Why we need a Career Oath?
Because - something is seriously wrong with higher education.
In developed countries, you typically keep repaying your student debt well into your thirties. And, start to question the efficacy of it all. For example:
In developing countries, you typically invest all your family savings into higher education and end up with a job which does not require your degrees. For example:
There are two basic issues:
Bad Career Decisions
Most students and even some working professionals, are unable to write 10 sensible lines (those which a 10 year old cannot write), about the Career which they wish to pursue for the rest of their life. Skill-less Education
Everyone knows that only 10% of what we learn in academics is actually used in practical life. Which education institute points out the 10%? Or, bothers to even lay out the remaining 90% which is needed for success?
These problems are not just your Government’s responsibility. You as a child or you as a parent can do your bit to solve these problems.
Start by taking the Career Oath and then read on to understand how to implement your Career Oath.
Start by taking the Career Oath and then read on to understand how to implement your Career Oath.
What is the Career Oath?
For the Child
For the Parent
Why should I take the Career Oath?
ChildBecause I believe in “My Life ... My Career ... My Decision” and I want to be successful in life.
ParentBecause I love my child and I want my child to be both successful and happy in life.
Get your Certificate
Next, validate your Email ID and receive your Career Oath Certificate on the same email.
Your phone number and Birthday will be used to register your LifePage App account (in case you do not have it already). Instead of your Birthday you can enter, any 4 digits which you will remember.
Your LifePage account will remain inactive until you press the Activate button on another email sent by LifePage. Thereafter, you can login to the LifePage App using your phone number and the 4 digits.
Your LifePage account will remain inactive until you press the Activate button on another email sent by LifePage. Thereafter, you can login to the LifePage App using your phone number and the 4 digits.
Why should I get a Certificate?
ChildSo that I can send it to my parents, friends and family and they don’t bother me until I have decided a Career and made a Plan for it.
ParentSo that I can send it to my child and he or she feels confident about my support for his or her Career selection and Career Planning.
What’s Next?
ChildYou now need to choose a Career and make a Plan for it. This activity is basically three steps: Career Exploration, Career Selection and Career Planning.
ParentYou will need to facilitate and support your child at every stage of the process.
Career Exploration
ChildCareer Counselling Step 1 is Career Exploration. Learn about various Careers by focussing on primary information. So if you are interested in Law, find a Lawyer, fix time, and try to find:
- What is Law?
- What Education is required for Law (not qualifications – that comes later, at this stage you are trying to find whether you want to become a Lawyer or an Architect). Education is basically things which you can learn from books, which will make you a good Lawyer.
- What Skills are needed in Law?
- What are the Positives of being a Lawyer?
- What are the Challenges of being a Lawyer?
- How a Day goes in the life of a Lawyer?
Next, explore another Career, then another ... you should research at least 20 Careers.
A very efficient option for doing this Career research is to use the LifePage Career Talks App. It has 1,271 Career Videos from real professionals in exactly the same format as mentioned above.
The App is free to download and you can watch all the Career Videos for free. We have registered you on the App and You should have received an Activation email. To start using the App:
The App is free to download and you can watch all the Career Videos for free. We have registered you on the App and You should have received an Activation email. To start using the App:
- Install the LifePage Career Talks App:
- Activate your account from the email sent to you. If you did not receive an email, you could register on the App.
- Login to the LifePage App using details mentioned in the Activation email.
ParentEncourage your child to explore with an objective mindset. It’s ok, if you are a Doctor and your child wants to become an Artist. It may very well be a hobby / interest / infatuation or it may be a Career where your child will really prosper. Bring objectivity in the Career exploration process, do not force your opinions about Art on your child, find an Artist patient and request him or her to give a balanced opinion to your child.
You too can use the LifePage app and jointly explore over 1,271 Career Videos from real professionals. Follow the same steps as mentioned above for your child.
Career Selection
ChildCareer Counselling Step 2 is Career Selection. Once you have collated enough information i.e. you have researched at least 20 Careers. The next step is to choose a particular Career. Pull out your notes, and introspect for at least 3 days, weigh (Education, Skills, Positives and Challenges) of every Career and then take a final decision. At this stage, you may also want to use professional advice from a Career Counsellor.
How do you know that your Career decision is good? Start writing an essay on “Career in ________” – strike out all the lines which a 10 year old can write and count the number of remaining lines. If the number of lines is above 20, you have a pretty solid decision. If not, you need to go back to Career exploration.
If you have been using LifePage for Career exploration, you will realize that the App also allows you to do Self Assessments. Watching all Career Videos is free and a Self Assessment on a particular Career Video is just ₹ 100 ($ 1.4).
Self Assessment returns a score between 0 and 100 called a Dream Index which is defined as “According to the Architect in the Career Video your chances of success in Architecture is ___%”.
Your Dream Index Report can be a very good way to rank order your shortlisted Careers and will enable you to introspect more effectively.
Self Assessment returns a score between 0 and 100 called a Dream Index which is defined as “According to the Architect in the Career Video your chances of success in Architecture is ___%”.
Your Dream Index Report can be a very good way to rank order your shortlisted Careers and will enable you to introspect more effectively.
ParentYour child is trying to figure out, what to do for the rest of his or her life. This is literally the most important decision your child will make and everything in your child’s life will be impacted by what path he or she chooses. You should act like an objective sounding board, helping your child through the self introspection process.
However, be absolutely non-negotiable on the 20 lines, you cannot allow your child to start working towards something without even understanding what it is. You have always been your child’s most passionate supporter, however now you cannot blindly support your child. Your hard earned savings are at stake but more importantly your child’s future and happiness is at stake too.
And, just in case your child wants to do a couple of Self Assessments on LifePage then do not shy away from using your credit card.
Career Planning
ChildCareer Counselling Step 3 is Career Planning. After you have made a Career decision, go deeper into your chosen Career. Figure out how one get’s into the Career, what Skills are required for success, what Challenges will come your way. Look beyond qualifications, as they may help with Education but you need to also work on Skills and Challenges. Make a time bound strategy on what Courses, Certifications, Trainings and Other items you will do to excel at your chosen Career.
You should have all this sorted before you join a Course. The only time to develop Skills is while you are at School, College or University. Not when you are working, then you have to use the Skills not develop them.
LifePage Career Plan is a 14 hour program which covers the entire gamut of Career Exploration, Career Selection and Career Planning. For ₹ 10,000 ($ 140) you get a dedicated Career Advisor for 14 hours who leads your Career Exploration, guides your Self Introspection and helps you structure your Career Plan.
Here is an example of a LifePage Career Plan, read it to understand how you should structure your Career Plan and the level of detail you should have in your Career Plan.
Here is an example of a LifePage Career Plan, read it to understand how you should structure your Career Plan and the level of detail you should have in your Career Plan.
Sample Plan
(click image to download)| Ruchika [1st Year College] | |
[Click to Download] |
Ruchika is a very bright student and wanted to become an Actuary. She gained admission in BA Economics, University of Calcutta. However, after a year she realized that she does not like Economics and Statistics at college level. She displayed a lot of courage to drop out of a prestigious course and return to Siliguri, however she had no idea of what to do next.  After the Career Plan, Ruchika discovered her calling in Travel Journalism and she could write a 15 line essay on the same. She knows how to decide whether to work for a company or start her own brand. She has clarity on what education to pursue, trainings, certifications and even on how to develop her network. |
ParentPlease remember the best time for your child to start thinking about his or her Career is now. Ideally your child should have a Career Plan in Grade IX, however if for some reasons he or she is still lost: Ask your child to drop everything, relax and invest a full month to figure out a Career Plan and then work according to it. Convince your child “If you fail to Plan, you are planning to Fail!”
If you do sign up your child for the LifePage Career Plan, then educate yourself on the process too and keep discussing with your child throughout the process. Once, the Plan is made, keep a copy with yourself and discuss it with your child every 6 months. Make sure your child has all the resources necessary to implement his or her Career Plan.
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