirwa, a secondary school teacher in Kigali, says it’s a teacher’s responsibility to guide a student to realise what their potential is. “As teachers, we have that responsibility of guiding the student about what exactly is going on in real life. We do this by referring to the subjects where they perform better and what they like more. We advise them to settle for what inspires them, and not necessarily what their colleagues are studying at the university,” he says. Parents should also be part of the whole process, Muhirwa adds. “There are some parents who still think their children must take up what they studied. This is old-fashioned and parents should give their children a chance to explore any field provided it promises a good future,” he notes. Medics examine a patient. Such a career choice requires early preparation and commitment. (Lydia Atieno) According to Athanase Kalisa, a parent of three, parents can tell at a young age what a child’s interests are, and can contribute to the long-term career choices early by providing the right environment in form of play and reading materials. “Children learn through playing. So it is better for them to discover their own interests by this typical behaviour. When they show concentration on a specific field, support them but never try to force them to follow things blindly. Be tolerant and don´t forget that you possibly went through the same before choosing a career,” he says. Schools should play a critical role in facilitating students’ choices through counselling departments, open days where students get opportunities to learn about study programmes as well as guided tours to introduce the students to the outside world, among others. editorial@newtimes.co.rw ******************************************** 5 Factors to Consider when Choosing a Career There are many factors to consider when choosing a career, whether it is your first job or you are in the middle of changing careers. While this can be a difficult decision, it is certainly not an impossible choice to make when you have the right tools and resources. Fortunately there are many helpful ways of determining if a new career is the right one for you. Factors such as interests, attitudes, skills, training and availability of work are all important to consider when searching for a new career. Read on to learn more about these factors. What Interests You? Before selecting a career, it’s advisable to start taking an inventory of the things that interest you in terms of work. Start by taking a look at the things you do well and compare them to work you’ve done in the past to identify key skills that can be used in a new career. If you have trouble deciding what you like to do, be sure to take an interest assessment offered by a career development resource or find one on the Internet. You may be surprised to find that some of the things you enjoy doing daily can actually be components of a future career. Evaluate Your Skills Everyone has unique talents that can be used in a career of some type. For many, these talents have been present since childhood; for others they are learned over time. Skills can be broken down by types and matched up with specific career paths. In order to determine what career you should choose, begin by looking at skills that can be used on the job or look at career paths that compliment your current skills and talents. Work Attitudes Whether many people realize it or not, how they feel about work can have an affect on the types of careers that they eventually find themselves in. Having a positive attitude about working can result in being able to manage high levels of stress and responsibility in addition to being self-motivated. In addition, attitudes can contribute to the factors that drive people to work in certain careers; such as those attracted to high earnings, wanting to work with specific groups of people or needing independence. Training and Education In order to land certain careers, an industry expected level of training and education is a general requirement.That means for each job type, you will need to attain a certain degree or level of experience before you can begin work in that area. Be sure to choose a training program that is within your means to achieve to avoid setting yourself up for failure. Availability of Jobs When choosing a career, a big factor is how many jobs will be available at certain levels. If you are a new graduate or are trying to switch careers mid-life, this can be a determining factor as to what type of work you settle on. Local industries can play a large part in what work people do, so if you are looking for something that is outside of available work, you can expect to have to relocate to find a job. Agencies ******************************************** Your views on career choices Elizabeth Gikundiro, a business lady Elizabeth Gikundiro I design and sell African prints. I chose to do this particular business because I was passionate about designing since I was young. On the other hand, being a boss of my own was always my dream and I loathed the idea of an employer being on my neck now and then. Kenny Mpayana, a teacher Kenny Mpayana I always loved to be around young people ever and the only way I could achieve that was to pursue a teaching career. As a teacher, it has become my duty to also help them refine their career choices as well as building their self-esteem in whatever they do. Susan Mutoni, a secretary Susan Mutoni I loved things to do with computer and since our school was offering that, I settled for it, eventually choosing secretarial work for my career. It’s good for one to be passionate in what they want to pursue, and have a mentor who can take them through that specific field so that they don’t take a wrong path. Raymond Awazi, a pediatrician Raymond Awazi I was always sickly as a child and my parents had to take me to different doctors until the age of eight. I decided to pursue a career in medicine so that I help children who may have similar challenges. Children are the future leaders thus they need that care, and that’s what I am doing. Diofene Abarihamwe, an accountant Diofene Abarihamwe I chose accountancy because I was mentored by my father who was also an accountant. Since childhood, I always longed to work with financial institutions so that when I start my own business I can handle the accounts well. By Lydia Atieno