Tuesday, March 19, 2024 | Ramadan 8, 1445 H
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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

Groom them young on career planning

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It is really interesting to know how the process of choosing a profession shapes in an individual. Parents’ education and financial status, schooling and the influence of peers determine one’s career. A recent report from an UK-based media said that the career advice to children should begin from early as 10 years of age. Children should be exposed to various options through field visits or lectures by successful people from various walks of life, including businessmen.


For an average growing children, especially boys, sportsmen are instant attractions for some obvious reasons. The pastime for most growing boys evolve around playing outdoor sports, which makes it easy for them to aspire and identify themselves with sports personalities. For example, football players have been the preferred role models for children across the continents for ages now.


According to Paul Abraham, with over 40 years of experience as a school principal, “Parents and teachers should try to identify qualities in children from around the age of nine or 10. Features such as leadership, teamwork and creativity can be identified from this age.”


He added, “Most children leave the decision of making career choices to their parents and friends that very often result in frustration and career crisis if they are not able to make course corrections at the right time”


Wrong career discussions can also lead to disruptions in family lives and frustrations from work are often brought home, Abraham said.


Maya Iyer, an English teacher, agreed that there is this assumption that children with good marks will naturally end up with a good career. “It may be true but there is a difference between doing a routine office job or something that can be path-breaking or revolutionary.”


Parents and teachers are responsible for laying the foundation based on which children take the path as per their dreams, capabilities and limitations. “Not all can take decisions with confidence and without the fear of failure. But they should be groomed to take losses and defeats sportingly.”


“I wanted to be an astronaut desperately from an early age and ultimately ended up as a business executive. I still live a successful career, but am not sure why I gave up my original dream so easily. May be I could distinguish between a real and virtual life,” said Arun Radhakrishan, a former student of an Indian school in Muscat.


“I wanted to be a pilot all my growing years but never had the right people to guide me towards that goal. I am doing something just for the sake of a job now,” says Mohammed al Balushi, who graduated in chemical engineering and works in the financial sector.


He added that these days there are more options to know about a particular profession from YouTube and online sources like Wikipedia.


Vinod Nair


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