The adversity brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic is not hidden to anybody. Times have really been tough but we as human beings learn to adapt. The past year and a half brought to many people losses of all kinds including loss of life, monetary loss, loss of jobs and loss of mental peace. Not to mention how specially the times have been tough for students.
They haven’t been to their classrooms for almost two years which has left the students studying via screens. It is not only the textbook knowledge you learn in school but you learn about life. You learn various aspects of living as you interact with your classmates, teachers and as you go on with your daily school curriculum. The same goes to being in a college. You learn more intricate aspects of life in college as compared to school which in retrospect prepares you to be a member of the workforce. But this pandemic has disrupted the nature and course of everything.
While Class 12 board exams have been cancelled, college students in their final years are also facing difficulties. The cancellation of exams means a crack in the career plan the students and parents must have laid down. And for college students taking a step after graduation has become seemingly hard because of this situation. So what do they do about it? How do you choose the right career path during this panic driven unprecedented situation? Well, we might have some answers for that.
1. List Preferences
Nomatter how confused the times may seem, the first thing that might help sort things out is making a list. Everyone always has a list for everything at the back of their mind, pull that one out. For students passing out class 12th sit with your parents and discuss your preferred career choice. Make a list of your preferences, figure out all the chances of you being able to go on with your preferred choice with regards to the situation. This should give you a clarity of the situation as well as your potential career path.
For fresh graduates this list should be in interest of whether you want to directly join the workforce or keep studying. The contents of the list may differ depending on your choice but the main goal of this process is to gain clarity on the possible solutions to your situation keeping in mind the pandemic.
2. Skills and Courses
One of the most important things the pandemic taught us is adaptability. Even the people who were not as tech savvy as compared to their peers or family members had to make themselves familiar with technology just to be able to keep living life. Just like that, when thinking about your career path during a situation like this you should think about how you can make the most of your time. Whether a 12th standard student (passing out) or a fresh graduate gaining some new skills would be of great help. For whatever career path you are about to take, identify useful courses and skill sets you can master. Equipping yourself with it will put you way ahead in the game.
3. Shortlist Colleges
Once you are clear with which career path you want to take, it is now time to hunt colleges. Class 12th passing out students have ample time right now (with results to be declared in July) to look at all the possible options for their chosen course. Make a list of all the colleges you want to apply to. Sit with your parents and check which colleges meet your demands. Making a checklist of things you want in your college will help you make a wise choice. Research about institutes as much as possible and tick off the checklist. By the end of your mission you should have chosen a college that suits you best. Same process should be of immense help for those who are looking for postgraduate studies.
4. Up-To-Date With Entrance Exams
If you are clear on your goal now, prepare yourself. Keep yourself updated with all the entrance exam schedules (obviously the ones related to your choice of course). Whether it is national entrance exams or college entrance exams, get yourself ready. Gather all the study materials you need and invest all of your time in that. With the board results assessment sort of being questioned, entrance exams will matter a lot. So if you really want to secure yourself a seat at your desired institute make sure you score well in those exams. Take help from every possible means whether online study materials, teachers or peers. Similarly postgraduate aspirants can also sit to prepare for various exams as per the requirement of their field of study and choice of college.
5. Stay Online
Ever since the pandemic has happened the need to stay online has doubled if not tripled. And social media isn’t the only reason for that. Everything these days is digital, so staying online is crucial more than ever disregarding the fact that you are a school student or a college graduate. Being online remains especially important for fresh graduates who are looking for jobs. To enter the workforce you need to be aware of who in your industry is hiring. And this crucial information is disseminated via the internet. There are plenty of online job hunting sites with thousands of job listings in there. Keep searching and keep applying to whatever job sparks your interest. If job hunting sites don’t help you can also reach out to recruitment agencies. The goal here is to make as much use as you can of that online space to get yourself hired and get a head start in your career.
